Ageism in classical music

[Barbirollians]

It seems to me that despite age discrimination legislation one of the major places that ageism exists is in the booking of artists for classical concerts most certainly in the UK .

Ida Haendel 's outrageous neglect from 1994 onwards when she played her last Prom is a most striking example but also when discussing Tamas Vasary's Chopin this year I wondered whether he had retired but no he was playing abroad .

Promoters seem determined to give us the latest sensation time and time again and I have often been disappointed by the next glamorous young female violinist or prodigy pianist .

Is this not a real problem or do older artists , unless they are stratospheric stars , not get a fair crack of this whip ?

[salymap]

I don't know the answer but could it be, in some cases, that they wish to cut down on travel and new commitments?

Conductors, on the other hand, seem to become more highly thought of as they reach their 70s and 80s.

[Ariosto]

Conductors, on the other hand, seem to become more highly thought of as they reach their 70s and 80s.

That could be that they have managed to become quite good as they become senile, and usually the many dreadful ones have long since given up before they reach a late age.

As far as soloists are concerned, violinists have to be young (under 35) and preferably female with great figures, nice legs, and able to afford expensive dresses and makeup. Concert promoters only go on looks and they aren't worried if these young beauties can't play the concertos very well.

It's all based on commodities and marketting now, and how good it looks visually. And of course the producer's couch is getting far too much use too ... (They took a leaf out of Hollywood's books).

And please don't call me a cynic ... (Unless you can prove it, that is ...)

[Tony Halstead]

Yes, agreed, many good and perceptive points, Cellini!

[Barbirollians]

It strikes me as bizarre though - who goes to see a violinist on the basis of their looks rather than how they can play ? The preponderance of stunning young female violinists is self-evident though . It seems to be much more the case with women - Benjamin Grosvenor, Lang Lang and Kissin for example are none of them oil paintings but they have youth on their side . Why do soloists have to be so young ?

Although I have to admit never to having been much of a fan of his playing it is somehow heartening that the Halle have called on John Lill to play the Emperor Concerto this year in their Beethoven concerts.

[Ariosto]

Although I have to admit never to having been much of a fan of his playing it is somehow heartening that the Halle have called on John Lill to play the Emperor Concerto this year in their Beethoven concerts.

I have to admit that I find John Lill's playing these days to be very fine, although perhaps I didn't appreciate him quite so much when performing with him in the distant past. This was probably a fault in me rather than him.

I hope the Halle get the right parts up rather than when he once arrived without rehearsal abroad, due to travel problems, and he was about to launch into the solo opening of Beethoven 4 when he heard the opening tutti of No 5. He wasn't too worried as he played them both.

There 's a lovely story about Alan Loveday too and the wrong concerto, but I won't go into that now.