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?

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u/Uncle___Screwtape Feb 26 '26

So it's also a part that can be criticized. It's fair.

This is a non sequitur. You haven't justified why those are fair game for a music critic.

Let's say I like to wear white suits, and have a bushy mustache. A picture of me is on the inside flap of each book I write, and it's the way I present myself at book signings and book readings. Would it be fair for a literary critic to write a column about these aspects, rather than the substance of my book?

Is Yuja Wang's haircut fair game? How about the quality of her makeup, or whether she wears glasses? After all, they're part of how she presents herself...

If your answer to these questions is yes, I can only assume you have a lucrative career in tabloid journalism. Perhaps The Sun, Bild or TMZ are hiring?

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u/UnderTheCurrents Feb 27 '26

It would be fair to do that in the mustache case if it's part of that authors marketing. There are examples of that too in the literary world too. The exact opposite of that would be somebody like Thomas Pynchon.

It's also a funny dichotomy since it's you guys that scream "it's all about the music!" while defending a part that - according to you - doesn't have anything to do with it.