Essentially, I have taken the plot from the famous maritime account of the mutiny on The Bounty and have transferred the scenario into an orchestra pit. It seemed reasonable to me that, with the various "ranks" and positions of authority in an orchestra, there might be a bit of animosity between musicians — or even outright dissension. After speaking with numerous musicians, I have been delighted to discover that the thought of a musical mutiny seems to be just about every classical musician's dream.

Instrumental Treason could quite possibly cause filmmakers to reconsider the importance of the relationship of sound to cinematic images; or, vice versa, the relationship of images to cinematic sounds. Ever since the dawn of the "talkies," filmmakers and critics alike have struggled with the incorporation of sound with moving pictures. Has the addition of sound destroyed the "purity" of the image? Or has sound helped to offer a more realistic — and entertaining — cinematic experience? Although Instrumental Treason may not resolve this argument, it will happily confuse the issue by creating a world in which both sound and image are truly symbiotic.