An Italian summer festival confirms Gergiev will conduct
NewsThe Ravello Festival on the Amalfi coast has gone against the international grain of annullations, announcing that Putin’s propagandist Valery Gergiev will conduct there this summer.
‘The Ravello foundation, all its collaborators and artists are very saddened by the fratricidal war in the middle of Europe”, says Ravello’s president Dino Falconio, adding ‘art and music are fields that, by their nature, speak a language that has no national distinctions but is universal. In particular, music does not need translation to be understood and is a heritage of all men on earth. At any latitude and longitude.
‘Maestro Gergiev and the Russian orchestra are in the program, albeit provisional, of the Ravello 2022 festival. What we have to evaluate today is the cultural and artistic profile and not the political aspects. Because of a mere national affiliation, musicians cannot be discriminated against. Unless an artist makes a paean.’
Gerguev has conducted at Ravello since 1997.
By calling the illlegal invasion of Ukraine a ‘fratricidal war’, the festival president has simply subscribed to the Putin propaganda.
It is a “fratricidal war” (not a term I would have chosen in that it is Slav against Slav.
I must respectfully disagree with you, Ms. Lind.
It is an aggressive war between two diplomatically recognized sovereign nations, in which Russia attacked Ukraine, and it is confirmed as such by the United Nations.
The term “fratricidal war” implies a civil war. This war is a war of brutal aggression; the fact that it may be ethnically “Slav against Slav” is irrelevant.
“Fratricidal war?” Shame on them. Cowardly Putin supporters. I’d love a look at their donor list.
These days cancel culture is more than a cancer. If someone is standing against the narative of msm they are quickly to be bullied. Music, sport and others areas should be kept outside the politics and wars.
Ona related topic: what’s going on with the Gazprom sponsorship of Salzburg?
they were ‘lucky’ that COVID made it impossible but it leaves a shameful light on the finally retired Mrs Rabl-Stadler whose embarrassing performance is well documented
That proms is out of gaz.
Maybe he saw Yusif beeing acclaimed yesterday at La Scala.
He won’t be there. I will take all bets to the contrary
No bet. This concert will never go ahead. Unfortunately, I think that things will continue to deteriorate and that we will be having a whole other conversation about the war in the coming months.
Cool. Assuming that Mr. Gergiev resides currently in St. Petersburgh, where is heading the opera – how does he plan to travel to Italy?
E. g. via Turkey (Istanbul as an air travel hub has been much in demand among those who want to travel to or from Russia) or via Helsinki, which is close to St Petersburg.
They have a right, just as the public has the right to boycott.
A great opportunity to seize more yachts.
“What we have to evaluate today is the cultural and artistic profile…” Because only Gergiev has that very special artistic profile required by whatever tired repertory stuff the Festival is putting on. No one else in Europe has that artistic profile. LOL. Methinks the writer doth protest too much, the article has 697 words. Yet somehow not one word was wasted on that very special artistic profile.
OK, but will anyone attend?
Yet on the festival’s website there isn’t any event listed for 2022.
Absolutely disgusting! Gergiev should be sanctioned not because he is Russian but because he is a Putin supporter and apologist (amongst other things). It is pathetic and spineless now… and will only seem moreso in hindsight as the humanitarian disaster gets worse and war crimes mount. They will regret this decision. Let’s hope the would be concert goers reflect on this…
Do other artists on the bill agree with this approach ?
For now there isn’t a bill, there isn’t even an event listed on the festival site for 2022. Worry about what other artists may or may not agree with when the bill, complete with the casting, materializes itself.
Perhaps Gergiev will bring his God children?
Ravello Festival needs to bring on Vanessa Benelli Mosell to conduct instead of Gergiev.
You are tiresome with your crude advertising. I have seen you here at least half a dozen times under the name “Conductress”. Mental note to self: Never attend anything conducted by tiresome dudes and dudettes advertising themselves on SD. Dear Vanessa is on my personal blacklist now.
It’s a bullshit: Gergiev isn’t propagandist Putin’s, but one of the best Conductors. It is a right and courageous decision.
You must have lived under a rock in the last 20 years. Wasn’t too dark and damp there? On second thought, perhaps you were training yourself for the period after Putin presses the button, terrifying thought as it is. If so, I commend your foresight. I am however mystified how you could do your architect job in that cramped space.
… for now.
Does Gergiev have a villa in that neck of the woods
“Subscribing to Putin’s propaganda”?
They most likely care more about defending the reputation of their Limoncello this summer, than promoting any foreign Vodka.
Gotta love the self-righteousness of this post. The poor Dino Falconio gets vilified as a Putin propagandist for the unspeakable crime of being factually correct in defining the war as fratricidal and having the effrontery to opine that a conductor is not a war criminal. Even if that conductor did not bend the knee, refusing to offer himself to the public pillory demanded by the crowd for his sin of having had to build his professional career in the country where he was born. A refusal for which he has already paid a high cost in professional terms.
One has to wonder whether all the keyboard warriors demanding Gergiev’s termination behave the same way with any Russian they meet in their daily lives, be it their doctor, their lawyer, their boss, their professor, whatever. Are they demanding that all these people get fired unless they issue a public condemnation of Putin?
Firstly, the war isn’t fratricidal, it’s an invasion, second, if Putin were a war criminal the West would have seized him long ago and trialed him. One has to wonder whether all the keyboard warriors defending Gergiev, can grasp the difference between being just Russian, supporting Putin, and being a war criminal. It doesn’t look like they can. One also has to wonder if they are given to unhinged hyperbole 24/7 in their daily lives, or just online?
“if Putin were a war criminal” should read “if Gergiev were a war criminal”
Ever heard of the brothers Cain and Abel? Ever read Ancient Greek myths, which contain family conflicts galore – and full of truculent details (like Atreus serving his nephews to his brother Thyestes as a dish in a banquet)?
Yes, this war IS an invasion and it IS fratricidal. There are thousands and thousands of Ukrainians with family ties to Russia and there are thousands and thousands of Russians with family ties in the Ukraine, both in the present and in the past.
They must have some great sponsorship, just considering the logistics problems and cost to have all the orchestra members and cargo from Russia in the current situation…
very good and brave festival decission. all others hypocrites.
Браво! Музиката трябва да ни обединява, а не да ни разделя!
Why during all these years Gergiev has directed major european and international orchestras? Because is friend of Putin or because is excellent director? Furtwangler’s gosth is back followed by many sheeps. Shame of wiener Philharmonic and other . Music first of all. Politic after.
Wrong, Giovanni. In war times it’s politics first, music after, otherwise you might find yourself speaking Russian in that “after.” The answer to your first question: Because he is Putin’s friend, sponsored with Putin’s money. Also paid with Western taxpayer money, for shame.
My dear friend, karajan and Furtwangler had Nazy party card, the same for famous communist conductors and solists of the Urss age. So in according to your opinion nobody have to listen anymore totkarajan karajan or to Emil Gilels , personal.friend of Stalin? So Deutsche Grammophone selling Beethoven sonatas plaied by Gilels has supported Stalin? I.think actually in.the world there is only one Dictator The Stupidity
Giovanni, two wrongs (or as many wrongs as you like to count), don’t make a right.
I didn’t say people shouldn’t listen to Karajan or Gilels. I didn’t say people shouldn’t listen to Furtwängler or Gergiev. I said in times of war politics come first, arts second. In WW II politics came first, otherwise you would speak German now.
If music were first of all Gergiev would have been fired years ago.
You might as well say Karajan should have been asked to conduct in London in 1943. Gergiev should be treated as a pariah in the west not because he is Russian but because he supports Putin politically. Karajan was denatzified by the allies but his career was not harmed. Big mistake not to be repeated with Gergiev.
OMG, the author of this so-called article is the Real propagandist. I Wonder why people such as this author Did not react this way when Serbia, Syria, Irag among others as the list is very long, were bombed…..
Eternal shame on the Ravello concert organizers! Obviously Mr. Falconio knows nothing of history or realty if he is describing the brutal invasion by Russia of Ukraine as a “fratricidal” war. He has the innocent blood of Ukrainian women and children on his hands from the bombardment of Ukraine’s cities and towns by Mr. Gergiev’s good friend, Putin.
Gergiev’s fortune is in Italy..so that if Italy fires him ,there goes his fortune out of the banks.
That explains it!
Will Gergiev be wearing a ‘Z’ like the abhorent gymnast Ivan Kuliak? I hope I jest but people need to get real that some Russians (perhaps the majority) support this detestable war.
Until his friends private jet is delayed…
Reports say Gergiev is selling his Italian properties. Italian government must step in quickly and confiscate.