Call it orchestral punk. At classical concerts, musicians have always worn variations of penguin suits for men and black gowns for women, with only the occasional attempt at something less dressy. That was until the London Contemporary Orchestra (LCO) decided to link up with the fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood for a concert this week.
As a result, at least one musician will take to the stage for a performance of music by Karlheinz Stockhausen wearing a “decadent goat coat”, resembling an extravagant feather boa.
“We’re all very comfortable with what we’re wearing,” said Robert Ames, a violist and the co-artistic director of the LCO. “All-black instantly alienates the musicians from the audience … It’s extremely boring and outdated,” he said.
I’m all for updating our “look”, but I do prefer black. Too much color equals, for me, too much distraction. Even all one solid color of another sort could work, but of course color then adds another issue, as there are many shades of each. (And yes, there are shades of black, too — red-black, blue-black, green-black — and that can be an issue — I’ve even seen black turn to brown under stage lights.)
But a boa? Um. No thank you.
