Lara St. John - An Interview that pissed me off

An interview that pissed me off

On Sep 18, 2000 I was minding my own business in my home when the phone rang - a reporter asking for an interview. The paper being the Globe and Mail (please see "Lara's thoughts on Intonation") I clued in as to why they would have my home number on file. (I guess they keep the info even if they don't print your letter)

In any case, I am generally happy to give interviews, and settled down to listen to the guy. The questions were very point blank: "Why do you make sexy covers?" (Please see Lara writes back to the Edmonton Journal) "Why does the Toronto symphony have 12 women appearing with them this year?" and "Why is it only young women playing with orchestras? Why is Kyung Wha Chung the only older woman appearing out of these 12?"

I was informed that this roster of a dozen includes me, Leila Josefowicz, Helene Grimaud, Sarah Chang, Naida Cole and others. I was also informed that there are practically no women over 35 performing these days. (Did we forget Martha Argerich? Anne Sophie Mutter? Viktoria Mullova? Alicia De Larrocha? etc.) I was asked why, even though I am not what this guy calls "older". I suggested the reason of family. I thought that maybe it is not so much, as he seems to think, that the world loses interest in female performers after they hit a certain age, than the performers lose interest in the world. Although I do not have a family, I have eyes, ears and imagination, and know, as most people know, that the importance of one's children is paramount. Raising a small child as a woman while travelling 10 months out of the year would, I believe, be something I would not be able or even want to do, although with the amazing example of Leila, I am no longer so sure.

"I see no reason to hide who I am or what I look like. I guess he would suggest I bind my chest and get a crew cut and wear flats all the time. Who knows."

However, after some thought, the real answer to this interesting question, I think, is that, until rather recently, it was a man's world out there. It is indeed true that there are many more younger than older women performing, and when I think of certain books my mother has shown me of how her generation was taught to take care of and bow down to their men, I find it a remarkable thing that we even have the few examples of performers from that generation that we do. These women - Argerich, Chung, de Larrocha, DuPre, etc. - must have had a huge amount of nerve and will to do what they did at that time. A good example of how it must have been is today's world of conducting, which is still utterly dominated by men, and the prejudice the few female conductors have to battle even today is astounding. And of course everyone knows the not so lovely example of the Berlin Phil and Vienna Phil, who refused for years to hire any female orchestral players at all.

So my answer is, "Great! I think it's terrific that there are so many young women. When that happens in all the other fields I think we can be proud as a generation."

So then he asks, "So, is there anything to it, or is it all optics?" Now really, I ask you, what the f**k kind of question is that? Like, am I supposed to say, "Oh yeah, we all suck. We just look nice."

I guess what he wants is for us all to wear potato sacks and never show ourselves anywhere. I guess he thinks that the unreasonably beautiful Naida Cole, or the fresh and lovely Leila Josefowicz, or the intense and striking Helene Grimaud should all try to appear as plain as possible and hide their assets so that they can be judged on the same level as some fat ugly guy or something. As for me, I am six feet tall and junoesque with long blond hair. I see no reason to hide who I am or what I look like. I guess he would suggest I bind my chest and get a crew cut and wear flats all the time. Who knows.

Well, whatever. Music is art, art is life, and we are who we are, and all of these aforementioned women, unless they should choose not to, will be performing well into the next many decades because they are great artists. I do not believe the public will dump them because they get a wrinkle.

And: vive la difference! We will never be men. So kudos to the Toronto Symphony for hiring more female soloists than male, probably the first season any symphony has ever done so, and hopefully a preview of coming events.

Lara

Response by Scott St. John, Lara's brother, upon reading her essay:

For Lara and friends,

Just wanted to point out that Christian Tetzlaff is playing with the Toronto Symphony this week, and your very own brother is playing with them in April. Neither of us are terribly attractive.

Scott