The Role of Concert Dress in the Performances of Solo Female Classical Instrumentalists
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The Role of Concert Dress in the Performances of Solo Female Classical Instrumentalists Noola K. Griffiths Submitted for the degree of PhD Department of Music, University of Sheffield Submitted January 2009 IMAGING SERVICES NORTH Boston Spa, Wetherby West Yorkshire, LS23 7BO www.bl,uk Contains two CD's Acknowledgements I would like to thank Nikki Dibben and Jane Davidson for their guidance and advice. My thanks also go to Adrian Moore and Dave Moore, who gave up substantial amounts of their time to help me edit video material, and to Paul Norman and Adrian Simpson for their advice on experimental design and statistical analysis. Finally, I'd like to thank my friends and family, in particular Mel, Anneli, Lisa, Mum, Dad and Dan, for all their help and support. Publ ications The material reported in Chapter 2, The Effect of Concert Dress and Appearance on Perceptions of Solo Female Instrumentalists, is forthcoming in the journal Psychology ofMusic: Griffiths, N. K. (in press) "Posh Music Should Equal Posh Dress": An Investigation into the Concert Dress and Physical Appearance of Female Soloists, Psychology of Music A pilot study for the investigation reported in Chapter 2, The Effect of Concert Dress and Appearance on Perceptions of Solo Female Instrumentalists, is published in the journal Musicae Scientiae: Griffiths, N. K. (2008) The Effects of Concert Dress and Physical Appearance on Perceptions of Female Solo Performers, Musicae Scientiae, 12 (2),273- 290 ii Abstract This thesis examines the role of concert dress of solo female instrwnentalists performing within the Western classical tradition. Previous studies of the effect of visual information in performance have largely focussed on the role of expressive body movement, or have treated concert dress as a confounding variable in the study of other visual factors. The effect of specific styles of dress in performance has not been previously researched. However, some have argued that there is a dominant beauty culture within classical performance, which may have a negative effect on perceptions of female performers' musical abilities. An analysis of promotional images of performers and images of soloists playing, suggests that this dominance of beauty culture exists only in explicitly promotional images of performers. Four empirical studies were carried out to investigate the role of concert dress in performance from both performer production and audience reception points of view. Controlled experimental designs were used to take measures of observers' perceptions of performance quality and appropriateness of performers' body movement style as a result of concert dress. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data on factors affecting performers' choice of concert dress and individual differences between performers. Findings suggest that style of concert dress and expressive body movement style have a significant effect on observer perceptions of performance quality. Performers were shown to behave highly consistently in their choice of concert dress and to use it to meet the practicalities of performance, as a tool for social communication and to help them mentally prepare for performance. The results suggest that practical, social and psychological factors influence performers' choice of concert dress and audience perceptions of performance due to dress. Models of the Spheres of Influence on Performers' Choice of Concert Dress and the Spheres of Influence of Audience Perceptions of Performance Due to Dress are proposed to explain the complex role of female soloists' concert dress in classical performance. iii CONTENTS Page Number 1. Introduction: Emerging Issues in Musical Performance 1 1.1 Introduction 2 1.1.1 The Role of the Soloist in Performance 2 1.1.2 The Role of the Body in Performance 12 1.1.3 Female Soloists' Concert Dress and Appearance 17 1.2 Research Questions 36 1.3 Methodological Approach 39 1.4 Research Participants 40 1.5 Ethical Considerations 42 1.6 Chapter Overview 42 2. The effect of concert dress and appearance on perceptions 45 of female solo instrumentalists 2.1 Introduction 45 2.2 Method 56 2.3 Results 64 2.4 Discussion 70 2.5 Conclusions 77 iv 3. The interaction of Concert Dress and Body Movement Style on Perceptions of Female Classical Soloists 80 3.1 Introduction 80 3.1.1 Overview 80 3.1.2 Production of Expressive Body Movement 81 3.1.3 Perception of Expressive Body Movement 84 3.1.4 Research Approach 85 3.2 Method 86 3.3 Results 90 3.4 Discussion 99 3.5 Conclusions 104 4. An Investigation into Factors Affecting Performers' 106 Choice of Concert Dress 4.1 Introduction 106 4.2 Method 108 4.3 Results and Discussion 110 4.3.1 Practicalities 110 4.3.2 Concert Dress as Social Communication 116 4.3.3 Dress and the Self 120 4.4 Conclusions 122 v 5. An Investigation into Individual Differences in 126 Concert Dress Choice 5.1 Introduction 126 5.2 Method 132 5.3 Results 136 5.4 Discussion 141 5.4.1 General Discussion 141 5.4.2 Factors Affecting Soloists' Choice of Dress 144 5.4.3 Concert Dress as Social Communication 151 5.5 Conclusions 154 6. Findings and Conclusions 156 6.1 Summary of Findings 156 6.2 Findings in Relation to the Research Questions 162 6.2.1 Does the concert dress of female classical soloists affect perceptions of their musical skills? 163 6.2.2 Are there individual differences between performers in how they approach their concert dress and how they appear visually in performance? 165 6.2.3 Are performers' concert dress and expressive body movement linked in their effect on audience perceptions of performance? 169 6.2.4 Do the social factors involved in classical performance determine perceived appropriate dress for soloists? 172 vi 6.2.5 What is the result of soloists' wearing appropriate dress on perceptions their performance? 175 6.2.6 Does the sight of a soloist's body in performance can convey values of classical music? 180 6.2.7 Can soloists convey non-musical characteristics to their audience through their visual appearance? 182 6.2.8 Do female soloists today do adopt a deliberately body-focussed image? 186 6.2.9 Is there evidence of the mind body dualism in existence for female soloists today? 189 6.2.10 Categorisation of Findings 192 6.3 Evaluation of Methodologies 192 7. Frameworks for Concert Dress and General Conclusions 194 7.1 The Spheres of Influence on Performers' Choice of Concert Dress 195 7.1.1 Interactions Between Factors of Influence on Performers' Choice of Concert Dress 201 7.1.2 Importance of Factors Influencing Performers' Choice of Concert Dress 213 7.2 The Spheres of Influence on Audience Perceptions of Performance Due to Dress 216 7.2.1 Interactions Between Factors of Influence on Audience Perceptions of Performance Due to Dress 221 7.2.2 Importance of Factors Influencing Audience Perceptions of Performance Due to Dress 228 7.3 Potential for Integrating the Two Models 230 7.4 General Conclusions 230 7.4.1 Advancement of the Research Area 231 7.4.2 Overarching Themes 231 7.4.3 Wider Application of Findings 233 7.4.4 Opportunities for Future Work 234 vii References 236 Appendix 1 245 Appendix 2 246 Appendix 3 247 Appendix 4 256 Appendix 5 260 Appendix 6 262 viii LIST OF FIGURES Page Number Figure 1.1 The seating arrangement in the auditorium of Sheffield's 3 City Hall Figure 1.2 Davidson's (1997) model showing the social elements in 9 music performance Figure 1.3 The Eroica Trio 19 Figure 1.4 The album cover of Lara St. John, Bach: works for solo 19 violin Figure 1.5 Tennis player, Anna Kournikova 20 Figure 1.6 Actor, Scarlett Johansson 21 Figure 1.7 Violinist, Lisa Batiashvili 22 Figure 1.8 The album cover of Kathleen Ferrier's recording of 23 Brahms' Alto Rhapsody Figure 1. 9 Janine Jansen in a promotional picture taken for her 25 second solo album, Vivaldi's Four Seasons Figure 1.1 Oa Front view of Janine Jansen in concert with the Berlin 26 Philharmonic Orchestra Figure 1. lOb Rear view of Janine Jansen in concert with the Berlin 26 Philharmonic Orchestra Figure 1.11 An example of every-day dress from the 1940s, Robin 29 Hood's Bay, Yorkshire: March 1947 Figure 1.12 An example of modem every-day dress, York, 29 Yorkshire: April 2007 Figure l.13a An example of formal dress from before the Press 30 Dinner, Middlesbrough: 1955 Figure 1.13b An example of formal dress from during the Press 30 Dinner, Middlesbrough: 1955 Figure 1.14 An example of formal dress from before a dinner dance, 31 Sheffield: 2007 Figure 1.15 Promotional picture of Sarah Chang 35 ix Figure 2.1a The classical piece composed for this study and played 58 by the performers Figure 2.1b The jazz piece composed for this study and played by the 58 performers Figure 2.1c The folk piece composed for this study and played by the 58 performers Figure 2.2 The four states of dress used in the test material 60 Figure 2.3 Results of the 3 (piece) x 4 (performer) x 4 (dress) x 2 66 (gender) x 3 (group) mixed measures ANOVA Figure 2.4 Results of the 3 (piece) x 4 (performer) x 3 (dress) x 2 68 (gender) x 3 (group) mixed measures ANOVA Figure 2.5 Results of the 3 (piece) x 4 (performer) x 3 (dress) x 2 69 (gender) x 3 (group) mixed measures ANOVA Figure 3.1 Frequency of expressive movements and movement 94 types made by performers Figure 3.2 Frequency of expressive movements and movement 95 types made by performers when wearing jeans Figure 3.3 Opacities of each performer's largest movement in the 96 jeans condition Figure 3.4 Frequency of expressive movements and movement 97 types made by Lisa when wearing nightclubbing dress and jeans Figure