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Was the pianist's racy, form-fitting mini-dress more appropriate for rock or Rachmaninoff?
Pianist Yuja Wang struck a chord at the Hollywood Bowl this month and not just with her performance of Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto. The 24-year-old Chinese soloist had necks craning, tongues wagging and flashbulbs popping when she walked on wearing an orange, thigh-grazing, body-hugging dress atop sparkly gold strappy stiletto sandals.
In particular, Wang's outfit was a hot topic at the concert and continued after Times music critic Mark Swed's review appeared in print and online. While Swed praised her delicacy, speed and grace at the piano, his fashion comments — including the observation: "Her dress Tuesday was so short and tight that had there been any less of it, the Bowl might have been forced to restrict admission to any music lover under 18 not accompanied by an adult" — have touched off a spirited debate among music critics and bloggers about what constitutes appropriate concert attire and conversely, whether a critique of a performer's clothes has any place in a music review.
-- Adam Tschorn for The Los Angeles Times
If you got it, why not use it, right? Sexiness on a woman is a stunngingly powerful thing. One worries a little more about what it means for male performers who only have good classical style in their playing, as well as for women who do not have that kind of sexual voltage. I suppose they could still beat out a living, but the edge toward supestardom would probably go to the talented babe. We like what we like. Maybe this edge that women enjoy in music helps a little to make up for the edge that men enjoy in sports, such as football, basketball, and baseball, where there is a premium on sheer power.
Pianist Yuja Wang struck a chord at the Hollywood Bowl this month and not just with her performance of Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto. The 24-year-old Chinese soloist had necks craning, tongues wagging and flashbulbs popping when she walked on wearing an orange, thigh-grazing, body-hugging dress atop sparkly gold strappy stiletto sandals.
In particular, Wang's outfit was a hot topic at the concert and continued after Times music critic Mark Swed's review appeared in print and online. While Swed praised her delicacy, speed and grace at the piano, his fashion comments — including the observation: "Her dress Tuesday was so short and tight that had there been any less of it, the Bowl might have been forced to restrict admission to any music lover under 18 not accompanied by an adult" — have touched off a spirited debate among music critics and bloggers about what constitutes appropriate concert attire and conversely, whether a critique of a performer's clothes has any place in a music review.
-- Adam Tschorn for The Los Angeles Times
If you got it, why not use it, right? Sexiness on a woman is a stunngingly powerful thing. One worries a little more about what it means for male performers who only have good classical style in their playing, as well as for women who do not have that kind of sexual voltage. I suppose they could still beat out a living, but the edge toward supestardom would probably go to the talented babe. We like what we like. Maybe this edge that women enjoy in music helps a little to make up for the edge that men enjoy in sports, such as football, basketball, and baseball, where there is a premium on sheer power.
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no subject
Date: 2011-08-21 10:18 am (UTC)From:1. I know someone who is an exceptionally good - and unbiased - critic of piano performances. Her opinion is that Yuja Wang is all right, but not outstanding. You can't be a star musician on the basis of concert performances alone; you have to sell recordings, and on a recording nobody knows or cares what you look like. If Despina says this lady won't sell many recordings, then she won't.
2. I frankly do not care what anyone wears to perform in, as long as it's not actually indecent and it's comfortable for the performer. Hence I have no beef with the dress, but I do have a problem with the high heels. She risks giving herself cramp trying to play the piano in those. Very silly.
3. You write as though classical audiences consisted entirely of straight men. I need hardly remind you that this is not the case. It isn't even close to being the case. :-) Andreas Scholl, for instance, is an outstanding countertenor, but he's also got a lot of sex appeal (don't see it myself, but I know plenty of other people who do) and he uses it. Now he is a star, because he's got the voice to match the looks, so people will buy his recordings whether or not they think he's sexy.
4. Beethoven wasn't sexy at all. :-D
no subject
Date: 2011-08-21 01:13 pm (UTC)From:As for classical audiences, I suppose they also be older, certainly in comparison to rock audiences, which is all teens and hormones, but I still wonder if we are seeing the future. I wish I had kept a piece a came across recently about an explosion of top-level pianists, which suggests that the game may be going beyond skill, so that something else may be required to sell it.
Beethoven may have fallen in love with this girl and given her lesson to pick up her playing. :p
no subject
Date: 2011-08-21 01:17 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2011-08-21 02:38 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2011-08-21 02:40 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2011-08-21 02:44 pm (UTC)From:Yuja Wang
Date: 2011-08-22 10:08 am (UTC)From:Re: Yuja Wang
Date: 2011-08-22 01:04 pm (UTC)From: