Behind the Netrebko breakup

Behind the Netrebko breakup

Opera

norman lebrecht

June 26, 2024

A couple of weeks ago, Yusif Eyvazov changed managements.

Nothing earth-shattering about that except that it was a move he made alone, independently of his powerful wife, the soprano Anna Netrebko.

Today, the couple announced the end of their marriage.

Set aside the personal aspects. It’s the professional angle that cuts deep.

Anna’s opera and concert engagements are handled by a personal manager, Miguel Esteban.

Yusif tried to establish his own agency at the start of the year. Early this month he moved quietly to Swiss-discreet Ariosi management.

That marks a parting of professional ways. Anna is anxious to recover from being banned by the Met and most western houses over her early support for Vladimir Putin’s Ukrainian wars. Yusif, who is also head of opera and ballet in his home country Azerbaijan, has other ambitions. His occasional political statements have been unhelpful to her cause. And his artistry is not of her unique calibre.

So the biggest power couple in opera have broken up.

Let us wish them well on their separate trajectories.

Comments

  • Gerry Feinsteen says:

    This shouldn’t surprise anyone. For Yusif it was long overdue: She sang.

  • Zvi says:

    “And his artistry is not of her unique calibre.”
    Well well well it’s wonderful to read that you acknowledge her artistry after years of you running a hate campaign against her.
    And now what will happen to the live broadcast from Milan next week featuring both of them?

  • A.L. says:

    With her voice now shot and her star a thing from a newspaper from two weeks ago, there is no such thing as bad publicity for her. She needs all she and her handlers/agents can muster. As for the other half, there are plenty of casinos offering gigs in Russia and its satellites.

    • Tom Phillips says:

      Perhaps he can now fight in the Azerbaijani army and commit war crimes to his heart’s content.

      • Frank says:

        Armenian agitator cleaned your brain well enough, isn’t????

        • Tom Phillips says:

          Of course I am not an Armenian – just a supporter of human and civil rights which naturally puts me in opposition to fascist and racist bigots like yourself and your pal Yusif.

    • Andre Hendrix says:

      Her voice is NOT SHOT! Still performing very well with new roles yet to be performed. Keep your uninformed comments to yourself! And I bet you can’t sing to save your life…

  • zandonai says:

    Oh good. That means Anna is back in circulation, as damaged goods.

    • Enquiring Mind says:

      Don’t get your hopes shes not that damaged.

    • Eda says:

      Your comment is so unwarranted and dated. It reflects on YOU! Nothing to be proud of.

    • Maria says:

      Horrible comment to make about a fellow human being you probably don’t even know or have met. But it all really says more about YOU than her or him or whoever.
      You may not like her singing but not a reason to destroy.

  • Phillip says:

    In other words: Yusif’s carreer is over. RIP

  • Lorenz1060 says:

    Norman, did you just do some cutting-and-pasting from news over the Gheorghiu/Alagna break-up?

  • Marianne says:

    “The biggest power couple in opera”??
    That was certainly Gheorghiu & Alagna, both TOP Artists for decades.
    Netrebko & Eyvazov (as Alagna & Kurzak) are/were a “one star & one very basic appendix” couple.

  • It is to laugh!! says:

    I come here on occasion looking for good news. Today I found some.

  • Daniel Reiss says:

    Her unique calibre?

  • Truth Hurts says:

    Has Putin been informed of this shocking, earth-shattering news?

  • My washing machine has broken down - help says:

    It’s not over until the fat lady sings

  • Mister New York says:

    The Bad girl, Netrebko, will be remembered for many years to come, The Good girl, Fleming, will be forgotten and Gone with the Wind.

  • Wendy says:

    Sometimes I’m wondering if you are Lady Whistledown?

  • Garm M says:

    It’s a lie that she ever supported Ukrainian war. She was very clear about it when was forced to make a statement on the issue

    • norman lebrecht says:

      She supported the 2014 Putin-backed Crimea takeover

      • Yige says:

        No. She didn’t. Do your homework.
        There were 511 artists (including Elena Obraztsova, Valery Gergiev, Yuri Bashmet, Vladimir Spivakov, Hibla Gerzmava) who singed “The Letter, in support of the annexation of Crimea” in 2014.
        Anna Netrebko was NOT among the 511.

  • MFA says:

    Arts and politics should never mix

    • AlbericM says:

      Art and politics have always mixed. Without politics, we would never have had opera, ballet, the string quartet, grand opera, etc.

  • Joseph Civitano says:

    No loss. Happy that Anna has lost 200lbs…

  • Yuri K says:

    “Anna is anxious to recover from being banned by the Met and most western houses over her early support for Vladimir Putin’s Ukrainian wars”

    Anna never supported this war.

  • No good wishes says:

    Wish them well? Why would I, or anyone, do that? These pretentious, narcissistic, preening, grabbing, opportunist, self-promoting, bubble-inhabiting has-beens (well, one has-been and one never-was) deserve 100% of what’s coming to them.

  • Frank says:

    Remarks re Azeri army or Yusif’s future are nonsense, and more likely done by primitive and limited of education and information people.

  • maria says:

    All is a matter of cultural level.
    Ideology plays an important role.

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