Just in: Lucerne cancels Netrebko pair

Just in: Lucerne cancels Netrebko pair

Opera

norman lebrecht

May 01, 2024

We are informed by the website of Lucerne’s concerthall: Anna Netrebko’s concert on June 1, 2024 at the KKL Lucerne will not take place.

The Swiss reasoning is unusually evasive and slightly obscure:

The KKL Lucerne is not available for Anna Netrebko’s concert on June 1, 2024. The public perception of the soloist remains controversial. Due to the temporal and geographical proximity of Ms. Netrebko’s appearance to the Ukraine Peace Conference, a threat to public order had to be expected. For this reason, the KKL Lucerne was asked by the cantonal and municipal authorities to cancel the concert.

With regard to tickets purchased in advance directly from KKL Lucerne, buyers of these tickets will be informed as quickly as possible about how to proceed.

Tickets ranged from 80-520 Swiss francs a seat.

Comments

  • zandonai says:

    Lucerne’s loss.
    politics has no place in the arts.

    • Edo says:

      arts has always be political…

    • Jack says:

      Suggest you re-read the statement. Its proximity to the Ukraine Peace Conference made a threat to public order a concern. I’m thinking they didn’t want a riot in their theater.

  • Herbie G says:

    The Ukraine Peace Conference??? Does this mean peace for our time? Has Ukraine been adjudged ‘a far away country of which we know little?’.

  • Save the MET says:

    It would seem that all GM’s in the classical music world should check with their foreign offices before hiring Russian performers at the moment to insure that hiring such peformers for a show meets with the current diplomatic philosophy of the moment. Based upon the verbiage of the explanation of the cancellation, it would seem that the Swiss foreign office did not approve. This could have been avoided and saved the festival the embarrassment.

    • Fight the power says:

      Just to nitpick, Lucerne Festival happens much later, this seems like it was just a one-off concert.

  • PS says:

    It’s a very clear statement. It was Lucerne and Lucerne’s decision, not Lucerne’s decision. In other words, a German Swiss decision, not a Swiss German one.

  • Chet says:

    1) ” The public perception of the soloist remains controversial. ”

    Which is controversial? the public perception, or the soloist? or both?

    VERY Swiss indeed, in one sentence it takes all three positions.

    2) “buyers of these tickets will be informed … how to proceed”

    They don’t promise a refund, just how to proceed, maybe every ticket holder gets a T-shirt with the faces of Mr. and Mrs. Netrebko on it.

    • Tristan says:

      what hypocrisy in Switzerland the country that has been attracting all the dirty money on earth regardless where it comes from or how it was earned

      • BigMac says:

        Indeed – as Prof Jean Ziegler has documented for decades.

        Equally ironic is that they claim to be so democratic but are effectively effectively stifling freedom of expression.

    • Jack says:

      I think the word is ‘tactful’.

    • John Borstlap says:

      Nr 1) is exactly how a swiss knife works – can be used in many more than in one way.

  • tramonto says:

    My favorite part is “The KKL Lucerne is not available” like it was double-booked or is being renovated.

  • Sally says:

    Since geographic proximity is the issue, move Trebs to the far side of the moon. No one will miss her, except perhaps Putin and that substandard tenor husband of hers.

  • John Borstlap says:

    translated: ‘We don’t like these people any longer.’

  • JS says:

    Given that they somehow haven’t felt like seeing each other for several months now maybe they will be happy with this turn of events – one joint appearance less.

  • Christopher says:

    Absolutely ridiculous!

  • Mrs L Kersen says:

    What a waste of an opportunity to hear the best, unrelated to politics, this cancellation culture is utterly stupid.

  • Uni says:

    She shouldn’t even have been invited from the start, knowing her propagandist views and support for the Russian aggressor. That would have saved a lot of fuss.

  • Leonardo says:

    Where is Lucerne And Switzerland pretending to be neutral country. But we know very well the money londarin there . Shame for them.

  • SayNoToTrebs says:

    I see nothing obscure and evasive. She’s a Putin a** licker.

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