Unaufführbare Musik

When does music become unperformable?

Music exists only in the moment of its performance—and yet there are compositions that push that very performance to its limits or even beyond. In his groundbreaking study, Jaronas Scheurer examines a phenomenon that has scarcely been explored to date: unperformable music.

Drawing on works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Iannis Xenakis, Klaus K. Hübler, Hanne Darboven, Charles-Valentin Alkan, and other composers, Scheurer demonstrates that “unperformability” means far more than mere technical unplayability. It arises where scores, instruments, performance practice, and historical conditions enter into a tense relationship and raise new questions about the nature of musical works.

At the heart of the book is a shift in perspective that is as original as it is compelling: instruments and scores are no longer viewed as passive tools, but as independent actors that open up, limit, or even prevent musical possibilities. Building on this foundation, Scheurer develops a new methodology for musical analysis that brings together music history, performance practice, the history of media and science, and philosophical reflections.

*Unperformable Music* is aimed at musicologists, performers, and composers, as well as anyone interested in the frontiers of musical thought. The study offers a fascinating glimpse into virtuosity, notation, and materiality—and demonstrates that it is precisely where music seemingly fails that its most productive questions arise.

The book will be released on November 30 and is available for pre-order now!