Black to Basics

Comment

Comment by Braun on June 1, 2010 at 2:18pm

I very much agree with Colleen and eddymontreal on this subject. When I play as a soloist however, it is important to stand out (which is particularly difficult to do as a male).

Cellists with earrings? How does that work? I would think that it would get caught on the pegs!

Comment by elizabeth chaconas on July 30, 2009 at 5:14am

I defiantly think there should be some sort of uniform for groups of musicians, black or not. It just looks better. But for soloists... i think that is when your fashion can mix with the music. When I play solo, I don't always wear black.

Comment by Perry Armor on July 22, 2009 at 12:53am

Well, I think concert black is generally a good idea, but I do understand a little bit of "personal expression" can be a nice thing. But of course, "good taste" is a subjective matter anyway. Call me naive, but I would hope that performers would keep their personal dress and affectations within reasonable bounds of decorum for the given performance.

I live in Hawaii, and our mode of dress varies somewhat according to the venue and performance, and sometimes the fact that it's quite warm & humid during a concert. My profile pic is from a Xmas performance in a room we call "the Black Box" (hence the aloha shirt in garish colors). Any other time it's either black or black & white. Quite tasteful, really, given the situation.

As for Casals, well, I much prefer Fournier's version of the Cello Suites anyway. Now HE was a snappy dresser!

Comment by Denise Moore on July 20, 2009 at 5:34pm

I agree with Lyzy. I do not like to be disracted by sequins, garish colors, etc. I like to focus on the music being played. I respect the opinions of others, and I hope others respect my opinion.

Comment by Veronica on July 19, 2009 at 5:03pm

Dear Mr (or Ms) Casals,

While I appreciate your comments, I would like to think that this community is a bit more civilized than some other internet groups. I visit this site to hear the opinions of other musicians. I enjoy the observations and the comments. Please do not "pull this community down" with your insults and language. Please keep this as one of the few sites where a person can visit and participate in a civilized discourse.

Comment by Pablo Casals on July 19, 2009 at 2:00am

So Colleen 'dresses people for the stage as a profession'? Well, well, fancy that! I suppose she would think it's important what people wear when they play great music. When I was in my prime as a performer (have you even heard of me?) the important thing was the music. People actually listened to the music. People connected with the performers. The performers were not regimented automatons. They were real individuals with real personalities, even the members of chamber ensembles or (dare I say it) orchestras. The beauty of great live performance is the interaction of often wildly different individuals, all playing together at the service of the music. If audiences are distracted from the music they have come to listen to by the clothes worn by the performers then I fear that the performers of today should look to their art first, rather than their wardrobes. Let's not give the leeches blood to suck on....

Comment by eddymontreal on July 17, 2009 at 9:32pm

I like the title "Black to Basics" :-) Every time I took my young nephews or nieces to a concert for the first time, they always asked "why everyone on stage is wearing black, did someone die?" I actually agree with uniformity and I tend to be conservative on this subject. However, I've had few nice experiences with amateur orchestras where we were wearing the traditional black with a special touch. In other words, at a Holiday concert, we could wear a scarf, a tie, a bow or any accessory with green and or red color for the holidays spirit. On a spring concert, flowers were the theme. When playing the Advent Cantata by Bach (BWV 61 I think), purple was the theme since it tied with some church tradition with this color on this particular Sunday.

I believe this kind of approach adds a fun element to a rather conventional dress code.

Comment by Ira Kraemer on July 17, 2009 at 8:53am

Wait a minute !!! I was under the impression that Pablo Casals had passed on many years ago. Has he come back to us? If so, I'd love to hear a new recording of the Bach Six Suites.

Comment by Colleen Schoneveld on July 17, 2009 at 7:54am

That is a nasty, uncalled for comment from Casals. The audience IS important...Lyzy made a very valid point. I dress people for the stage as a profession and I have witness horrifying outfits. There is a reason for protocol. In my experience classical musicians (instrumentalist) seem to take pleasure in dressing badly. Why would you want to upstage your own music? An orchestra is a unit... The soloist is to stand out... not individuals in the orchestra, except by their excellence. The orchestra is not the place to make a fashion statement, it is a place to make a music statement. When musicians stop thinking of their audience, the audience will leave... then who will pay your salary? If an orchestra as a whole decides to not wear black but chooses another unifying form of dress, that is one thing. It isn't up to individuals that have committed to be a part of the whole to take it upon themselves to stand out away from the whole.

Comment by Pablo Casals on July 17, 2009 at 12:26am

Jesus, do we really need to know that you were 'totally distracted by the way some of the musicians were dressed'? Stay at home and listen to a CD if you can't cope, but don't bother us with your inane and self important observations. As if we cared...

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