Anna Netrebko faces demos in Japan

Anna Netrebko faces demos in Japan

Opera

norman lebrecht

March 16, 2023

This weekend’s arias concert with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the Detroit music director Jader Bignamini, is set to go ahead despite sporadic protests about Netrebko’s former support for the Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The company organising the concert said: ‘There is no problem since major opera houses in Europe, such as La Scala, Wiener Staatsoper, and the Monte Carlo Opera, have already hosted her and she’s back on the music scene in Europe, despite Europe being geographically closer to Ukraine than Japan.’ A question of perspective perhaps.

The protests, meanwhile, continue.

Comments

  • Ernest says:

    The concert was held yesterday at the Suntory Hall and the conductor was Michelangelo Mazza. Her concert this weekend will be at La Scala singing Russian songs …

    • Emme says:

      It looks there are lots of russians in Milan

      • Tristan says:

        and so what? it’s not the fault of the artist but of most useless politicians like Merkel and all the bloody naive politicians the liberal press is praising
        Let the artists do their job and stop bashing great Russian artists

        • Genius Repairman says:

          Tristan, as I see it, Russia was upset that some of their neighbours were gravitating towards the West rather than the increasingly totalitarian government of their kinfolk. Russia has also chosen to be paranoid about NATO which had absolutely no interest in attacking Russia and since the 1990s were more concerned with nations like Iran.

      • Potpourri says:

        Hello, Emme: Anna Netrebko’s recent performances were sold out in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Milan, Vienna, Paris, Buenos Aires, etc. with attendance by local audiences.Two performances of Nabucco in Wiesbaden in May are already sold out. Politicians try to interfere but music lovers want to hear Netrebko and show their support for her after a year of being unfairly snubbed.

  • Wlb says:

    Snubbing Netrebko is completely justified if she supported the slaughter of Ukrainian civilians and their children

  • J. Zaid says:

    The Japanese are idiots, becoming true vassals of the US and placing politics above music.

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