# Well.. well... I'll go that young pianist's concert! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 22, 2011, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693 "2011-08-22T19:45:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/1 "2011-08-22T19:45:33Z")
I’ve always said the classics deserve a leg (or two) up. [Classical gasp: Yuja Wang’s dress at the Bowl causes a crescendo](http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-concert-dress-20110820,0,6849185.story?obref=obnetwork) ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/2 "2011-08-22T22:33:35Z")
Have I told you the one about the tiny piano and the 12-inch pianist? Because she reminds me of that… Joe ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/3 "2011-08-22T23:00:49Z")
One does what one can to support the arts. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/4 "2011-08-22T23:01:36Z")
If you’ve got legs like that, you might as well flaunt them. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/5 "2011-08-23T00:33:05Z")
The interesting question is, was that dress appropriate for a classical music concert? Is the standard dress code for classical musicians too restrictive? At a pop concert no one would have made blinked. Is it fair that the orchestra members have a strict dress code but the soloist can wear whatever s/he wants? Should a classical music concert have any dress code at all imposed on the peformers, and should the rules be different for the soloist vs. the orchestra? Notice the study mentioned in the newspaper article (“Posh Music Should Equal Posh Dress,” which appeared in the April 2010 issue of the journal Psychology of Music, by British researcher Noola Griffiths, who holds a doctorate in the psychology of performance from the University of Sheffield) that shows that people instinctively ranked a musician’s skill higher when the performer was wearing traditional “concert dress”. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/6 "2011-08-23T02:23:34Z")
Jeez, I hope she got matching panties with that thing. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/7 "2011-08-23T02:47:26Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > Have I told you the one about the tiny piano and the 12-inch pianist? Because she reminds me of that… > > Joe [xkcd takes that joke on…](http://xkcd.com/532/) ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/8 "2011-08-23T03:04:13Z")
(okay, female > [@Arnold Winkelreid](#): > > Is the standard dress code for classical musicians too restrictive? At a pop concert no one would have made blinked. Is it fair that the orchestra members have a strict dress code but the soloist can wear whatever s/he wants? > Should a classical music concert have any dress code at all imposed on the peformers, and should the rules be different for the soloist vs. the orchestra? IMHO: No, yes, yes, and yes. Note, by the way, that the dress code is more relaxed for female soloists than for male ones. Even for soloists, standard white-tie concert uniform seems to be expected more often than not (though not mandatory) if you’re a guy. Concert uniform for the ensemble is a good idea, I think: no stress about what to wear, no problems with wearing the same uniform for every performance all season long, no hassle about coordinating outfits or distracting the audience with clashing or bizarre looks. And the individuality of the soloists’ clothing works well for visual interest and IMO is appropriate for the soloist role. Personally, I don’t care how low-cut or short-skirted or weird the soloist’s outfit is: whatever they want to wear is all right with me, as long as it’s appropriately dressy for the formal look of the orchestra. However, I do think that a young soloist (especially an instrumentalist) who rides a flamboyant pop-star image too hard runs the risk of typecasting herself. Sure, Wang is a magnificent pianist, but if her image ends up being more about her legs than her musical skills, what happens ten or fifteen years down the road when people grow less interested in looking at her legs? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/9 "2011-08-23T04:29:17Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > …what happens ten or fifteen years down the road when people grow less interested in looking at her legs? From my experience in looking at legs, I’d say she’ll reach typical retirement age before that happens. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/10 "2011-08-23T09:55:59Z")
Anything that gets rid of the idea that classical music should be stuffy and overly formal is a good idea. Anything involving attractive young ladies in skimpy clothing is also a good idea. Combining the two is genius. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/11 "2011-08-24T01:28:18Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > The interesting question is, was that dress appropriate for a classical music concert? Sure. > [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > Notice the study mentioned in the newspaper article (“Posh Music Should Equal Posh Dress,” which appeared in the April 2010 issue of the journal Psychology of Music, by British researcher Noola Griffiths, who holds a doctorate in the psychology of performance from the University of Sheffield) that shows that people instinctively ranked a musician’s skill higher when the performer was wearing traditional “concert dress”. I don’t think that ranking the skill is all that significant in this case. Isn’t she already a world renowned artist? > [@Steophan](#): > > Anything that gets rid of the idea that classical music should be stuffy and overly formal is a good idea. Yep. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/12 "2011-08-24T02:01:46Z")
I dunno; you can’t just wrap a Wang in tight fabric and expect to have a world-class pianist. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/13 "2011-08-24T13:53:28Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > I dunno; you can’t just wrap a Wang in tight fabric and expect to have a world-class pianist. \ ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/14 "2011-08-24T14:16:41Z")
Great choice by Ms. Wang. Her dress doesn’t impact the music at all, but it does sexy-up the presentation a little and bring in people who otherwise wouldn’t have shelled out the coin. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/15 "2011-08-24T14:42:05Z")
> [@](#): > > “In addition to being seen as inappropriate,” Griffiths said, “the performers in the night-clubbing dress were seen as less technically proficient and less musical than when they were wearing the concert dress. Which told me that this kind of body-focused dressing seems to affect the perception of musical skills.” > > **But, as Davis pointed out, the 24-year-old pianist is so skilled that could hardly qualify as an issue**. > > “She is one of the stars that’s ushering in a new era of technical perfection and polish,” Davis said. “So how could you possibly be paying attention to the dress and not hearing what she’s doing? I just don’t buy it.” Based on the bolded sentence I went to youtube to watch some of her performances there. I watched [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHO4Ucw9zL4) and [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYZNtApENG4) and [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhrXF7d6U3E). Two things came to mind: 1) this lady is incredibly talented and 2) she _does_ have a great pair of legs. I completely agree with this quote from the story linked in the OP: > [@](#): > > “I look at Yuja with nothing but total sympathy,” said Cameron Carpenter, a 30-year-old Grammy-nominated musician whose often flamboyant attire while playing the organ similarly cuts against expectations. “For one thing, she’s a great artist and for another, she looks like about a hundred million dollars in that dress.” ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/16 "2011-08-24T15:02:55Z")
Dammit, when I was a kid and would hunch over the piano and wave my torso around while playing, my piano teacher would gripe at me. “Sit up straight. Only move your arms.” OTOH I didn’t try wearing a cocktail dress. But still. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/17 "2011-08-24T15:23:09Z")
I would have gone for something a bit less tight and a bit longer, but I don’t have a problem with her dress, she is comfortable in it. Even back when I had the body for it I never wore miniskirts or short-shorts, because they were not comfortable for me personally. She looks good in orange. I can’t wait to see what else she wears. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/18 "2011-08-24T16:01:02Z")
Oh, and as an aside, concerning folks complaining about the classiness of her attire: What she’s wearing is plenty classy. Classy is not related, inversely or otherwise, with sexy. If she were wearing loose-fitting jeans and a hoodie, I would agree that she wasn’t appropriately dressed for a piano recital, despite that outfit not being particularly sexy. If she were wearing a skimpy bikini, I would likewise agree that that was inappropriate. The dress she’s wearing, though, is both classy and sexy. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-well-ill-go-that-young-pianists-concert/593693/19 "2011-08-24T17:26:35Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Anything that gets rid of the idea that classical music should be stuffy and overly formal is a good idea. Anything involving attractive young ladies in skimpy clothing is also a good idea. Combining the two is genius. Things have been trending that way in classical music for quite awhile, judging from the metamorphosis of album covers. Ms Wang is a bit behind the curve (sorry) when you take into account classical artistes such as [these](http://www.bostonphil.org/BPOBlog/2011/08/10/never-too-late-to-join-the-party-all-female-pop-classical-string-quartet-exploded/).