How much has a pop music sensibility invaded the classical music world? Have a look at this article with accompanying photo of pianist Yuja Wang. If you didn't know she was a pianist what would you have guessed? Escapee from a reality TV show? Pole-dancer?
This has been going on for quite a while. Remember Vanessa-Mae?
Her first big album was released in 1995 combining classical and pop music, but she was really a pop musician who played violin, though she started out as a classical musician. More and more these days, though, a pop music sensibility seems to be invading all of classical music. Here is another article. By "pop music sensibility" I suppose I am talking mostly about sexuality. We are always, it seems, looking for the next young thing, but isn't it the case these days that the next young thing, especially if she is female, just always seems to be extremely good-looking? Here is another young pianist:
This is slightly troubling because while the playing is a bit dull, the artist is extremely attractive. I've always had the idea that the performer should not overshadow the piece. But this is hardly a fundamental principle--just a feeling. I do know that how she looks sticks in my mind, but how she plays, in this and other music, does not.
Now what is the probability that all the young stars of today also happen to be very attractive? Surely there must be some stupendous young musicians out there who are rather plain? And if there are, then they seem to be being eliminated somewhere along the line? Is it in school, university or conservatory? At Julliard or Peabody? Or does it happen at the competition level? Faced with two brilliant players do the judges tend to choose the more attractive one because they know their chances of a career are better? Based on my experience with competitions I strongly suspect that the most interesting musician will always place second or third just out of the sheer obtuseness of the judges. So a very beautiful competitor with facility will often win the competition over an interesting musician. That seems to be what Buniatishvili has: facility. Oh, and Yuja Wang, too:
They both sound rather alike to me. Smooth (though not with an entirely even touch), facile and predictable. Good fingers without much actually happening under the surface. In order to confirm this impression--for it is nothing more--I looked for some Beethoven by these artists without much luck, at least on YouTube. But I did find them together doing this:
Now that reminds me of the lesbian scene with Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis from Black Swan. Yes, very, uh, enjoyable. But not a primarily musical experience. Both of these artists seem also to avoid Bach the way vampires avoid holy water. Possibly for similar reasons. It is not very easy for me to decide much about a performer's depth of musical understanding if all they play is music with itself very little depth. But perhaps that's the point.
Oh, I understand the motivation. You have to do whatever you need to, to get noticed in the very competitive musical world of today. It's the same in pop music. But I think that at some point someone ought to point out that a sexy dress and a moving performance are actually different things.
Here is a performance from a famously hip and eccentric pianist from not that long ago:
Sure, I know he played a couple of wrong notes, but it is a musically strong performance of a powerful piece of music (with an interesting and unexpected ornament at the end). Could Friedrich Gulda manage to become known if he appeared today? Or Martha Argerich?
