[Captainnumber36]

Looks and provocative dress are sometimes used to distract from less that quality performance (think certain YouTube personality pianists)

I agree. I just think looks can be under-appreciated in our culture. Not that being fit and dressing seductively is the only look possible, there are several, including the conservative look.

 

[Chat Noir]

Looks and provocative dress are sometimes used to distract from less that quality performance (think certain YouTube personality pianists)

 

[DaveM]

Yuja Wang is a smart business woman. She is marketing a product which is her skill and her attractiveness/outfits. The latter would not be very effective without the former. There are more extremely talented available professional concert pianists than major concert venue schedule availability. My guess is that when a major orchestra is setting it’s schedule, Yuja Wang would top the list of all others as a ‘get’. Cunning little critter!

 

[Luchesi]

I want to see the pianists from a distance and also their hands in close up.

My quarrel is with the camera men (their directors) who seem to want to spontaneously make up a movie plot as they pan around!
Closeups on faces and perspiration and grimaces, why? Why the shifting and floating around? The music isn't interesting enough? Oh, let's make a stupid little drama out of it all. Do they care about music? It's so distracting.

 

[mossyembankment]

I want to see the pianists from a distance and also their hands in close up.

My quarrel is with the camera men (their directors) who seem to want to spontaneously make up a movie plot as they pan around!
Closeups on faces and perspiration and grimaces, why? Why the shifting and floating around? The music isn't interesting enough? Oh, let's make a stupid little drama out of it all. Do they care about music? It's so distracting.

Actually I do think seeing the faces is good. I think the facial expression can be expressive which can create more feeling in the listener (but can have the opposite effect too if it's annoying distracting, but this will vary by the person)

 

[Becca]

i definitely prefer sitting on the keyboard side ... not because I want to see their hands but by being on that side, I can avoid having to see their faces, grimaces, etc.

 

[That Guy Mick]

I have wanted to date the 1963 Berlin Symphony.

 

[That Guy Mick]

Your post only lists women, which seems concerning to me... women have been unfairly treated for most of classical music's history, and I would hope that the industry has made further strides to move past that.

The concern doesn't necessarily follow the antecedent. Perhaps Captain is heterosexual.

 

[Hogwash]

Perhaps Captain is heterosexual.

I also struggle with my sexuality and think I’m actually gay. I sometimes make threads like these in attempts to lead a heteronormative life.

I'll give the fine Captain a pass and say that the Captain can find attractive whatever tickles the Captain's fancy.

 

[Captainnumber36]

I'll give the fine Captain a pass and say that the Captain can find attractive whatever tickles the Captain's fancy.

Thanks kind sir. Even though I'm homosexual, I can still appreciate the beauty of a woman. Re-evaluating my stance in the OP, all I really care about is how the player sounds, but it is nice when they dress to express themselves which I think most classical artists are pretty good about doing in general.

The classy Uchida.
The fanciful Lang Lang.
The assertive Wang.
The gentlemanly Bell.
The offbeat Gould.
The sophisticated Horowitz.
The serious Kempff.
The colorful Roge.


And so on.

I listed lots of Pianists since that's what I pay closest attention to being that's what I studied in my youth; I gravitate towards it.

 

[Hogwash]

How Important is Sexual Attraction to You In Your Favorite Performers?

You know, for myself, it’s imperative my favorite performers are sexually attracted to me. I wouldn’t consider attending a performance unless I was sole sexual focus of the performing artist. That goes for everyone on the list of pianists 🎹

 

[BachIsBest]

What does the physical appearance of an artist have to do with the quality of his/her work? Looks are irrelevant when it comes to creativity. I don't care what you look like; show me what you can do.

I think an important distinction should be made with dancers (ballet ostensibly being part of the classical music tradition, although little discussed here), where the art form is entirely visual; a dancer that looks better is a better dancer.

 

[Luchesi]

What does the physical appearance of an artist have to do with the quality of his/her work? Looks are irrelevant when it comes to creativity. I don't care what you look like; show me what you can do.

Yes, the visuals are powerful on YT. Viewers who don't care about CM or scores might become more interested after experiencing a memorable clip like this;

 

[Nedeslusire]

This Georgian goddess makes it hard for me to focus on the music, I'll leave it at that... 😜

 

[artemisia]

It really depends. The most important thing is the competence of the player. Looks aren't a part of the equation.
However, when I go to see an opera, if the Carmen or Gilda is pushing 50, it does take away a bit from the performance. Not always, for instance Berganza was wonderful even as she aged, but there is an aspect of believability.
No need to be a Victoria's secret model.

Then again, I've felt a lot of pressure to be beautiful (I'm a woman) and felt a tinge of colorism when one director suggested I'd look great as a blonde and that it would compliment my "ethnic features".
Didn't think much of it then, but now I find it kinda eek.

 

[eljr]

when I go to see an opera, if the Carmen or Gilda is pushing 50, it does take away a bit from the performance.

Much more than a bit for me
Opera is visual art as well as an auditory art, looks matter.

BTW, Welcome to TC!

 

[eljr]

I want to see the pianists from a distance and also their hands in close up.

My quarrel is with the camera men (their directors) who seem to want to spontaneously make up a movie plot as they pan around!
Closeups on faces and perspiration and grimaces, why? Why the shifting and floating around? The music isn't interesting enough? Oh, let's make a stupid little drama out of it all. Do they care about music? It's so distracting.

I disagree.

Peace

 

[Captainnumber36]

This Georgian goddess makes it hard for me to focus on the music, I'll leave it at that... 😜

I've heard her Gymnopedie no. 1 and she is graceful as can be.

 

[AaronSF]

Looks are not terribly important compared to musicianship. For example, Birgit Nilssen, Joan Sutherland, Alfred Cortot, and many, many more. But it surely doesn't hurt to have both talent and looks...and a flair for the dramatic, like Argerich, here smoldering even in one of her more relaxed poses :

I often think Juja Wang had Martha in mind when she created her own persona.

Then there are musicians whom one hopes are talented just because they are so dang good looking that it would be fun to watch them perform:

Stjepan Hauser

Luca Sulic

Hauser and Sulik have teamed up as a duo called 2Cellos and apparently appeared with Elton John and on Glee...and they have released 6 or so albums as a duo, playing mostly arrangements of popular music. Not my cuppa, but if number of plays on Spotify is any indication, they both do, together and separately, rather well playing lots of easy-listening schlock. Oh well. More power to them!

 

[Hogwash]

Let’s face it: how many album covers out there are similar to the following ones…for representing the genre?!