Gergiev’s Mariinsky is performing with Covid
NewsThe Russian news agency Novosti reports that the Mariinsky is performing in Moscow without taking Covid tests.
One musician told the agency: ‘Recently, after a test, out of 70 people in the choir, 35 turned out to be positive – this is a fact. Several directors and singers fell ill. Eight first violinists, eight second ones, six violas, four cellos, five double basses, two flutes, five oboists are ill (this is a lot!); clarinets are the most persistent, in bassoons – only one; three horns, five trumpeters (this is also a lot!), four trombones; tubes are also resistant; drummers are holding up too. Two more harps and two keyboardists. Basically, everyone is the first soloist.’
Read on here.
“Fell ill.”
Coughed a few times?
Maybe, Peter, maybe not. Covid-19 is still killing people and making others extremely ill, even in its current, milder form. I hope you are not condoning the kind of authoritarian, anti-science conditions under which these eminent musicians are being required to continue going to work, potentially risking their health and even their lives. No sensible musician, or indeed any worker, wants to gamble unnecessarily with their health just to do their job. Orchestras in most parts of the world understand that testing the musicians and requiring them to stay off work if they have Covid is good for the bottom-line as well as the individual.
Speak for yourself. Myself and many of my colleagues want to do our art form without the harassment of government and middle managers.
And how do you see it in the long run? All those protective measures like testing entire orchestra on frequent basis aren’t for free, and there is no reason to believe the covid situation will magically disappear with boosters. Some of us prefer to do music while we still have it, especially now with (milder for the vaccinated) Omicron.
As a touring orchestra they for sure have had been vaccinated, and if the audience aren’t – it’s they fault, nobody drags them to the concert hall. I hope one day perception of this pandemic will shift from hysteria to more rational approach where it’s people’s personal responsibility for their actions rather than trying to do costly measures.
It’s the January Sales. Get yourself a cheap sofa to hide behind.
In the USA I think you’ll find circa 40,000 die each year on the roads. Are you going to advocate the banishment of motor vehicles? Flu is killing people; cancer is killing people; cigarette smoking is killing people; falls are killing people (yes, get rid of floors). The rest is ‘safetyism’ and a rampant nanny state amongst a very very fearful cohort of nations. Get the vax – or not – and move on!!
Mariincidence
The ‘pretend it doesn’t exist’ strategy
Don’t worry, they’ll be fine.
Unacceptable when we have a safe and effective vaccine… I guess Pootin has been smearing his anti-vaccine poo on these unfortunate musicians, for shame!
Which vaccine would that be, if I may ask?
. . . and this from a country that wants to begin an invasion in winter.
No need to; I thought they’d already effectively ‘invaded’ the USA when they achieved an election outcome in 2016. That’s what Mrs. Clinton argued for 4 long years.