Met Opera chorus blast out new anthem
mainThe chorus of the Metropolitan Opera, unpaid for six months, have recorded a project with Rhiannon Giddens in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Called Cry No More, it’s powerful stuff.
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Six months already without pay plus the recent news of losing the full upcoming year is ruinous.
Without the MET to count on as they greedily clutch to their vast resources in the chorus’s time of despair is simply CRIMINAL!
Poor singers not to mention the soloists, etc. cast off to fend for themselves with no leadership.
At the moment it’s more “Lives Matter”. Period
Unfortunately too many blacks are racists and unwelcoming of including any other race but their own.
Pass the bucket.
Where is Yannick? Sits in his safe place in Canada with his too high Met salary?
Smells of desperate opportunism in desperate economic times.
The Met chorus never took a position publicly on anything remotely socially conscious or politically sensitive in its entire history, even when urged to by the public, now all of a sudden embracing the latest hottest social trend of the moment?
Pu-leese.
Sure, when they were making a good living, they didn’t want to rock the boat they were on, not to disturb the system that was allowing them to pursue a solid middle class existence.
They were content with complacency and silence, hiding behind the shibboleth that art is “neutral” that art “transcends” the social and the political.
Oh, ho, now that they are woke to the fact that they ALSO exists on the margins of this system, that they are non-essential in this economy, that the janitor at the Met has more job security than them, the Met chorus finds a voice in social activism.
How long will this charade last? When they paid again?
The Met no longer upholds “high standards” by backing ANY cause no matter it’s leanings or legality.
Did Peter endorse violent #blm or god forbid any of the board members?
Besides, what difference at this point does it make!?!?!
They have been met choristers in name only since they stopped receiving any compensation in mid-March. Now they aren’t a part of the met at all with Peter’s announcement cancelling the entire upcoming season. Plus, one auditions prior to EVERY INDIVIDUAL season before being “hired”. There’s no season this year!
The chorus was summarily DUMPED along with everyone else Peter torpedoed with not so much as civilized advance notice and monetary consideration. The bubble just burst one day, contracts and employee standing be damned.
It will be interesting to find out if this was officially endorsed by the met??
Cheap sham tactics should be seen for what they are. Since when did the Met chorus do anything other than show up and sing? Now suddenly they’re victims because they haven’t been paid, so suddenly they care about blacks people. Give me a break. And stop condoning “BLM” on this page. Burn, Loot, Murder! Does the Met suppose that some halfbaked woke box checking is going to appease these thugs?
Polls show the public support for BLM plummeting. Riots, arson, looting, and cop killing will do that.
Really enjoyed that number. Great bass line. Hope the MET gets back soon.
As the formerly important met fades away, it’s quite jarring to find out they truly don’t care about their artists.
The chorus alone (who was immediately abandoned in March along with all other commoners) has been forced to question both their professional importance as well as their personal value as artists.
Lack of professional leadership and financial support has left most everyone broke and many in the process of abandoning NYC and surrounding overpriced locales. Some are falling into poverty and homelessness as we speak.
Unfortunately both Nezet-Seguin and Palumbo no longer have any power without the stability of employment for anyone either.
Quite sad to be disenfranchised just like anybody else in an ordinary job.
Well, AGMA is certainly too self-absorbed with their impending real estate deal to care about ANY of their UNEMPLOYED “dues-paying” artists! All dues should be BOYCOTTED going into 2021!!!
Here’s an informative article from NPR on September 18 which also states “Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the vast majority of AGMA’s membership has been either completely out of work or severely underemployed, due to ongoing closures at performing arts venues and organizations across the U.S. The union’s reserves are built on member dues which, in turn, are based on members’ incomes. As Menard wrote in a Labor Day 2020 message to the membership: “We were the first to lose our jobs, and will likely be the last to return to work.”.
https://www.npr.org/2020/09/18/913657593/whistleblowers-allege-culture-of-secrecy-protection-of-powerful-at-singers-union
I understand AGMA was to close on their new “ivory tower” digs sometime last week.
Nonetheless, I’m HIGHLY OFFENDED!
As a longtime dues paying member of this union, this expensive idea was NEVER put forth to members through any communications and certainly was never put forth to VOTE on!
This is being done while the vast majority of their members are out of work due to the pandemic!! How selfish and irresponsible! If anything, DOWNSIZING would be the most logical and hasty decision they should have made out of an extenuating emergency.
For a bunch of college-educated libs, they’ve proven themselves worse than Trump when it comes to both finances and human dignity toward its thousands of members!
The members are suffering and looking at empty calendars for at least another full year guys!
I’m not paying in December and cutting them off like they did us!!!
If these very fine people collectively supported any group, why not uplift all of the affected artists who sit starving at one level or another?
Too rational and obvious perhaps???
The MET used to host “the greatest singers on the greatest stage”. Honestly it was all about DISCRIMINATION. One was “selected” as they do not accept individual auditions.
Now mere choristers are lowering themselves to activities unbecoming of such an organization. This is actually quite revolting as the theme insults all other races and is musically inferior by scholars.
It’s time for the MET to disband if they think donors and audience members signed up for this dreck.
Why is victimhood revered over achievement today?
Stick to performing, not the hot bogus social issue du jour. with your current action, my sympathy and donation are history.