Opera star declares for Putin
OperaA partial list was issued yesterday of the 700 supporters Vladimir Putin needs to launch his election campaign. Prominent among them were the usual music suspects Valery Gergiev, Yuri Bashmet and Hibla Herzmava.
An unexpected addition at the head of the list, alphabetically at least, is the international operatic bass Ildar Abdrazakov. He’s due to sing with Muti in Ravenna this Thursday and at the Paris Bastille in February.
He may just have burned his boats.
Oh, the stench. Meanwhile, in happier pre-invasion days, we know who else would have been on that list. But because said person is a crass opportunist, the name is conveniently absent. The shadow of itself that is today’s La Scala chooses to shamelessly look the other way. So do others.
Oh yess yess!!! But Muti’s boats burn only for Love! They are Love Boats!!
This report is true, it’s says so here on the theater website!! https://www.teatroalighieri.org/events/gala-verdiano-direttorericcardo-muti/
Muti loves this bass! Muti has picked him, so many times, has chosen him – the great Russian Putin Lover bass – even after the war started!
Muti is also a buddy of Gerard Depardieu, they did Berlioz together. A nice video of Gerard having dinner with Putin here after getting Russian citizenship:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JDSNxgLRAM
Muti has not spoken to condemn Hamas and support Israel, but he loves peace. He visited Iran with the Cherubini orchestra; before him only Karajan (who was a member of the Nazi parti) visited the Iranian anti Zionist nation!
Muti looooves Russia, seemingly as much as Trump and Depardieu love Russia; the Italian Maestro has won the RUSSIAN ORDER OF FRIENDSHIP, conferred to him by Putin. Muti has been so proud of his Putin-conferred award since he has received it, he always made sure it was mentioned on his concert biographies. But after the war he has tried to hide it, we don’t know why. The award has disappeared from his website and his concert programs – probably some Russian hackers took it off in order to not embarrass him. We don’t know, it’s very bizarre. We hypothesize that Muti still has the award, we are just not sure, since he has not bragged about it anymore.
Here is a nice pic of Muti and Putin: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vladimir_Putin_with_Riccardo_Muti-1.jpg
However, we have to look at the big picture and no doubt the Putin award has always been one of Muti’s favorite awards and he wanted his fans to know about it: it was printed on the CSO program books for years (between the Queen award, and the Pope award); it was reported in this great Muti profile article: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/opera/8386177/Riccardo-Muti-a-profile.html
Muti has also been nominated honorary member of the RUSSIAN ACADEMY FOR THE ARTS, presided by the sublime artist who sculpted the statue of Putin dressing a kimono: Zurab Tsereteli.
(https://www.alamy.com/russian-sculptor-tsereteli-poses-with-a-bronze-statue-of-president-putin-dressed-in-kimono-at-his-workshop-in-moscow-russian-sculptor-zurab-tsereteli-poses-with-a-bronze-statue-of-russian-president-vladimir-putin-dressed-in-a-kimono-at-his-workshop-in-moscow-the-statue-is-to-finish-tseretelis-collection-of-famous-individuals-like-the-princess-of-wales-or-moscow-mayor-yuri-luzhkov-picture-taken-april-21-2004-reuterssergei-teterin-image381008707.html)
Nice pic of Muti with the Russians here, at the Russian embassy in Vienna, at the end of 2021, just a couple of months before the war started!!
https://newsrnd.com/life/2021-10-28-riccardo-muti-honorary-academic-of-russia.r1m3Ux_LF.html
According to Wikipedia, in March 2014 Tsereteli was reported to have signed a letter in support of the position of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin on Russia’s military first intervention in Ukraine.
It is nice to received awards from both Putin and Tsereteli !!
Muti also famously invited Gergiev to conduct his beloved Cherubini orchestra!! Muti and Gergiev were quite the couple in the Ravenna Festival!
Long live Riccardo, Gergiev, Abdrazakov and Russia!
Muti is the biggest hypocrite in classical music. Remember his stunt in Chicago when Putin invaded Ukraine? It was good publicity for him, and earned him some brownie points with American donors.
On October 11 2023, a few days after Hamas massacred thousand of Jews, cut and burned Jewish children in half and raped Jewish girls and women, Muti gave an interview in Sarajevo (where Jews are not exactly popular).
https://www.face.ba/vijesti/bih/ekskluzivno-muti-palestinski-orkestar-postao-izraelska-filharmonija-ovo-vodi-ka-unistenju-svijeta/177778
In this interview, Muti said:
‘The first name (note: of the Israeli Phil), when Toscanini conducted the first concert in 1936 was the “Palestine Orchestra”. I never understood all this. One day you will explain to me, when we have a little more time. And then, a few decades later, for the ceremonial commemoration of that first concert, I was invited by the State of Israel to repeat that same concert and to conduct, as an Italian and as someone who comes from Toscanini’s school, the very same program that was performed under Toscanini’s baton in 1936. So, I still haven’t understood, because I’m not a politician, I repeat, why that orchestra used to be called the “Palestinian Orchestra” and today it’s called the “Israeli Philharmonic.” ‘
Ma basta con questa isteria!
Cannot believe you use so much of your spare time to write such interminable hysterical comments!
(Did actually not read it)
Then how do you know it was hysterical?
Beginning of one phrase suffices.
From ‘yess yess’ and the multiple exclamation marks in the first sentence, perhaps?
If “yess” written by Mr Lothario Hunter or Chicagorat: yess!
Signor Guest, Le faccio I miei auguri di Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo, nonostante Lei mi perseguiti con la Sua ironia ed una punta di cattiveria, chissà perché.
P.S.: Mi rallegro di scoprire un giorno il Suo vero nome, nel 2024, perché no?!
Just so reminiscent of the Third Reich, where famous people were ‘eager’ to join ‘the Party’ or lose their careers. Possibly their lives, which nearly happened to actor Conrad Veidt.
This isn’t really news, Abdrazakov had already been let go by the Met for his Putinism. He is again sadly typical of the moral subhumanity of most Russians.
Oh please, don’t comment or the russky will start again about Palestine
It is news that Muti has him perform. Not an example of moral integrity in my book.
HUI? You know what it means in Russian, right?
I doubt that the very idea of “moral integrity” exists in the Russian language. Certainly not in their cultural and political practice historically and to the present day.
Does it exist in the Italian language?
Subhumanity, or opportunism? He’ll get goodies throughout Russia as his reward, maybe a new condo, invitations to state functions, more money, still get hired at places like Vienna and LaScala. I think he is very calculating and wants to advance himself monetarily.
Wobbly Ildar Abdrazakov should be easy to replace. He’s no star bass.
Yet another Russian mediocrity until recently regularly foisted on Met audiences. Glad he’s finally gone!
Guess who is no longer listed on the home page of Muti’s Festival in Ravenna among the singers performing under Muti tonight! Abdrazakov!!!! Die he excuse himself or did Muti suddenly realize that the “special operation” in the Ukraine is actually a … war? Shall we take bets until the truth emerges?