I’m exploring the upcoming ideas that are being presented in the new day and age of classical music.
The standard for classical music attire has always been formal: Men in tailcoats and bow ties, and women in elegant black dresses. As time has passed, musicians have come to question these norms: Why wear clothes that are uncomfortable to play in? Why wear dull outfits that prevent us from expressing ourselves? Musicians have begun to experiment and restyle their performance attire; however, even in a world that is diverse and continually changing, deviating from the standard performance dress code usually elicits a negative response.
The standard dress code was established back in the 17th century. Small orchestras expanded from private homes to all across Europe, and opera companies began to gain popularity. Operas were considered an evening affair, so orchestra players would don evening wear, or white tie, as a matter of etiquette. For the first two hundred years of existence, orchestras were associated exclusively with the upper class. Musicians speculate that orchestras have kept this dress code ever since because the “patrons of the high arts continue to enjoy the association with high social standards.”
Throughout history, many musicians have been under fire for deviating from the dress code. In 1959, famous conductor Leonard Bernstein, who was directing the New York Philharmonic at the time, decided to establish a new uniform for the orchestra members–an uniform that was a few shades lighter than pure black with a blazer that buttoned up to a band collar. He called formal dress “impractical” and with this new uniform, he aimed to create a concert atmosphere that resembled both “a concert and a rehearsal”. Nevertheless, two guest conductors refused to wear the uniform, and confusion spread beyond the orchestra. A New York Times article reported the new uniform as “Bernstein’s Folly.”
A more notable case of deviating from classical music dress code involves pianist Yuja Wang. Her dresses have stirred up debates on blogs, newspapers, and altogether caused strongly negative reactions that describe her outfits as “an odd choice” and “indecent.” But Wang brushes off the negative opinions, saying:
“Classical music—it’s really serious. There are lots of rules, and the dress code, which I broke, was one of them. It’s irrelevant to what we’re doing. It’s just a piece of cloth, but once it’s on my body, it boosts my confidence and that translates to the music.”
In 2018, the New York Philharmonic started allowing women to wear trousers for performances. Only recently the Philadelphia Orchestra decided to relax their dress code. The male performers have begun pairing black suits with black shirts and a long black tie (no more white tie and tails), however the women’s attire remains unchanged. Although these changes don’t appear very significant, it has once again brought debate and significant questions to classical music culture.
There are many that welcome the change, claiming that “orchestras are working toward greater inclusion,” while “white tie and tails is redolent of exclusion and elitism.” Others who want to keep the traditional concert black attire disagree that their opinion comes from “elitism,” but rather that the formal dress code allows the audience to fully concentrate on the music without distractions from the colors or styles of the performers’ clothes. Regardless of opinion, it is unknown whether these deviations are leading to a permanent change in classical music dress code or just experimental decisions on the whim.
Informational Sources:
https://www.wqxr.org/story/explainer-why-do-orchestras-wear-all-black/
https://nomanwalksalone.com/blogs/news/bernstein-s-folly
https://www.elle.com/culture/music/news/a45507/yuja-wang-piano-phenomenon/
Musicians – Enough With the ServilityPart 1: The Dress Code
