Should you take a stand?

Classical music is probably regarded as the most perfect and intricate kind of music there is. And this is probably due to the fact that it actually is. Furthermore, classical musicians regard their art form as a Godsend gift full of mysticism and above all other mundane matters; and to some degree I can relate to this because that was the way I thought when I first started studying music. The mystique of it, the way it touches your soul makes you think there’s nothing in the world quite like it. And there isn’t.

Due to the recent turmoil going on in Venezuela because of the political protests, controversy has sparked in the classical music world. Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero has called on José Abreu and Gustavo Dudamel, Venezuelan conductor and classical music “wunderkind”, to speak up and take a stand against a totalitarian regime that is abusing and shooting its citizens on the streets and starving the people. However, Dudamel only issued a statement saying that he rejected violence and felt sorry for the lives lost, but nothing about politics, the government or the opposition.

This can be looked at from two different angles; Dudamel is a product of El Sistema, Venezuela’s music program for youth, arguably the best one in the world, that is being replicated in other countries such as Colombia and even the United States with the support of Dudamel himself and his orchestra, the L.A. Phil. His standpoint is perfectly respectable as he is still involved with El Sistema working in Venezuela a couple of times a year conducting their main orchestra and touring with Venezuelan kids. It is quite understandably that he does not want to say anything about the government because this programs depends on the government and, well, maybe he is a supporter of the Chavista regime, which is also fine. Maybe he simply believes art to be above and beyond all this political craziness as has happened with other cultural institutions such as the Metropolitan Opera.

Now, from Gabriela Montero’s point of view is also understandable that she is asking for some kind of support from one of Venezuela’s biggest star in her own field. Being thrown into the public eye like this musician have seems to demand a kind of big social responsibility towards their people and home country, especially in times like this where the violence is escalating and where the regime has been shown to have bigger shortcomings than benefits for the people. At least Montero thinks so.

So, who’s right? I honestly don’t know. I command both musicians for being supportive of Venezuelan people, each one through their own work. Should you take a stand? It’s difficult to say. When the Met decided not to “say anything” about the gay ban in Russia, they still said something; they didn’t dedicate their concert to the cause but still said that they speak through actions with the choosing of their repertoire (which includes gay Russian composers such as Tchaikovsky) and their cast and staff (which also includes some fabulous gay performers and workers). Maybe they are both right. I would take a stand and say something if it was up to me as a public figure. Sadly, because I'm not a public figure, my support doesn’t mean nearly as much as Dudamel’s.

Sex appeal and Classical Music

It is no secret that sex sells, from fast food to beers, clothes, beauty products, television shows, movies and of course, music. However, when it comes to music there is a double standard that comes into play; for pop and rock artists it’s ok to showcase their looks and have provocative performances including sexy dance moves. However when it comes to classical music, looking good has become a reason to be disowned by the purists and be automatically labeled as a bad musician. God forbid that besides your musical talent, you actually are easy on the eyes!

Controversy has spawned for decades now, since the 1989 release of some provocative posters of the English National Opera showing bare-chested men, to the 1996 cover of Lara St. John’s Bach album that shows her nude, with the violin strategically placed over her breasts, to the 2004 appearance of the British Bond String Quartet and so on.

I do have to agree with the purists in saying that much of the music being made today and labeled as “classical” isn’t really classical, but it’s classical-based. Crossover artists such as the aforementioned Bond String Quartet or Il Divo mix classical music with worldwide influences, electronic beats and pop harmonies. However, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Nigel Kennedy, Lang Lang, and so many others are actually amazing classical musicians playing amazing classical music and appealing to the masses because they know how to market their image. There is a sense of showmanship that is appealing to a broader audience and that does nothing to undermine their actual musical talent. Given, not all of the classical musicians that have a strong pop image and high record sales are good, but then again neither are many of the pop artists that are mainstream and successful. I’ll even go out on a limb here and say that Anna Netrebko’s career wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t for her smoldering good looks and vivacious personality. Not because she isn’t a good singer, which she is, but because she has the plus of looking great on stage and being able to actually act.

So, if the other genres are doing it, why not classical music? Is it a desperate cry for attention or an honest effort to try and entice new generations of listeners to market artist with a strong focus on their image? Manager Mel Bush, who worked with the Bond String Quartet, Vanessa Mae and even David Bowie said it quite nicely: “It’s really secondary, the looks, because if you have no music, you have no future”. It is a marketing matter. It is a matter of making music more approachable to younger listeners. Curiosity may spark because they like the way the artist looks, but they will keep coming back because they actually liked the music.

Classical music has been regarded as dead, stiff, elitist and aimed at old audiences. Classical musicians, then, have to start keeping up with the cultural changes. Much as the 1979 song states, “Video killed the radio star”, in an environment aimed mostly towards visual elements we cannot expect to keep classical music alive by staying within the nineteenth century tradition of concerts.