The Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Day Concert, which featured a piece by Florence Price, has been embroiled in controversy after it emerged that the performed work bore little resemblance to Price's original composition. The Rainbow Waltz, credited to Price on Sony's album of the concert, was actually a re-orchestration by Wolfgang Dörner, which musicologist John Michael Cooper has labelled a 'forgery' and the 'sincerest form of insult' to the composer.
Price, the first Black woman in the US to write a symphony, was included in the traditionally Strauss-heavy programme as a nod to diversity. However, Dörner's arrangement added an introduction and altered melodies, harmonies, and structure, stripping away Price's unique blend of spirituals, blues, and classical traditions. The resulting piece has been described as 'pure Viennese pastiche'.
Further scrutiny by oboist Katherine Needleman revealed that while the piece is credited to Price on the album, the Austrian copyright agency AKM lists it as public domain, with only Dörner attributed as arranger. This has raised questions about whether the orchestra used Price's name for diversity while effectively erasing her musical identity.
Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin defended the arrangement, stating it 'highlighted connections to the Viennese waltz tradition' and aimed to introduce Price's music to a wider audience. However, he declined further comment. Vienna Philharmonic chairman Daniel Froschauer acknowledged Dörner 'took somewhat greater liberties' but denied intent to mislead, adding that 'perhaps we can all learn something from this discussion'.
The controversy underscores ongoing issues of institutional prejudice, with critics arguing that Price's music was altered to fit white European conventions. Listeners are encouraged to seek out authentic recordings of Price's works, such as her symphonies conducted by Nézet-Séguin or the original piano version of Rainbow Waltz performed by Kevin Wayne Bumpers.
