What is it with all black? Really. I thought contemporary classical music was all about being progressive. I thought new music meant something new, not more of the same. New music group counter)induction appears above. Let's see a few more:
Get the point?
Granted, few go to new music concerts to see a preview of next year's fashion trends. Black clothing can guide listeners away from the surface and towards the sound, away from the ostentatious hair phenomenon - from Karajan (above left) to Kissen (above right) - or the soloist in the bright dress (Anne-Sophie Mutter, below). But whenever I think about donning black pants, black shirt, black socks, black shoes...I just can't do it. Everybody does it. And like it or not, we live in a visual culture. All black sticks out just as much as a yellow dress. It's the idea of newness, which I hope the music I write and perform embodies, that makes me turn away from the widespread normalcy of playing in black.
So, who do all these uber-hip performers want to look like? Trinity, Morpheus, or Neo from The Matrix? I can understand that. I do, too.
But maybe they just wish they were in a Metal band (see photo of Kamelot, top). I do as well. Real bad. But I play the clarinet.Perhaps they're all closet bikers. I guess I could get into that, too.
The monk thing, though, I don't know if I'm into. But they go well with this blog's black background.
2 comments:
Ha! Of course we encounter this look everyday in class...at this point all black is like a processed asceticism to me.
haha great point. totally agree with you on how we live in a visual world.. let's hope classical musicians will realize that sometime (minus the opera people, because they are doing the best job nowadays)
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