Anna Netrebko
No performances in Berlin and New York
– The Russian Anna Netrebko has retired from concert life. © 2021 Alexey Smyshlyaev/Shutterstock.com
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Anna Netrebko has canceled planned appearances in Berlin and New York. The opera houses had demanded that she distance herself from Putin.
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The Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko (50) has canceled further concert dates. The Berlin State Opera Unter den Linden published among other things on Instagram A statement by the artistic director Matthias Schulz: “Anna Netrebko will not be involved in the new production of ‘Turandot’ in June 2022. The Staatsoper Unter den Linden had asked the artist to distance herself from the illegal war that the Russian government is waging against Ukraine .”
We appreciate Anna Netrebko as an outstanding artist and associate her with a long-standing artistic partnership, the statement continues. “At the same time, in view of this brutal war, we see no possibility of continuing this cooperation. It is important for us to emphasize that Russian artists will continue to perform with us and that it is important right now not to make light judgments and to strengthen cohesion in our society “, emphasizes the manager. “At this point, our unreserved sympathy goes out to everyone who is suffering from this catastrophe.”
“Great Artistic Loss” for New York Met
The singer will not perform in New York either. On the website The Metropolitan Opera announced that Netrebko was failing to fulfill the Met’s condition “that it repudiate its public support for Vladimir Putin while he wages war against Ukraine”. The singer has withdrawn from her upcoming Met performances in Puccini’s “Turandot” in April and May, as well as from performing Verdi’s “Don Carlo” next season.
“This is a great artistic loss for the Met and the Opera,” said Met General Manager Peter Gelb. “Anna is one of the greatest singers in Met history, but with Putin killing innocent victims in Ukraine, there was no other way.”
Retirement from concert life
The Bavarian State Opera had previously canceled a performance by the opera singer. “Due to Russia’s terrible war of aggression in Ukraine and the lack of sufficient distance from Valery Gergijev and Anna Netrebko, the Bavarian State Opera will cancel the existing engagements,” said Serge Dorny (60), director of the house. at Twitter communicated. Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter (63) had previously dismissed Valery Gergiev (68) as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic.
Netrebko had announced that he would “retire from concert life until further notice”. For her it is “not the right time” to “perform and make music”. In the past few days and the coming weeks, concerts were also planned in the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, in the Scala in Milan and in the Zurich Opera House.
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