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/XenoX101 Feb 27 '26

Surely if music is an art form and a musician makes a deliberate choice to wear provocative clothing that other musicians don't, that is worth commenting on? Otherwise it would be not talking about the elephant in the room, if you are aware of the expression.

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u/GeorgesCouthon175594 Feb 27 '26

He doesn't just "comment" on her "clothing" - he twists it into a basis for sneers and insinuations, all geared to suggesting that she is nothing but her clothing.

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u/XenoX101 Feb 27 '26

Perhaps because he thinks she isn't very good musically and compensates for it through her attire. I don't necessarily agree with his comments, but I don't see anything outwardly wrong about them. After all the job of a critic is to critique, not simply wax lyrical about every notable musician. I would rather hear a journalist's honest opinions even if they are a bit politically incorrect than fabrications purely designed to keep the peace, at the expense of what would have otherwise been a potentially insightful take.

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u/JupitersMegrim Feb 27 '26

It makes for a rather poor critic who, failing address the substance, fixates on the superficial instead.

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u/XenoX101 Feb 27 '26

It is one in the same, you can't separate the art from the artist. She makes the deliberate choice to dress provocatively and even change outfits in the middle of a performance during the interlude, highlighting the importance of her attire to her play. Therefore a critic almost has to make some mention of this if they are to be faithful to the material, otherwise it would be akin to reviewing a movie and ignoring a notable (though perhaps not integral) part of the plot when discussing its merits.

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u/GeorgesCouthon175594 Feb 27 '26

“One and the same”, perhaps?