Thursday, September 29, 2022

Lizzo Plays a 200-year-old Presidential Flute



Before pop singer Lizzo played a concert in Washington Tuesday, she was invited to the Library of Congress to check out the world’s largest flute collection. Lizzo, who is a classically trained flautist, was eager to see the collection. And Monday, she got the chance to play them, too!

One of the flutes was made for President James Madison by renowned flute maker Claude Laurent. The leaded crystal flute is one of the few items saved from an 1814 fire at the White House started by the British during the War of 1812. The rare instrument hasn't been played in 200 years. The Library also arranged for Lizzo to play the flute at her concert Tuesday night, but only for a few notes, for security reasons. Read about Lizzo's adventure at the Library of Congress blog. (via Metafilter)

6 comments:

Bicycle Bill said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bicycle Bill said...

I can think of a lot of other flautists who, in my not-so-humble opinion, would have had as much if not more cred to have been allowed to play this historic, irreplaceable instrument.

Aside from that, don't you think she could have dressed just a little bit better than jeans and a sweatshirt – I'm thinking something along the lines of 'business casual' instead of 'scruffy slouch-around-the-house' – or at least pulled down the shirt to cover her midriff?

And if that's considered 'body-shaming', then so be it.

-"BB"-

Lilylou said...

I loved listening to Lizzo's virtuosity on the crystal flute and others. I think she's great and she can dress any way she wants! She is truly a star and a beacon of hope for any woman who has talent and wants to be known for more than her physical characteristics.
Men who don't agree---well, tough patooties, guys.

Tundra Bunny said...

@Bicycle Bill: if you thought Lizzo's attire at the practice was too casual, her stage costume was even worse. Call me old fashioned, but I expect classical musicians to be classy and refrain from twerking and dropping b***h bombs when they are provided with the honour to play a rare instrument with historical importance.

Anonymous said...

OMG it's like she's intentionally flouting conventions of propriety.

Unknown said...

You're right Anonymous, it's almost as if she doesn't even care, about presenting herself according to the prevailing standards of high society. And if there's one thing I know about musicians, from Mozart to Bob Dylan, it's that they are paragons of proper style and etiquette.