Two festivals scrap Gergiev, a third dithers
NewsThe Riga Jurmala Festival in Latvia, a commercial event that relies on the presence of Valery Gergiev and his Mariinsky Orchestra, has been called off altogether in light of the Ukraine war. Its organisers say:
Due to the unfolding tragic war in Ukraine, we have decided to cancel next summer’s Festival. It is not a decision we take lightly but, in times of such human tragedy, we feel that the right thing to do is to forgo the planned events. We strongly condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine!
The Lucerne Festival, patronised by many Russian oligarchs, has cancelled two central concerts:
Lucerne Festival has decided to cancel the concerts by the Mariinsky Orchestra and Valery Gergiev that were scheduled for 21 and 22 August. ‘In view of Russia’s acts of war in violation of international law, we are sending a clear signal of solidarity to the people of
Ukraine. We are deeply concerned and condemn the attack on Ukraine and on innocent people in the strongest possible terms,’ said Executive and Artistic Director Michael Haefliger.
HOWEVER, the Verbier Festival, where Gergiev is music director, has said nothing whatsoever. It is still selling tickets for the summer.
The inconsistency is striking. Riga-Jurmala was co-founded by Martin Engstroem, who also runs Verbier and maintains close ties with Gergiev.
UPDATE: Verbier pulls the plug
Gergiev is still listed, absurdly, as chief conductor of the World Orchestra for Peace.
Haven’t heard anything about the Mikkeli Festival in Finland either. I assume the town depends on the annual influx of concert goers.
Programme and sale of tickets postponed.
https://www.mikkelinmusiikkijuhlat.fi/en/etusivu
Mariinsky orchestra will NOT perform at the Mikkeli Music Festival 2022.
https://www.mikkelinmusiikkijuhlat.fi/en/etusivu
Opera and classical music aficionados the world over but especially in our Western hemisphere are watching very, very closely how each institution acts on the matter of Gergiev and Netrebko’s unquestionable affiliation with the criminal psychopath Putin and with/among each other.
Well, A.L., speaking as an “opera and classical music aficionado” in the Western hemisphere, I’m certainly watching events “very, very closely”, but please don’t presume to speak for me in the campaign you appear to be running against Anna Netrebko, who seems in an entirely different category to Gergiev in terms of “unquestionable” affiliations, and has condemned the war. It’s important we don’t seize upon this desperate situation as a pretext for witch-hunts and prosecuting existing enmities by other means – a tactic more characteristic of the criminal psychopath you rightly reprehend.
@MJA AN’s statement was as vague as it gets, and resentful to boot. Artists are not forced to voice their political opinions in public, nor are they forced to denounce their homeland, this is demagogic trash. Artists aren’t forced to denounce anything, least of all their homeland. AN confuses Russia with Putin.
If you don’t like others to speak in your name, you should drop that “we” from your comments. Other people don’t like _you_ to speak in their name either. You may disagree with others calling Putin a criminal psychopath, and consider yourself the embodiment of balanced behavior, but seeing “witch-hunts” and “prosecutions” all around you doesn’t exactly add credibility to your claims.
I don’t know about A.L.’s campaign against AN, but I have encountered you a few times on this site, and you seem to run a pro-AN campaign. I agree AN’s and Gergiev’s cases are different in terms of affiliation. Gergiev is not just a conductor, he also holds an important job in Russia as the general manager of Mariinsky, while AN is just a singer. But make no mistake, both have unquestionably supported Putin, and enthusiastically so.
Verbier gets tons of money from Russian Oligarchs…..
In the case of the Riga-Jurmala festival, the more relevant bit surely lies in the second photograph : « changes have been made to the Festival’s trustees and management ».
It’s always been a surprisingly well-funded festival with a five-star lineup. Some sponsors no longer welcome.
second *paragraph* duh
Verbier, do the right thing. We are waiting.
Bit like Marin Alsop,how he ever got so far I will never know.
Marin was always badly managed from the start, not her fault. She was given too much too soon and would often only have time to pick up the score on the plane on the way over to conduct the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the first orchestra to give her a chance. I know because I was there.
It is up to Verbier to find audience for their concerts. After all, even Mr. P. does not have a nuclear bomb for everyone who refuses to listen to Mr. Gergiev or Ms. Netrebko.
Verbier is in Switzerland. Does anything more need to be said?
Obama received Noble Prize for peace, is this not as absurd ?