Russian pianist dedicates an encore to murdered Navalny
NewsWhy is the music world so desperately slow and indifferent?
A political murder has been committed in Russia in full view of the world.
We have a voice. Let it be heard.
Expect nothing from Vienna or Berlin.
But last night at the Barbican we hear that the Russian-born pianist Yevgeny Kissin dedicated an encore to the memory of the brave Alexei Navalny.
Yes indeed. This latest murder by Putin should not go unheeded. Opera houses and other classical venues should be taking a hard, cold look at who they choose to engage. Namely, artists in Putin’s circle past or present. They know who they are.
I am already looking forward to the future album release “Valery Gergiev, Live in Bakhmut”.
But I think Valentina Lisitsa’s “The Avdiivka Recital” will come out first …
Even interests are politically biased and selective. Have you heard of the similarly dubious death of the American activist Gonzalo Lira in Ukraine?
Why, oh why, it never became even news…
At last night’s Barbican concert, Kissin movingly dedicated his encore to Navalny
Vladimir Jurowski, in Munich. At least I wish he would.
He will. Jurowski is an artist of enormous integrity.
https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/dirigent-wladimir-jurowski-wuenscht-sich-oper-ueber-alexei-nawalny-100.html
We need to be more sure of the facts, and his body returned to his family immediately for an independent post mortem and for mourning, before we jump into yet more political compassion protests, and then Anna Netrebko and other talented musicians being weaponised on here – again – for not speaking out over Ukraine when probably not safe to do so – just because they don’t like her or her singing or her husband!!! This could well have been an execution but we don’t know the whole story yet.
Navalny was in prison when there was no reason for him to be there. That alone makes Putin responsible for his death.
He received a death sentence when he was sent to the Gulag in the first place. Wake up.
Why are you making an issue of this? He died two days ago, not weeks ago. And why say “Expect nothing from Vienna or Berlin.” Explain yourself.
It would be very appropriate if orchestral concerts started with a solemn work dedicated to Navalny’s memory, like Nimrod from Enigma Variations. Did that happen anywhere outside Vienna and Berlin?
Kissin’s gesture is indeed meaningful and courageous. But I am still confused why Mr. Lebrecht would add the snarky phrase “Expect nothing from Vienna or Berlin.” He may not recall that it was Berlin that saved Navalny’s life when he was poisoned. I am sure that Berlin, especially, along with other cities around the world will add their musical voices to honor Mr. Navalny.
Mr. Lebrecht is never happy unless musicians politicize their concert 5 minutes after something happens in the world
A beautiful, courageous, and meaningful gesture.
I also attended and it was incredibly moving. The audience responded by spontaneously bursting into loud applause and cheers at the mention of Navalny. From what I could tell, many Russians were present: Putin has now little support from his country’s people, in locations where they are allowed a free voice. Thank you, Kissin for such a gesture. As well as for one of the most nuanced performances of Prokofiev’s 2nd Sonata I have ever heard. Bravo to you!
This is a bit of wishful thinking: unfortunately, “Vova” still has plenty of “support from his country’s people” and besides, “free voice” is not really “allowed” anywhere in Russia.
Kissin is Russian by birth, American by choice. He’s lived on the upper west side of Manhattan for many years. Kissin of all pianists has a warm heart and his dedication of the encore should not come as a surprise to those who know him.
Living on Manhattan’s upper west side doesn’t make one American. Kissin keeps a place in Manhattan, but hasn’t lived there since 1996. He currently resides in Prague, after lengthy stints in London and Paris.
EK is Israeli by choice.
Why all the fuss? I don’t think Navalny liked classical music and classical music should stay out of the business of politics.
Tell that to Beethoven. His only opera, Fidelio, is the story of a political prisoner who, like Navalny, was imprisoned and threatened with death for his vocal opposition to a tyrant. Unlike Navalny, Florestan’s wife was able to rescue him. The opera, which Mahler called “the opera of operas” and which he considered to be the finest of all operas, is an unashamedly and passionately political statement, composed under a severely repressive dictatorship. And if you think some of Mozart’s and Verdi’s operas are not political works of art, you haven’t been paying attention.
P.S. This magnificent book by William Kinderman, one of our greatest living Beethoven scholars (and a very distinguished pianist), is highly recommended for anyone interested in the subject.
https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo44824410.html
Because maybe, just maybe, we aren’t always the centre of the universe?
Bravo
I had the privilege of conducting my former orchestra, the Santa Rosa Symphony, in three performances this past weekend of the Shostakovich 1st Symphony, which we dedicated from the stage to the memory of Alexei Navalny. Had we anticipated this happening during the week, we might well have changed the 2nd half of the program to the 5th or 10th Symphony, but it was nonetheless a deeply emotional collective moment, and the response of the audience to the dedication, as well as the furious passion with which the orchestra played, was quite moving.