Valentina Lisitsa: My husband’s now driving a taxi

Valentina Lisitsa: My husband’s now driving a taxi

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norman lebrecht

January 25, 2023

The once-international pianist says she has no engagements since coming out as a citizen of Russia’s illegal puppet state in Donetsk.

She lives alone in Moscow. Her husband has remained in the US, where he drives a cab.

But she says the applause of Russian provincial audiences makes it all worthwhile.

 

Comments

  • drummerman says:

    I presented her and her husband, Alexei Kuznetsoff, in the Poulenc two-piano concerto in the late ’90s at Alice Tully Hall. Amazing to see this interview.

  • Ricardo J says:

    I don’t get it. Why did she stop her career in the US? I am sure that she used to get plenty of gigs because of her great virtuosity. She also was a Youtube star. All for the love of Putin? It doesn’t make sense.

    • Mikeber says:

      These are the times. Unbelievably we are now in 2023…thinking these things belong to the past.

      In any case, I would be happy if we could put aside the boycotts and listen to her playing in NY or other American cities.

      At the same time I’m not very interested in her political activism.
      I really prefer artists to present their artistry in public and live politics at home.

      • Volo says:

        So you would be fine if in WWII nazi artists performed in US. Or better, or if friends of those who shot planes into towers in New York. Thanks to her activists war is presented in a wrong light so no, she deserves completely fine what she got

  • MacroV says:

    I was really rooting for her years ago when she was trying to break through into a career commensurate with her talent (no disparaging of said talent, please). But she torched her own promising career, not by some unfortunate misstatement but running stubbornly through all sorts of warning signs. So while it’s regrettable, she made her own bed.

    • Alla says:

      It is regrettable indeed. Valentina is a great pianist and she only can play where she is allowed and welcome. I believe her own words that she was depressed when she found her all concert contracts cancelled because of her political views. So, nothing left for her but playing piano in Russia. It is a big loss for her talent fans all over the world, not only in US. However, there are other virtuosos performing in concert halls… but what a tragedy for this fantastically gifted musician. Can she unthink what she is thinking, and stop feeling what se is feeling?

  • william osborne says:

    Regardless of how one views the war, all of this destruction and hatred should not make anyone happy.

    • Achim Mentzel says:

      I share your opinion about destruction and hatred, but Dear, how can one have different views on the war? One country invades another one. There is no differentiation possible. Period.

      • William Osborne says:

        The sad reality is that a sizeable majority in Russia feel their country’s invasion of Ukraine is justified. There are also some on both sides that fault both sides for the events leading to the war. I think all should feel horror and profound sadness about what is happening.

        • Anthony Sayer says:

          Well said, William.

        • Sue Sonata Form says:

          Not to mention the fact that Russia has a totally unelected vicious dictator. Apart from thaaaaat…

        • Hayne says:

          Excellent. Macron and Merkel both recently said PUBLICLY that they had no intention of honoring the Minsk 2 agreement when it was signed with Russia. It’s easy to see why most Russians conclude it’s useless to ever trust Western government as they are now constituted.

        • mk says:

          The sad reality is that a great number of said people you mention are brainwashed to believe that Ukraine “is not a real country” and other similar dehumanizing and ahistorical nonsense. So their opinions don’t change the fact that one country invaded another sovereign country (whose sovereignty it was obligated to respect in return for receiving its nuclear arsenal when the USSR disintegrated under a 1993 treaty!). So there are no two ways about this war from a moral or legal perspective. There were also de facto no “events leading up to the war” from the Ukrainian side or the Western side. Ukrainian accession to NATO or the EU had been effectively on ice since 2008 and Zelenskyi had been making diplomatic peace overtures towards Moscow (in fact he campaigned on that promise) ever since he entered office, only to be rebuffed by Putin.

      • Mikeber says:

        Achim, as always every side sees things differently. I don’t know how Russians see the situation, but probably differently from the western views.

        I on the other hand, got tired of the political talk and propaganda (from all sides) and would really appreciate letting music talk.

      • Edwin Schrodinger says:

        Though I strongly support Ukraine’s independence, there are many people, mostly Russians, who firmly believe that Ukraine is rightfully part of Russia. My brother-in-law’s girlfriend, a highly educated computer scientist plus, a social worker, who does great work with the elderly and disabled, is from Russia and she matter-of-factly discusses all the reasons why Russia is in the right in this situation. I just listen and I do not argue. In the historical context, this is more complex than many people think. It is a sad situation from many perspectives. If there were a great leader on the international stage, perhaps a solution could be put together. But who would that be? Biden, Xi, Macron, …? Trump? But who ever could have? Who stopped WWII? FDR, Churchill? No. Once nations engage like this, these things are hard to stop. Maybe this is when the outer space aliens finally show themselves and make us play nice. At least once can hope.

    • Marshall says:

      “Regardless of how one views the war” Whatever that is supposed to mean? How about a certain “view of the war” makes destruction and hatred possible.

      • William Osborne says:

        There are a number of views of the war that are making the destruction and hatred possible.

        • Marshall says:

          Why don’t you really spit IT out (as a few, more deplorable-but at least, a small one-they say it) –say what you really want instead of this code. No there are not “There are a number of views of the war that are making the destruction and hatred possible.”

          A good day-the liberation of Auschwitz-for the morally feckless.

  • Luiz F. says:

    Still the best female pianist in the world to me. It really goes to show you can have unquestionable skill and still have extremely questionable opinions. We can make a parallel between her and Bobby Fisher, although I pray that it doesn’t end the same way.

  • Hugh Mather says:

    All very sad. She is a phenomenal pianist indeed, as evidenced by all those Youtube performances. She gave a recital at St Mary’s Perivale about 10 years ago, and stayed with us, with her husband and son, and was perfectly charming. No way back for her now…

  • Tom M. says:

    I don’t believe artists’ political views should ruin their careers.

    • M2N2K says:

      If what you call “political views” of such “artists” includes active support of a dictator who is currently the world’s “leading” mass-murdering war criminal, then maybe their “careers” should suffer just a little bit.

    • MacroV says:

      If those are views about the appropriate level of marginal tax rates or EU regulations about chlorinated chicken, fine. But she’s taking the side of a murderous tyrant who invaded another sovereign state (HER sovereign state, BTW) in order to wipe out its independent existence and identity. That’s more than “political views.”

    • Nick Kalogeresis says:

      Does supporting a despotic and murderous regime touch a chord with you at all?

    • mk says:

      Not their political views per se. Their views on morality and humanity should, however.

    • Bill says:

      They won’t, if they keep them to themselves. But if you insist on sharing, you shouldn’t be surprised when those who do not favor those views do not favor you either.

  • Dennis says:

    “Illegal puppet state”: Better describes the NATO coup-installed, Bandera-worshipping, Ukro-Nazi regime in Kiev that has been waging a genocidal war on the people of Donbass for the last 9 years (Thankfully Russia put a stop to their effort to do the same in the Crimea in 2014).

    May God bless Putin the Great and the people of Russia as they lead the worldwide opposition to the evil and insane woke libtard Globalist American Empire and its loyal lapdogs in NATO. The Ukro-Nazis will be crushed and NATO, which should have been disbanded in 1992, and which has since waged illegal and aggressive terror wars on Serbia as well, will collapse onto the ash heap of history.

    • Norabide Guziak says:

      You may be touching on information that many choose to know nothing about, hence the absence of up and down votes.

    • AnnaT says:

      well, you’ve hit most of the keywords anyway–woke, globalist, “libtard,” Nazi (a few times), plus the general dark ranting tone and the febrile dreams of a renewed Russian empire.
      Bravo, Dennis!

    • Francois says:

      See. There I give you some attention. Hope you feel better now..

    • M2N2K says:

      Unfortunately, all of that nonsense force-fed to them for many years now by Kremlin’s propaganda is currently the actual point of view of most Russians, while their invading armed forces keep murdering hundreds of civilians and getting killed themselves in the process.

    • Patrick says:

      Satire/ sarcasm, perhaps?

    • Sue Sonata Form says:

      I agree about NATO and the woke Globalist agenda; this is one reason Putin has absolute contempt for the western world and why he doesn’t want to ‘negotiate’ Ukraine being part of it. Like myself, he’s actively contemptuous of its rapid decline into decadence – but we need to remember that Putin is another in the long line of vicious Russian despots. I feel sorry for their people – always have – and the fact that Putin is willing to kill his own (mostly) young men. Beyond appalling.

      Man up, western world, and show some strength and values which will give this cretin something to be worried about.

    • Genius Repairman says:

      Yes Dennis let us all support Might is Right and Survival only of the One with the Biggest Club. Let us laugh at those who are different to us and support regimes that brutalize them. Let us call everyone we hate Woke Nazis even though true Nazis are anything but Woke. Let us shake with fear at any idea of global unity and let us sacrifice our lives for the glory of our Nation that thinks Empire building is still a thing.

      • Hayne says:

        Please do some research on the neonazis in Ukraine. Even the media wrote about this until last year.

        • M2N2K says:

          Of course there are neo-nazis there, just like in Russia, in USA, in many European countries and several other places around the world. That in no way justifies what Russia is doing to their smaller neighbor for almost a year now. If you know how many countries besides Israel and Ukraine have Jewish presidents, please enlighten us.

  • Dan says:

    Good. She should drive a cab as well.

  • James says:

    Maybe he can work for some US empire war-death industry corporations -Northrop Grundmann, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin etc..they are doing very well during these interesting times. Stocks are way up. Great business opportunities as the pollies state.

  • Damian says:

    Morocco Invaded Western Sahara and Is Still Under An Occupation since the 70’s. Why is Morocco not under sanctions? Why are Moroccan sports, Musicians and the rest not banned from performing?

    America invaded Iraq (a sovereign country) illegally & this invasion misplaced hundreds of thousands of people and killed thousands of innocent people. American propaganda called it a just war. Later years it was admitted it was not illegal. Why did America not get sanctions? Why did Bush not get taken to The Hague? Zelensky himself is a corrupt criminal-Take a look at The Pandora Papers. Listen to Noam Chomsky.

    We all know about Putin and Russia and the corruption and that goes without saying but why only criticize Russia? What has Putin/Russia done which America and other nations have not done or currently doing?

    I am a pacifist. I wish peace for Russia, equally as Ukraine. I want fairness. If we criticize Russia then let’s criticize other nations equally. Let us not be bullies and just isolate one.

    Peace To Russia, Ukraine, Western Sahara, Morocco, America, Israel amd Palestine.

    Valentina Lisitsa is a brilliant Pianist and an intelligent woman.

    • M2N2K says:

      Well, if it was “not illegal”, then what’s the problem? You may “criticize” anyone you want and talk about “fairness” as long as you want. How much good did pacifism do in Europe about 90 years ago and soon thereafter? Absolutely none as far as I can tell. Meanwhile, the only thing some of us including me are saying here is that those who actively and publicly support mass-murdering war crimes in an outspoken way should not be surprised that we are not interested in attending their recitals.

  • John B. says:

    WTF..Her husband now drives a taxi in America. Hey Alexei, has Valentina threatened to kill you if you don’t come back to her Russia. Hope that point of view sinks in.

  • Rick says:

    Music, like the Space industry, should transcend all national barriers. Peace through music…Peace through Space exploration.
    That’s my view, an 83 year old Englishman!

  • Conny says:

    What a shame. A brilliant career, an incredibly gifted pianist who had the world at her feet.
    All thrown away for her love of Putin.
    Now she lives by herself in Moscow, her husband and son thousands of miles away and nobody wants her.
    Was that all worth it? I wonder if she is happy now.

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