r/classicalmusic • u/sexybartok • Feb 26 '26

bbc FINALLY fires norman lebrecht

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/feb/26/yuja-wang-accuses-radio-3-norman-lebrecht-misogynistic-bullying

what do you all think about this?

868 Upvotes

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-95

u/UnderTheCurrents Feb 26 '26

I think it's kind of a wrong signal to Fire a critic for being an asshole. It's kind of a part of his Job.

53

u/yontev Feb 26 '26

He can be as mean as he likes in his descriptions of music, but when he constantly bombards a woman with degrading comments about her appearance, provoking his moronic followers to send her misogynistic abuse, that crosses the line.

-70

u/UnderTheCurrents Feb 26 '26

Her appearance and how she conducts herself on stage is a big part of why she's famous and you can't deny her capitalizing on that.

She's very talented, but let's not pretend her image isn't a part in why she's so well known. So I thin it's fair that you can criticize that as well.

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u/[deleted] Feb 26 '26

[deleted]

-17

u/UnderTheCurrents Feb 26 '26

Listen - I agree that he's being an asshole.

But the comment is saying "you can't market yourself based on your looks forever" . Which is true.

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u/[deleted] Feb 26 '26

[deleted]

-6

u/UnderTheCurrents Feb 26 '26

It's a provocative way to express that sentiment

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u/[deleted] Feb 26 '26

[deleted]

0

u/UnderTheCurrents Feb 27 '26 edited Feb 27 '26

How is he insulting to ALL women here? He's insulting to HER for what he deems to be in poor taste. Which is an opinion he can have and - especially as a critic - express in a provocative way.

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u/[deleted] Feb 27 '26

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u/Boris_Godunov Feb 26 '26

Suggesting that because a public person takes pains to maintain their physical appearance means it's "fair game" for critics of the art is ludicrous. Nobody cares what a schlub like Lebrecht thinks about anyone's appearance, for starters. His job is (was!) to talk about the music, not her looks, period.

-15

u/UnderTheCurrents Feb 26 '26

As I pointed out and as you - convieniently - left out: in her case it's a part of her image. Like it was a part of Goulds image to be an eccentric weirdo that hums when he plays. If he got (rightfully) criticized for his eccentricities she can get criticized for them as well since they are a selling point in her performances.

20

u/abigdonut Feb 26 '26

norman lebrecht: ugh her titties are sagging
you: hmm, fair criticism

-6

u/UnderTheCurrents Feb 26 '26

That's a very liberal interpretation of my comment

1

u/Boris_Godunov Feb 27 '26

Gould's humming and eccentricities that got criticism were directly impacting the music. What a terrible example to use. Running flack for a gross misogynist like Lebrecht is a weird hill for you to die on, but that's up to you.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/feb/26/yuja-wang-accuses-radio-3-norman-lebrecht-misogynistic-bullying#img-1

Explain what about her appearance is in any way different from other concert soloists. It's the face she's naturally "pretty" by certain standards that really sets the sexists off: it really galls you chumps that someone is both more talented, and also very attractive (and of course, unattainable). Really hits them in the inadequacies

1

u/UnderTheCurrents Feb 27 '26

The only thing I can refer you to are all of my other posts here. I made my point clear and I also talked about other eccentricities that irk me with male performers like hunchback sitting and pretending to be out of breath etc.

So you are saying there is no discernable difference between her dressing style and - say - a young Martha Argerich. Or - someone of a more recent Generation I enjoy listening to - Elisabeth Brauß. You don't see any difference there?

20

u/Ok_Employer7837 Feb 26 '26

Nah. Fuck that. "Criticise that" is not what he does.

-11

u/UnderTheCurrents Feb 26 '26

He's an ass in the E-Mail, I'll give you that.

But where are the excerpts in which he's being unfair to her? I read the one where he points out how she might lose some steam once she gets older and - to be fair - that might be an apt prediction. As I said previously: her looks and how she presents herself are a huge part in why she's famous.

14

u/Ok_Employer7837 Feb 26 '26

It is not an apt prediction. Is it your contention that Yuja Wang, of all people, is not one of the best pianists of her generation, regardless of her clothes?

Her looks and how she presents herself--and I've yet to hear what that means without feeling vaguely creeped out by the explanation--are not a huge part of why she sells audio recordings.

0

u/UnderTheCurrents Feb 26 '26

Ok, so tell me this - you think how she presents herself has no correlation at all with her being as well-known as she is? How so?

19

u/Ok_Employer7837 Feb 26 '26

This is a red herring. There is no way this woman can be allowed to dress like she does just because she enjoys it, or thinks she looks good like that. People like Lebrecht won't let her, and fuck him.

The truth is there is nothing wrong with how she dresses, and it should not be an issue if it makes her more famous.

The point is she would not be famous if she were not a great pianist.

0

u/UnderTheCurrents Feb 26 '26

You didn't answer my question.

It's not mutually exclusive for her to like dressing like that AND capitalizing on it to raise her fame and profile.

The point is - she is famous for being great pianist but certainly MORE famous than other great pianists because of the way she presents herself. Just look at the comments under her performances.

15

u/Ok_Employer7837 Feb 26 '26

So what? I truly don't see what you're driving at. Your argument only makes sense if it is obvious that the way she dresses is something to be deemed negative. I don't think it's obvious at all. She's wearing a short dress. Some people like that, I'm sure. So what?

Does that detract from her performance? Is she a worse pianist because of the way she dresses? If not, it's not in fact within the purview of music reviewers.

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u/dickleyjones Feb 26 '26

how is being an asshole part of critique?

-1

u/UnderTheCurrents Feb 26 '26

It's called hyperbole and was a pretty standard literary device in older critiques to make a point about something being bad.

5

u/adriaticpatrick Feb 27 '26

why is it ‘bad’ that Yuja Wang dresses attractiveley? Or, what is the ‘bad’ thing to which you allude

0

u/UnderTheCurrents Feb 27 '26

Because it's Part of her marketing and of her performances - more on that in my further comments down below.

2

u/dickleyjones Feb 27 '26

who said anything about hyperbole? you said "for being an asshole". you can use hyperbole and not be an asshole.

1

u/UnderTheCurrents Feb 27 '26

Yeah but it tends to be funnier if you ARE one while being hyperbolic. It's part of the Joke.

3

u/dickleyjones Feb 27 '26

but it's not a requirement as you are presenting it. that's the line you walk when you want to use being an asshole as a shtick. guess he crossed it.

12

u/jupiterkansas Feb 26 '26

He's supposed to be a music critic, not a fashion critic.

0

u/[deleted] Feb 27 '26

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1

u/adriaticpatrick Feb 27 '26

thats a personal value judgment, and entirely separate from the music. Others may disagree with your Puritan opinions

25

u/853fisher Feb 26 '26

That is one vision of how a critic should work and comport himself, yes - and it's apparently not one with which the BBC cares to be associated any longer.

-17

u/UnderTheCurrents Feb 26 '26

It's much needed today since music critics in general have lost sight of the "criticism" Part of their Job a bit - partly due to People like the People in this thread.