Chicago Classical Music

Sandow wears a schmatte!I consider the musicians to be not so far displaced from their 18th century position of servants. Therefore I want the help to be dressed properly. No seriously now. . .I like the formal dress. It helps to lend the event a sense of occasion. Thank you, Plush

This question brings to mind some of the string quartets I've heard over the years - and how they dressed. For instance, the members of the Guarneri Quartet perform in suits, not tuxedos. To me, this quietly sends the message that four individuals are onstage, each one making his own unique, personal contribution to the music. The Juilliard Quartet, on the other hand, plays in tuxes. This seems to contradict that spirit of conversation, of give and take, that makes chamber music so special. Indeed, my impression of the two groups was that, while both were extremely accomplished technically, the Juilliard often lacked the warmth and spontaneity of the Guarneri. Their respective sartorial choices seemed to underscore this feeling.

Then again, part of the problem could be the fact that I saw the Juilliard perform during the '70s, an era that was particularly unkind to tuxedos.

Are you kidding me?  What makes anyone think that those tuxedos ever get cleaned?  Seriously, wearing street clothes on stage is a very poor idea.  It would be distracting, and send a message to the audience that this is not a special occasion.  And before you know it, the audience will not understand the nature of the event and start all sorts of bad concert etiquette such as clapping between movements.  Ahem. Children behave better when they are dressed for a special event, and so do adults.  If anyone saw the Met Gala on Monday evening, fashion went hand in hand with the music.  Part of the enjoyment was seeing all of Ms. Fleming's designer gowns, and the red carpet celebrities arriving before the performance.  Tuxedos can be restrictive for musicians playing certain instruments, so perhaps an updated all black ensemble might be considered.  Maybe someone should sign up the local groups to appear on a What Not To Wear segment...  

I've been to a number of performances where musicians are told to "dress nice" and it makes me sick. One person's definition of "nice" is not the definition of anothers. I love the sleek look of musicians wearing all black or wearing coordinated clothes. I can't stand seeing a flowing pea green blouse sitting next to a dingy red button down. The styles and colors clash and it looks really unprofessional.  

Jen,

For most concerts I prefer the traditional garb of the orchestra.  However, I think there are times when it would add to the experience if the musicians were dressed differently, though co-ordinated, based on a programmatic theme.  Maybe saris on the women for an Indian themed concert or something like that? 

Jim Hirsch

I never go to any concert or music theathre cuz of what the musicians are wearing. I don't mind what they wear at all. I am after the music.

 

photo gallery of custom closets

If i got a money lets say from instant loan, I will go for tuxedo all the way.

Thanks for all of the interesting comments! It seems that in general, people don't have strong opinions unless there's something that stands out or is particularly objectionable. In general, Sandow feels that classical music is out of step with today's culture in general, and as I interpret his views, reads concert dress as a symptom of this malaise. I'm still working through how I feel about that, to be honest.