The mayor of Milan: Superintendent Meyer and I ask him to take a stand against the war, or else the collaboration is over. The pro-Putin Russian director Valery Gergiev made his debut at La Scala with a few “buu” and a “go away”, then applause. The Queen of Spades on the bill until March 15th. Today pacifist sit-in
Beppe Sala shakes the podium below Valery Gergiev: «At La Scala we have” The Queen of Spades “directed by the Russian master who has repeatedly declared his closeness to Putin. With the superintendent of the theater Dominique Meyer we are asking him to take a clear stand against this invasion.
If it didn’t, we would be forced to give up the collaboration “. The diktat of the mayor and Piermarini’s board arrives in the morning of fire for Ukraine, after the Russian bombs on Kiev, and a few hours after the debut of the work of the Russian Tchaikovsky at Piermarini.
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Valery Gergiev
Maestro Gergiev – 66 years old, star of international music, one of the main conductors in the world, but above all a friend and supporter of Vladimir Putin – made his debut on Wednesday evening at the Piermarini, disputed before the start (with a few sporadic “buu” and a “go away” shouted from the gallery) and greeted at the end with nine minutes of applause. Nothing compared to the protest already announced for Friday at Carnagie Hall for the positions of him notoriously pro Putin. In the cast of the Scala opera there are Julia Gertseva in the part of the Countess, Alexey Markov in that of Prince Yeletsky and above all for Asmik Grigorian, a true stage animal in the part of Liza. The Queen of Spades is on the bill until March 15th. But La Scala’s collaboration with Gergiev, as mentioned, risks ending after just one performance.
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The request of the Cisl
It was the CISL, on the eve of the debut at Piermarini, to raise the theme of the inappropriateness of Gergiev’s leadership with a war just around the corner: “The great master has never lost an opportunity to reiterate his closeness and his friendship to Russian President Vladimir Putin – they wrote in a note – It would be important if Gergiev, a man of culture and, we hope, a man of peace, wanted to send a message of hope and peace to Italy and to the world from such an important stage as that of the Teatro alla Scala ».
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Sala’s stance
“That’s fine that statements in support of the Ukrainian people be made, but more needs to be done. First of all, politics, with diplomacy and the world of economics, must do more, “Sala said. Then he added: «I want to understand what the banking system will do. Italian banks are exposed to the Russian system, the real point is to understand how much the Russian oligarchs support Putin ”. The mayor again: «I was discussing with other colleagues and I believe that the statements in support of the Ukrainian people and the demonstrations are perfectly fine. But more is needed. We must do it, politics must do it, and therefore diplomacy, and the world of economics must do it ».
So instead the vice president Letizia Moratti in a post on Facebook: “In this dramatic moment of war in the heart of Europe, I remember the extraordinary and very topical appeal of Pope John XXIII of 25 October 1962, addressed to the rulers of the earth and to all men of good will”.
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The pacifist sit-in
The people of peace will meet for this afternoon in Piazza della Scala with a garrison, from 6 pm onwards, called by Cgil Cisl and Uil, Arci, Anpi and Acli. The password is very simple: «No to the war in Ukraine». The poster calling the sit-in also reports Article 11 of the Constitution which spells out that “Italy repudiates war”. Amid some controversy, the people of peace thus return to mobilize against the conflict in Ukraine also with the invitation to display the rainbow flag outside the balconies. Saturday afternoon another demonstration in Largo Cairoli «Milan against the war» is scheduled, organized by a sign of acronyms. Among others, the network of student collectives, Rifondazione, il Cantiere are members.
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February 24, 2022 (change February 24, 2022 | 12:24)
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