Gemüseorchester
THE VEGETABLE ORCHESTRA OF VIENNA
Form meets function in the homemade, edible instruments used by Vienna’s Gemüseorchester.
“Carrot flutes” from Vienna’s Gemüseorchester. Photo © and courtesy of The Vegetable Orchestra.
Some of the instruments, including the carrot recorders and eggplant castanets, have a look of raw, carnal minimalism to them. Others, such as the “cucumberphone,” incorporate more aesthetic appeal, combining various vegetables of contrasting colors.
All of them are fully functional musical instruments.
Founded in 1998, the Vegetable Orchestra plays regular concerts all over the world, yet rarely on the same instruments. The taxing demands of performance and the natural process of decay create a high rate of turnover in the instruments themselves, allowing for the musicians-cum-luthiers to continuously experiment with constructive techniques.
“Cucumberphone” from Vienna’s Gemüseorchester. Photo © and courtesy of The Vegetable Orchestra.
After each concert, some of the instruments are given to audience members as souvenirs. (One can only speculate as to the shelf life of these keepsakes—even the most devoted fan must eventually grow weary of the fauna attracted to a decomposing celeriac bongo.) The remaining instruments are cooked into a soup that is served to the spectators.
Needless to say, the Gemüseorchester is likely the world’s only orchestra that handcrafts its own instruments before each concert. They are, almost certainly, the only musicians who feed their woodwinds to the audience after performing. —DJS