Dr. Colin Eatock, composer
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Addressing Little Dresses

8/9/2011

4 Comments

 
Picture
Wang: concert or clubbing?
I recently found an interesting item on the blog Life’s a Pitch about the rising star pianist Yuja Wang. The blogger (a publicist named Amanda Ameer) chose to talk about the pianist Yuja Wang. She wrote:

“The last two reviews that I’ve seen of 24-year-old pianist Yuja Wang‘s performances mention her concert dresses. Or lack thereof, more accurately.”

I don’t know if Ameer read my Globe and Mail review of Wang’s performance with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra on June 7. In it, I mentioned the pianist’s “skimpy red dress that looked suitable for a little post-concert clubbing.” Wang’s wardrobe (and critical response to it) has generated quite a few posts on the blog – and I decided to jump in to the debate. Here’s what I wrote:


I’m one of those critics who has commented on Wang’s concert attire. I thought about it before I did it – I asked myself whether it was “sexist” to mention it. But then I said to myself, “I’ve never seen a soloist wearing less in an orchestral concert,” and did it.

I don’t want to impugn Wang’s character for her choice of attire – and maybe it does, somehow, help her play better. As well, I acknowledge that classical concerts do have a theatrical element – we are there to watch as well as listen. But it disturbs me to see the values of Hollywood creeping into the classical music world. If being attractive (and displaying it) becomes part of the job, where does that leave people (especially women) who are excellent musicians but who might not look so fetching in form-fitting clothes?

I know of at least one female concert pianist who was turned down by a major record label because someone important didn’t think she’d look appealing on the front of a CD. Fortunately, she went on to have a very successful career anyway.

In my original post I didn’t name the “female pianist” in question. But upon further reflection, I see no reason not to. It was Angela Hewitt (who told me all about the incident, a few years ago, in an interview) – and the record label was Deutsche Grammophon.


© Colin Eatock 2011
4 Comments
Herbert Pauls
8/23/2011 04:11:31 am

Well, DG's loss was Hyperion's (and our) gain. Hyperion has Hewitt - and Hamelin, too (not to mention Howard and Hough. These four major pianists (all very busy on the international stage) have collectively added several hundred discs to Hyperion's catalogue. All have contributed many very good sellers, at least as far as the very modest classical numbers are concerned. The major labels today are mostly reduced to making their money by selling cheap megaboxs (a la Brilliant Classics) of past performers, who remain DG's main glory. That was the time when DG methodically developed the recording careers of major artists. Like many, I have benefited from the ridiculously cheap prices of many of these incredible bargain boxes through Amazon. The young artists, on the other hand, are usually signed up and dropped soon after. We will see how long Yuja Wang lasts at DG. If DG had kept Hewitt after recording that first Bach LP back in the 1980s, we probably would not have 90 percent of Hewitt's recorded output today. In a way, I actually hope Yuja Wang moves on to Hyperion - or Chandos or BIS. It would be better for her recording career, even though DG still lives on the laurels of its reputation as a major label.

Herbert Pauls

Reply
Mark Petrenko
9/2/2011 06:38:34 am

Nothing wrong, she has a great body and that made the concert more interesting :)

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6/11/2012 01:09:35 am

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    Eatock Daily

    I'm a composer based in Toronto – and this is my classical music blog, Eatock Daily.

    When I first started blogging, Eatock Daily was a place to re-post the articles I wrote for Toronto’s Globe and Mail and National Post newspapers, the Houston Chronicle, the Kansas City Star and other publications.

    But now I have stepped back from professional music journalism, and I'm spending more time composing.

    These days, my blog posts are infrequent, and are mostly concerned with my own music. However, I do still occasionally post comments on musical topics, including works I've discovered, enjoyed, and wish to share with others.


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