The Vegetable Orchestra

Status: Strange, but true
image Vienna boasts the world's only vegetable orchestra. Members of this orchestra play only instruments made out of vegetables. Among their instruments: the cuke-o-phon, the radish-marimba, and the carrot-flute. (A few kitchen utensils such as knives and mixers are also used, on occasion.) And I love this part of the concept: "the instruments are subsequently made into a soup so that the audience can then enjoy them a second time"

In their FAQ, the vegetable orchestra reports that yes, they are serious about their music. It's not just a gag. And they seem to have quite an active tour schedule. They also report that the freshness of the vegetables makes a big difference in the quality of the sound.

I wonder if throwing tomatoes at them at the end of the concert would be considered a compliment? (via the Salvador Dali Museum)

Entertainment Food

Posted on Thu Jul 13, 2006


Comments

sorry to say but the vienna vegetable orchestra really does cool music! i saw them in leipzig, germany and what they are able to get out of their primitive instruments is, well, amazing..
i didn't see any tomatos flying from the audience.. or even wishes for it..
your very personal,
strawberry
Posted by strawberry  on  Thu Jul 13, 2006  at  01:27 PM
I hope they boil their cucumber flutes, as I imagine they're filled with the flutist's saliva.
Posted by Citizen Premier  on  Thu Jul 13, 2006  at  01:54 PM
And, I wonder what they could do with a "cumato."
Posted by Citizen Premier  on  Thu Jul 13, 2006  at  01:54 PM
My old college radio station may have had one of their albums. It was definitely by a group that played only vegetables. It was quite good from what I remember.
Posted by Paul  on  Thu Jul 13, 2006  at  07:29 PM
You can tune a piano, but can you tunacumato?
Posted by JoeDaJuggler  on  Thu Jul 13, 2006  at  09:42 PM
But a tomato is a fruit, they'd probably be insulted. They're not a fruit orchestra.
Posted by Steve  on  Fri Jul 14, 2006  at  09:04 AM
...I wouldn't want to eat veggies that someone was just blowing spit into.
Posted by Maegan  on  Fri Jul 14, 2006  at  11:03 AM
Good point, Steve. Throw carrots instead.
Wait, that could hurt someone. Throw peas.
Posted by Big Gary  on  Fri Jul 14, 2006  at  11:18 AM
My favorite vegetable instrument is a giant bean I got in Cuba. It's hard and probably a meter long and a hand's breadth wide, and when you shake it, the seeds make a sound like a maracas, but much louder.

The things grow on trees there, and are frequently used in "Santeria" ceremonies. I can't remember the correct Cuban name of this instrument.
Posted by Big Gary  on  Fri Jul 14, 2006  at  11:22 AM
Why does that instrument in the photo disturb me so much? :red:
Posted by oppiejoe  on  Fri Jul 14, 2006  at  02:33 PM
Because it looks like the form of a penis. 😊
Posted by Yuvri  on  Fri Jul 14, 2006  at  03:04 PM
Just a thought... what if the Red Hot Chili Peppers really used Red Hot Chili peppers? :cheese:
Posted by oppiejoe  on  Sun Jul 16, 2006  at  08:51 AM
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