# Battle of the baldies...



## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

So, who's "chrome dome" is the best? It's not about their music, but their "look." Some of these have "comb overs" so aren't completely bald (or had thinning hair), but I decided to go for a bit of variety in that way.

BTW - "cult" figures I've left out, because they'd win the poll by default (eg. Sibelius, Prokofiev, Schoenberg, Stravinsky). Sorry guys!

Anyway, you can choose 5, I've made links to pictures below of them on the net! -

Andre Messager, composer

Jacques Offenbach, composer

Elmar Oliveira, violinist

Hans Werner Henze, composer

Dimitri Mitropolous, conductor

Paul Hindemith, composer

Aaron Copland, composer

Brett Dean, composer

Arturo Toscanini, conductor

Wilhelm Furtwangler, conductor

Alan Rawsthorne, composer

Anatoly Lyadov, composer

Janos Starker, cellist

Anthony Halstead, conductor

Krzysztof Penderecki, composer


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Halstead, for the "wrinkle effect."


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

Wojciech Kilar for the mad scientist look:


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Offenbach looks like a boiled egg. Love it.


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## regressivetransphobe (May 16, 2011)

I wanted to say Schoenberg, but since I can't, I'll say Rawsthorne, because his pic looks like a real person evolving into a Schoenberg.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Mendelssohn and Weber both suffered early hair loss and both relied on the classic comb-over look - Mendelssohn's was particularly impressive as his hair was still growing luxuriously apart from on the pate. 

Probably the best I've seen is the expansive hair-style as sported by Bill Murray in his 'Kingpin' cameo - using about two cans of spray to hold it all in place but it became ever more 'unglued' as his bowling match went on. Sorry I can't include an image as I currently have technical issues in that respect.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Can't pick. Many of them look "the same" ... :lol:


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Mitropoulos, Copland, and Furtwangler were the only three I voted for. My other two votes would have gone to Solti and Sibelius, but they're staggeringly not here! And replaced by a handful of composers that I virtually know nothing about! It's almost an outrage, except that I don't care to make it one!

EDIT: Just read the OP. Fine, no Sibelius, but Solti isn't a cult figure that I'm aware of.


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## Ravellian (Aug 17, 2009)

They're all so UGLY D:


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Anatoly Lyadov was awesome, I side with him for his music. I think any average person today could relate to him. He had one of the worse cases of A.D.D. that I've ever seen in the classical music realm. Most of his works are 1-4 min. long, a few stretching a gigantic 7-8 minutes. Some of his piano pieces are only a few measures long! He never could compose a single large work, like a concerto, symphony or ballet, because 1) he hated having to watch those himself because of their length 2) it would be too hard to concentrate on one work like that for many months.

In consequence, he made very compact yet simple pieces of music with lots of detail/nuance, and yet very short. So, any person with any level of attention span could like him. 

Here's one such work:





Of course, I would pick on him so much because he's also Russian.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

I voted for Mitropolous. How can you say no to a face like that?


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

Am I the only person who gets a craving for a boiled egg when looking at bald people?


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

This whole thread hirs too close to home for me, as I am follically (sp?) challenged myself. I have not yet gone for the cue ball look (too much maintenance) I am resisting baldness with every follicle on my cranium (which means it is a losing battle, if not already lost...)


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Sorry WorldViolist - I forgot completely about Maestro Solti. He would have been a contender, not too cultish. As for Kilar, didn't know that much about him, but yes a very "mad" look there. I did this poll "on the fly" - not much time to think. Guys like Bruckner & Boulez would probably have been "out" - too "cultish," esp. the former.

I chose -

*Offenbach* - probably for the monacle;

*Lyadov* - I like how his bald pate is contrasted with his beard, made up for loss in one direction with a "gain" in the other;

*Anthony Halstead *- saw him conduct here ages ago, his "baldie" look adds to his kind of "all-out" pretty intense "punching" style;

*Elmar Oliveira* - he was about 20 years ago, when I had a tape of him, a quite dashing young man with a full head of hair. I was surprised to learn recently that he's now fully bald! So him for the biggest "transformation!;"

*Brett Dean* - couldn't resist, one of our finest Aussie composers, worked as violist with the Berlin Phil., now resident in sunny Queensland, I believe.

*@ Huilunsoittaja* - thx for the Lyadov clip, listened to it & now listening to his _Baba Yaga_. I remember a quiet orchestral piece of his was played here in the '90's called _Enchanted Lake_, and there was controversy (it reached the newspapers!) that too many people were coughing and sneezing in the audience, totally ruining the effect of this subtle & delicate music (it was Winter, I believe, appropriate for a Russian piece). Apparently Maestro De Waart was not amused. Anyway, I think he's the last guy that championed some rarer repertoire like Lyadov here, we have been increasingly moving towards bland "war-horse" "bums on seats" programming with a number of our "flagship" groups. A real pity, imo, but there are other groups doing more interesting/varied stuff here that I like to go to...


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Good to see that a composer of "lighter" music,* Offenbach*, is in a good position on this poll as I write. It's probably the only poll that this kind of thing can happen!...


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## PostMinimalist (May 14, 2008)

Mitropoulos! The NYPhil used to wear dark glasses in rehearsals for laughs!


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## GoneBaroque (Jun 16, 2011)

What happened to Eric Leinsdorf?


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## dmg (Sep 13, 2009)

Too "cultish"?


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

PostMinimalist said:


> Mitropoulos! The NYPhil used to wear dark glasses in rehearsals for laughs!


Why? Because they thought he looked wierd or something?



GoneBaroque said:


> What happened to Eric Leinsdorf?


I know his work, but I forgot him totally. But was trying to get a variety there, not only composers & conductors.



dmg said:


> Too "cultish"?


Well, forgot about Richter as well. I don't know if he's "cultish," but he does have quite a few fans on this forum (incl. myself). Maybe I should have put the usual "other" option. Anyway, too late for that.

Geez, so many great baldie classical musos, past & present. We could fill a poll of 25 options easily, I think!...

[EDIT - Another one would have been *Witold Lutoslawski*, was just listening to his music last night, and looking at the photo in the disc booklet, he was definitely a top-class "baldie!" But anyway, Penderecki on the poll represents the Polish baldie contingent well, imo]...


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Evgeny Kissin. Don't be misled by this mop he puts on his head in public.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

_Aaron Copland for me _


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Boulez from the modern era, especially because of his long-term loyalty to the comb-over.


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## Belowpar (Jan 14, 2015)

You forgot the very handomse Sir George Solti. "Affectionately" know by his Orchestra's as "the screaming skull"!

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=s...pdfZAhVnKcAKHZ3FAlMQ_AUICigB&biw=1920&bih=949


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Grass doesn't grow on a busy street.

Simon Rattle does a very good job of hiding his bald patch.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Rostropovich? Casals????


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