Unease as Netrebko appears with machine-gun
OperaAustrian media are circulating a picture of the Russian soprano in a wedding dress, holding an assault weapon, taken from her instagram account.
The picture has been traced to Berlin Staatsoper rehearsals for an upcoming Nabucco, opening October 2.
It has now been taken down from her insta account, but sharing it in the first place was unwise, to say the least, for a sometime Putin supporter who is seeking professional rehabilitation.
She needs a brain …
Don’t we all…
Obviously the scenery of that production will be one of a kind again (= some powerful women nonsense without any trace of decorum) – operas really should go “konzertant” (much cheaper btw) or relay on minimalistic scenery plus costumes that match the respective era and behaviour that matches the characters and texts as written – own ideas and accents in moderation and not leading to logical contradictions!
I cherish my DVDs with opera performances from the days of naturalistic productions. That way I have also saved a lot of money.
Hear hear
“or relay on minimalistic scenery plus costumes that match the respective era and behaviour that matches the characters and texts as written”
Several 19th century operas had settings and texts which were dictated in part at least by censors and theatre managements and were not the choice of the composer. For example Verdi wanted La Traviata to be staged in costumes “of the present day”. See Julian Budden the operas of Verdi vol 2) It was not his idea that it should be set in c. 1700 and he reluctantly agreed in order to get the opera staged. So should La Traviata be staged as Verdi had intended in costumes contemporary with the audience or in fancy dress as demanded by the opera house where it was first staged?
Your prescription is not as straightforward as you might think.
The idea that the staging of operas should not lead to “logical contradictions” is also rather absurd. So many operas abound in logical flaws.
What makes opera great is its ability to present multiple view points at the same time. These view points may seem to you to be contradictory but thats how human beings are – we are not machines. that doesn’t seem to me to be too difficult to cope with.
There is no bottom to the woman’s crassness, amorality, insincerity and vulgarity. And now that the voice is shot she needs all the self-promotion she can muster.
I hope she will sing on the 12th. I have a ticket for that.
Pedro, Anna will be singing on October 12. All of her performances are sold out.
Thank you, Rita. I was praying for a non-cancellation from her side.
What kind of Nabucco is this? Have they set it in the Middle East of today? Crazy.
Apparently Regie’s.
It looks great. Maybe it’s not always that bad with post-modernistic opera productions.
So, glorification of violence is in her DNA?
22 million of us Russians were killed by a certain moustached German over our DNA. Slavs were one of the races he sought to exterminate. And now you accuse us of having inherent violence in our DNA. Is this really a path of discussion you want to go down?
Stalin and Lenin murdered more of their Russian citizens than Hitler. But ok, focus on the foreign murder instead of the homeland murderers. What about all the Russian young men Putin is slaughtering in his insane and unnecessary war in Ukraine.
I’m focusing on the OP’s assertion that Russians are somehow more violent because of our DNA. This assertion was made by the Nazis, used as a pretext to commit genocide against Russians, and now repeated on this website unchallenged. My grandfather was killed during Stalin’s purge, believe me I am no fan of his either.
Her sense of timing and empathy are absolutely palpable. Not.
I seem to recall Edita Gruberova being splashed all over Munich in multiple season’s with Norma and the Gau’s famous sub-machine guns. Wonder why they couldn’t beat the Romans.
She has always appeared to be very stupid to me
She speaks well of you, though.
And I’m grateful to her for holding me in high esteem indeed
Image from an updated production of “Lucia di Lammermoor” ?
Not “Mad Lucy.” BAD Lucy!
What’s really stupid is that nobody has shown her how to hold a machine gun correctly. I would have though that she especially would know, you never hold the magazine of an automatic in that way..As for the production, let’s see, could be exciting!
Absolutely no trigger discipline.
Even on a plastic replica you need to adhere to the three rules of firearm safety.
I’d blame the silly Director, not her. Another opera ruined by some feckless wokester.
What else can one expect from a self proclaimed supporter of Putin probably the rest of the warlords over there as well.
If she is looking for rehabilitation I suggest she has a lot to do.
Ernest , why is that she needs a brain? For sharing a photo of her character from the production ?
For allowing herself to participate in such a production. She still has clout.
A.L , Anthony is that you again ? . Why are you so obsessed with her ? And what’s so immoral , vulgar , wrong about posting a photo of your character from a production ?
Look again. Look at the world. Look at her recent publicity.
Philip , where did you see that she is glorifying violence ? What’s wrong with posting a photo of your character from a production ?
Jerry , what’s so stupid a bout posting a photo of your character from a production ? Or do you just in general find anything to pick about on her ?
With no voice left, what else can she do?
Might as well kill her some Verdi.
Berlin decided to update Nabucco from 587 BC to a modern setting. Traditional operas have Abigaille enter carrying a sword, including versions on The Met in HD in 2024, 2017 and 2001. Anna Netrebko is not wearing a wedding gown. Other photos show several women wearing white dresses and carrying machines guns and pistols. Contact Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin if you don’t like the new production. All four performances are sold out.
1400 seats in a major capital. Not a stretch to sell out.
Mr. Lebrecht, you failed to identify who it is that feels “unease”? Is it possible that you are the person who feels “uneasy” and are projecting your emotions on to other people?
Did you ever consider that this picture was custom-crafted for viewing by a SINGLE individual?
Did you ever consider that you are the intended recipient of this of a not-so-hidden subtle message?
Do you ever get the feeling that a government agency to your east has taken a strong interest in you and looked back into your dealings going back decades?
Hmm…..
If only she could use it on the woke management at The Met….
Or is this Wagenknecht?
Toxic femininity.
Nabucco staged in a war setting?
Groundbreaking….
Oh for Christ’s sake, it’s obviously just part of the production she’s rehearsing. She probably was asked to take it down because it reveals the set before the premiere. The only person fuelling hatred and conflict in this case is Mr. Lebrecht.
Holding it like that she could be about to shoot herself in the foot!
She’s already done that, several times.
caption is the name of a bass aria from Les Huguenots (about bullets flying)
I think Slipped Disc needs to moderate comments. At present they mostly range from childish to boorish without much in between. They certainly don’t add to the sum of human knowledge about opera.
I thought it’s a picture from “Girl of the Golden West” or “Annie Get Your Gun” the new opera by Sandy.
“Annie Get Your Kalashnikov”?
The translation of the Cyrillic is “Piff Paff” the words the French use to sound out gun fire.
Well, that’s one way of handling your critics.
Obviously part of the production, but not a good look for social media, especially hers. But then, she’s never been the most tasteful of divas.
Reminds of Jane Fonda’s Barbarella but dressed as a Mennonite.
Truly, there is no one else of her caliber.
What a disgusting Russian POS.