French are perplexed at English Touring Opera’s replacement of white musicians
NewsThe shocking reverse-racism practised by ETO’s director James Conway in ‘minoritising’ his orchestra has left the French if not entirely speechless then profoundly mystified.
This is a pdf of today’s op-ed in Le Figaro. ‘Where’s the justice in it?’ demands Ronan Plancon.
There has also been a hostile report in the Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung.
Conway, who identifies as white (unless things have changed surgically) is becoming the posterboy of wokeism in classical music.
All woke and disgraceful.
Really disgusting- won’t buy another ticket for ETO- shame as the orchestra always sounded so lovely!
NOTE : MEAT EATERS AND VEGETARIANS ARE EQUAL BUT HAVE DIFFERENT PREFERENCES.
I ran a vegetarian store. It was successful, had many employees and was popular with the customers in my area.
I was approached and told that I didn’t include enough products for meat eaters or encourage them to visit.
I increased my range of burgers, sausage and chicken nuggets but it had no effect on increasing the “meat eater” custom – they just weren’t interested in a vegetarian store.
Then I was visited by the “Department of Everybody’s Interest” who informed me that 50% of my staff should be meat eaters and thereby make it feel inclusive for all the people in my area.
My regular, loyal customers stopped attending because they were unhappy that their choices were diminished to make way for the new products and that SOME of the new “meat eater” staff I employed were not as expert on vegetarian goods.
The meat eaters were still going to the steak house along the street, as usual, vegetarians had no desire to visit there.
I found it hard to make ends meet with my store, so was forced to close.
Now I sit home at nights and dream of being ‘in concert’ with my vegetarian customers as it used to be.
Your problem is simple: you should have done your best to try and make ends “meat” in your store.
‘the French’ = Zhang Zhang, a violinist in the Monte Carlo orchestra.
Let’s not smooth the rough edges with “reverse racism,” but call it exactly what it is: plain, old-fashioned, garden-variety racism.
This is what happens when people of dubious intellectual merit get hold of an ideology.
It is pure racial discrimination. The reason they don’t even have the wit to disguise it is because they don’t understand the paradoxical implications of their actions.
So this little tale has legs. Interesting that publications in France and Germany have taken it up. What about the UK? or the US? Even with a violinist in some regional orchestra?
NL, you know people at the Spectator. Not that it probably has more readers than SD. Is it discredited because it was in the DM?
I enjoyed the last ETO concert I attended but now they are into this nonsense I will not be attending as this sort of malarky is usually accompanied by falling musical standards.
I would have replied that the free market system decides for a business , it’s success, including it’s inclusiveness. It’s not decided by any arbitrary demands from some government overlord. Having to serve government masters is Communism!
Dear Norman, thank you for sharing my interview of the Figaro. One small
Correction. The quote is not by the journalist Ronan Planchon, but from me. Figaro already printed a long tribune by me in February where I defend our industry against biased cancel culture motivated accusations of systematic racism and sexism. In this article, Ronan only composed the questions, the text is all by me. The printed version is only part of the article, the full version is on Figaro Vox. Around 12300 signs. If you wish to read the entire piece, I would be glad to send it to you.
Thank you again for bringing this atrocity to the open.
Best Wishes
Zhang Zhang