One writer in New York thinks Gergiev is blameless
NewsKelly Jane Torrance, op-ed editor of the New York Post, has written a paean of praise to Gergiev and Netrebko, along with an appeal to reverse the bans on Putin’s artists.
Here’s the nub of a very weak argument:
…canceling some Russian musicians can easily lead to canceling them all. “Someone tell my why @WQXR has been playing #Russian music this afternoon?” tweeted a University of Maryland prof this week about New York’s classical station. Would she object to hearing Rachmaninoff, who escaped to America after the Communist revolution?
It was during intermission at the Carnegie Hall Rachmaninoff concert that I realized some blame all Russians for Putin’s provocations. Popping into the Russian Tea Room for a drink — Carnegie’s bars are still closed post-COVID — I chatted with a manager and learned the legendary restaurant has been getting threatening calls.
Even innocent animals are being punished for Putin: The International Cat Federation has banned Russian felines from its competitions. Yet Beijing’s killer regime was allowed to profit off an international Olympic Games, and its reps travel freely through the West.
Even at the height of the Cold War, Russia and America shared the common language of music. Texas-bred Van Cliburn did much for art and peace when he won the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958 — a shock to the Russians. Gergiev now chairs that competition. Art is always essential to human life, but cultural exchange becomes even more crucial at times of political tension.
Careful, the witch-hunters will come for her next.
Sometimes “witch hunting” finds quite a few witches.
No, they’ll come for Israeli musicians next.
The New York Post should dismiss her immediately.
Why? Do you not understand that freedom of the press, the freedom to express you own opinions, the basic freedom of thought is essential to civilization? You may not agree with her, but so what? This cancel culture is something that fascist, communist, oppressive regimes depend on. Don’t give in!
God, yes. As Russia closes down Facebook and Twitter, bans the BBC, closes dissenting outlets inside Russia, the last thing we need is for the same to happen here.
During the Iraq invasion, journalists and citizens self-censored themselves into an uncritical mass of yes-men to a political action that had absolutely no justification. Any dissenting voice was quickly shouted down, or worse. That was a bad time.
The US is hanging on to democratic ideals by a thread, and while I disagree entirely with this writer’s story, I appreciate that it is there, and can be discussed and opposed. I applaud the guts of the NY Post.
Yes, too many yes people – but then many are scared, and and do they should be. Not everyone is born to lay down their lives for their friends.
Well put, Ms. Lind and J Barcelo, and I agree with you both completely.
Have to agree with this, though that woman is incredibly silly.
Right you are, J Barcelo, “communist, oppressive regimes.” Hold on that thought. Treat yourself to a coffee, then think some more about communist, oppressive regimes, and perhaps you will experience a lightbulb moment. When Putin marches in, you can kiss goodbye freedom of the press, freedom to express your opinion, and all the other freedoms you have copypasted from some textbook. Oh, and freedom of the internet too. That wasn’t on your list, but if read the news you will understand.
It’s quite something that you equate “cancel culture” with the destruction of an entire country and the possible prelude to a nuclear war.
Gergiev and Netrebko are Putin hardliners. They have now business performing anywhere until they express their stance against Putin and his war crimes. MJT can move to Moscow anytime she likes and wash Putin’s floors for him.
I left Russia about 9 years ago, after after giving up protesting (and trust me, I’ve been through a lot there). I hate Russian regime and Putin more than anything else, and I believe that it is not just Putin and oligarchs, but most Russian people are responsible for what is happening. But I still disagree with you and here is why.
After I left, step by step Putin killed or imprisoned most of his opponents, independent media was destroyed, absolute North Korea-style censorship was imposed. Censorship in Russia began with ban on publishing instruction of committing suicide and posting excuses for pedophiles – something everyone agreed with. Eventually, one item at a time, the list of prohibited topics started including instructions on building explosives, terrorist materials, then extremist materials (which eventually included all opposition materials), election “misinformation”, religious insults, “gay propaganda”, hate speech, covid misinformation, “foreign agents publications”, “fake news on military operation in Ukraine” and eventually ban of Twitter, Facebook, BBC, etc.
The scariest thing I’ve seen though was not the specific censorships laws themselves, but the shift of mentality in Russian population. After imposing censorship for minor things, the whole idea of censorship or cancelling people for political reasons became generally acceptable. This allowed imposing even more harsh laws, which no one now opposed (that could be impossible when Putin just got into power). And this cycle continued for 22 years, until the culmination with a nation of zombies, trusting Putin and propaganda more than their own eyes, willing to kill innocent people of Ukraine, if Putin says it is what has to be done.
The root cause of current catastrophe in Ukraine is not Putin, but censorship, which gave Putin all the necessary tools to fool the whole nation. Even though he started this war just recently, the first steps were taken 22 years ago, when he started imposing first censorship laws. If not Putin, it would be done eventually by someone else – it always happens with absolute power.
Western countries are already making the same steps that Russia did 20 years ago. Hate speech is banned, medical misinformation is banned, election misinformation is effectively banned, if you watch terrorist materials online, you can be imprisoned for 10 years (and some politicians call to declare as terrorists groups like BLM, Capitol rioters or Insulate Britain). There are calls to ban climate change misinformation and flat earth conspiracies. Russian musicians, media, scientists, sportsmen and felines are banned already. People with inconvenient opinions are cancelled.
Here I see the same that I saw in Russia 20 years ago. Governments are imposing censorship laws that can be easily twisted or applied selectively. Citizens are giving up their own national values of freedom and plurality, giving governments even more powers to moderate opinions, cheering when someone is fired or cancelled. This is a matter of time until some new wannabe-Hitler comes to power and abuse all of these censorship laws to commit horrible crimes that Putin is committing right now. And moral responsibility for those crimes would be not only on that future Hitler, but on people today, who silence opinions they don’t like.
For me personally it is especially sad to read your comment not because I don’t like it, but because it confirms that the same mentality shift I’ve seen in Russia 20 years ago is happening in the West as well. And that the time-bomb for yet another global catastrophe in 20-30 years with tens of thousands of innocent victims is already ticking.
A very instructive comment.
But that does not mean that misinformation, hate speech, etc. is not something that should be banned. Food is overseen by authorities that it does not include poisonous components, to protect populations. To sell poisonous food is not a matter of freedom but of threat. So it is with fake news, hate speech etc. Spreading misinformation which works against the protective measures for the pandemic is a threat, not something within the realm of free speech. Hate speech as part of wokist cancel culture is not freedom of speech. Etc. etc….
There are always ways other than censorship. I agree that misinformation can be dangerous, but censorship is not the only way. Instead, the officials could be more transparent about their decision making process, about research that is being done, they could engage in debates with their opponents, educate the general public. And quite a while ago it was thought to be the best approach.
All true. Alas this seems to be quite hard for many people in government positions.
How then, do you explain the thousands of Russians who have risked arrest gathering in large numbers throughout Russia to protest the war? They still had, at the beginning of the war, access to social media, the internet, satellite broadcasts, etc. to know what was happening. I suspect that as Putin has removed some of these services, many will still have access to news from the West by way of telephones and communication with relatives and friends in adjacent countries.’Truth has a way of penetrating censorship. The willfully ignorant will not be affected, as they are the ones who watched State T.V.
Of course there are some people who can see through the censorship and propaganda. But it is a tiny minority. Population of Moscow is 12 million, but there are only thousands who protest. In 2012 about 200000 protested Putin in Moscow in an even more violent and dangerous protests (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJx_0AFWYQQ&t=802s). The protests that you see right now are nothing compared to what it used to be – the censorship is doing its job.
(Side note: Google removed almost all of the videos of 2012 protests in Russia per Russian authorities demand – it was very hard to find at least anything, previously Google also made Navalny’s videos inaccessible in Russia – big western tech played a huge role in Putin’s unlimited power).
Not everyone is aware of ways to get through the propaganda. Especially because no one switched off the media in an instant – it was a long and gradual process. I still remember the times when all TV channels in Russia could freely criticise the government. Most people didn’t even noticed that something has changed. Each next step of information blockade looked reasonable until people stopped getting objective information at all.
How do you think how many people in the UK would stop watching BBC if they start communicating propaganda? (Which they already did to some extent). How many people in the UK know how to use VPN? How many have secure messengers installed? I bet not many. Absolutely any country can end up in the same situation as Russia.
you call protest decisions in the west, mainly asked by and taken’by private people – opression of people s opinion.
It s not Biden or Macron or Johnsom to dictate these decisions , but different administration people, becaise they feel the wish of the people of not hearing/ seeing a pro Putin artist.
Tbe decisions are not taken by these western administrative representants in order to preserve their power, but rather as an expression of people s shock at what is happening in Ukraine and at Putin s menaces .
There is a difference. A big difference.
Think abou it.
Her arguments should not be dismissed out of hand. There is a sober discussion to be had.
What argument? “Art is lovely and gives us all a warm fuzzy feeling of togetherness, Therefore all artists get a free pass (even the ones supporting bastard war criminals)”-that argument? Complete and utter toss, and you know it-or should do.
I am shocked to read that art should not be lovely and giving a warm fuzzy feeling. What else can art do? Without the fuzzy feeling of togetherness I could not follow-through the daily workload here.
Sally
Sorry about this… She thinks that Boulez = classical music.
Thanks God we have Borstlap,the pall bearer of musical Biedermeier.
A sober discussion about cats?
This is correct – there are sober points to be made although this is perhaps neither the time nor the place to engage in great detail but, as my close friend Lorna points out, Gergiev is a good man.
I was involved with him at Philips Classics (1989-95) on video productions after the company had signed with the (then) Kirov company. He has throughout his artistic life placed the Mariinsky company, and its 1000+ staff, at the forefront of everything he has done – and it has been a gigantic and magnificent achievement. Since the Philips days we have met with him on several occasions especially when Lorna & I were warmly received with a group of friends (2015) at an unforgettable 5-opera visit to the glorious city of St. Petersburg. Some 30 years later still he has not forgotten me (unlike numerous other artists of note !).
Today he must find himself in a very difficult position since any comments he might make about the man who provided the ‘patronage’ that underwrote his fantastic achievements (artistic and managerial) would certainly endanger, if not destroy, the jobs and careers of all those people. Those who hasten to condemn should think before pouring forth some of the critical and unreasonable piffle such as we have read here today.
It might be said that if Gergiev is guilty of anything it was opportunism – the unavoidable opportunity that he seized to secure the governmental means to build this wonderful new theatre (whilst maintaining the old imperial theatre alongside) and one that is world class and which, today, is entirely worthy of this magnificent city in every respect – musically, vocally, in dance and in orchestral terms too.
Nothing I write should in any way offer support to the tragically powerful world leader who appears to the world to be on the brink of insanity nor can I dare to suggest what Gergiev might do to get himself out of this boxed-in predicament but for his sake and that of all those good Russians we wish both him and the Mariinsky company well. Sad, of course, that for the next decade (maybe longer) there will be no tourists in St. Petersburg.
This comment shows-up the author in the most embarrassing way. No opera house and artistic career can compensate for a bloody, criminal war that threatens to upset an entire continent.
Some people ‘in the business’ simply loose contact with reality, living and working in a bubble and when it pops, they can’t notice because of a long trajectory of conditioning.
Shootin’ Putin and his cronies are the problem, and I’m afraid Gergiev is one of the latter. He could do something about it but he won’t. The ball is in his court.
Whatever happens, Valery Gergiev is finished outside Russia and its satraps. We can only conclude that this is the way he wants things to be.
He HAS no balls. THAT is the question…
And then end up in prison? Is that what you want?
Well I am getting rather tired of the anti-Russian hysteria being aimed at vodka, cats and artistes. Shouldn’t all those people be directing their hatred at Putin and his gang of goons?
If you hadn’t noticed, Putin is not the most accessible person on the planet, even for those in Moscow. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that his cronies are taking the flak.
What better way to get at Putin is the people that support him.
“Shouldn’t all those people be directing their hatred at Putin and his gang of goons?” Agree. And shouldn’t the press grow up and stop wring their hands about cats, the Western gigs of Russian artists, and wonder about the music the population listens to in their leisure time? Too much ink wasted on a mediocre conductor and a vulgar soprano.
Gergiev is one of his goons in case you had not noticed.
The problem is that Gergiev is and has long been and ardent and active supporter of Putin, and thus qualifies as one of the ‘gang of goons’.
Indeed, THIS is the point in all of this.
They shoot what they can reach, and which is harmless for themselves to shoot.
There’s real shooting going on in the Ukraine, also harmless for those who do the shooting, but deadly for those shot.
You are tasteless to call the sending back home of a few Russian artists “shooting.” Have you ever considered there are Westerners working in the arts in Russia too, who had to leave Russia? I know of at least six cases, but hey, let’s wring our hands only about the Russians. By now I am pretty sure all this hand-wringing is engineered by Putin trolls.
Yes!
What discussion needs to be had with this nonsense? Gergiev is not a figurehead for “all Russians” – he represents Russia’s elite! He has been in Putin’s pocket for years both politically and economically speaking. Hardly surprising the phone has gone cold.
C, F#, B-flat, E, A, D.
The NY Post is like the Beano. Its subscribers only look at the pictures. Nobody cares what it says. Ever. And I am a New Yorker
The story goes that many years ago an ad rep for the Post tried to get Macy’s to run ads in the paper. He pointed out to a Macy’s exec that the Post had a far larger subscription that the Times. “Yes,” the exec responded. “But your readers are our shoplifters.”
So you say, but I saw you buying it at the news stand along with the Daily News. Most New Yorkers read more than just the Times.
What a moron; “canceling some Russian musicians can easily result in canceling them all”, no only those who support a government thug who is in the process of carrying out war crimes all to satisfy his ego. Does anyone think that if Rostropovich were still alive and performing that he wouldn’t have spoken out and been welcomed anywhere in the free world to perform? In this case it is simple condone murder or refuse to denounce it and you are persona non grata.
This is already happening. The Dublin International Piano Competition has sacked all pianists with Russian citizenship because they are from Russia.
The fact that she uses the phrase “post-Covid” and complains about safety measures tells you a lot right there.
Murdoch and the Republicans are looking for a way to let Putin and his cronies off the hook. Anything for a good wedge issue to use against Biden and the Democrats.
The confusion is about direct ties to the Russian government i.e. Putin.
Russians without such ties, or Russian cats, or Russian music have nothing to do with the war. It is stupid to throw everything Russian on one heap of condemnation. This war is the war of the paranoia of one single man.
Yeah, let’s worry about cats being cancelled. I’m sure they need counseling now. In the mean time, Putin is transforming Ukraine in a pile of rubble, and is killing thousands of people (not banning cats), after which he will move to the next country, while we are wringing our hands whether canceling _some_ Russian musicians _may_ lead to canceling them all, and predict the Apocalypse of the Western culture because a few rich Russian individuals may miss a couple of Western gigs, while plenty of gigs await them in Russia. Dear me what priorities we have. There was hardly any cultural exchange between the West and Soviet Russia between 1924 and 1954, yet both survived very well. What will it take for the woke to wake up? Putin ante portas? It doesn’t work like this in the 21st century. In the 21st century, Putin presses the red button, and you can worry about cats and Russian artists in afterlife.
There is no afterlife. Unfortunately.
If there’s no after life I will resign from my job. It is my only consolation.
Sally
This is the New York Post of all papers – not surprising.
Yet another pro-Trump Putin-loving right winger much like her fellow Murdoch employees at Fox News.
She’s doing reduction ad absurdum brining Tchaikovsky into it; even a half-wit knows that Gergiev is getting cancelled not for being Russian but for being an amplifier of Putin. As for those half-wits who threaten the Russian Tea Room, well, nobody ever said there weren’t stupid people in America – in addition to this writer, of course.
Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Big Bang” was “cancelled” recently in the UK, thus it is not absurd bringing Tchaikovsky in the discussion.
1812. Not Tchaikovsky generally.
This is not the time to publicly perform a piece that portrays Russian artillery actions in highly positive and triumphalist way as it was done by PT in one of his worst compositions.
It has been established in musicological circles that Tchaikovsky was always pro-putin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO31n8sy0r0&t=41s
One thing missing in the discussion is that “elite” artists like Gergiev and Netrebko represent to Russia (and Putin…) a prestige export. Cutting off exports – culture included – is another way to minimize Putin’s influence. It isn’t petroleum, but it attacks something integral to Putin’s ego.
Gergiev and Netrebko, sadly, made their bed with Putin long ago and no amount of backtracking will erase their culpability.
The Ukrainians are fighting for their very lives and the world is with them. The professional fates of Gergiev and Netrebko make no difference in comparison.
Kelly Jane Torrance. New York Post. Two worthless rags. No more to be said. Sad to see so many on the right as Putin apologists.
That’s the New York Post, owner Rupert Murdoch. Follow the money.
Where in this article does she say Gergiev is blameless?
I’m also curious what do cats and music have to do with somebody’s ill-minded imagination?
PS F.Y.I. Millions of Russian and Ukrainian families have their relatives on both sides of the border. It’s clear that a big Slavic state will be restored in a visible future. Putin will be changed by a new Slavic leader. America and UK will be in a deep a$$- e.t.c. Apparently, somebody in Washington DC and London doesn’t want it. Time will tell. Peace and love to the world ….
by the way – Russian tzar Nicholas the second was granny Liz relative too .
It’s a dog’s dinner of an article. Of course, banning ‘Russian’ animals, vodka, Russian music on the radio, etc., is idiotic, no different from people in England kicking dachsmunds on the street during WW1. What has been targeted also are artists who are supporters of Putin and that Torrance barely addresses in her article. I don’t find this difficult. In my record collection, there is no Elly Ney, no Karl Bohm, no performance by any of those musicians who vocally expressed their support of the Nazi regime. I’m refraining from mentioning other names, for one in particular will just result in another pointless debate, if one can call it that, about something established long ago. See the works of Michael Kater. But here we are concerned with Putin, and there is no and will be no Gergiev, no Netrebko, no Lisitsa. Done.
It’s not a well informed or well written op-ed. Alex Ross makes more balanced arguments about western institutions going too far with ultimatums on Russian musicians.
The only place where I read about Gergiev being blameless was the headline in this blog.
Side note: Russian blue cats are beautiful. End of story.
Neva Masquearade cats (named after the city of St.Petersbourg) are also incredible,and all other Siberians 😉
And Siberian dog breeds: Husky, Samoyed… Thankfully, they are all easy to find in the west.
I used to shake my head at the treatment of Karl Muck a hundred years ago–never thought I’d see the attitude return, cheered by cultured and intelligent people.
SHAME ON KELLY !
She got her wish. You wrote about it. Mission Accomplished.
Nobody wants to see Russia’s sons die for Putin, but Gergiev and Netrebko think Putin’s claims on Ukraine are legitimate as they have stated publicly. So these young men will die by the thousands, what Russian can justify that?
The New York Post, for which this lady writes, has long been pro-Trump/Putin.
What else does one expect from that Trump/Murdoch crap sheet?
There is a reason she’s at New York Post. Mediocrity reigns supreme there. Who else would hire her. Maybe Breitbart.
This is every bit as silly as renaming French fries “Freedom fries.” Russian merchants and cats did not cause the war in Ukraine. These are the knee-jerk reactions of idiots.
The difference is that Soviet artists tours to the west and Japan were very carefully controlled by the authorities. If you were against the regime in any way you were not allowed out of the country. If you escaped when you were out, you were not allowed back for any reason! To suggest there is any comparison between the two eras is a bit like chalk and cheese.
Today international travel makes such control far more difficult. Most Russian artists have been able to travel easily. So hitting Putin’s cronies who can travel seems eminently sensible. If they denounce Putin’s actions as some have done, they have no problem. But Gergiev and other oligarchs are known to be Putin bank managers knowing how and where to hide the dictator’s ill-gotten wealth. In this forum
we have learned that he is selling $150 million of properties in Italy. Given all Gergiev’s other properties, how does he come by such vast wealth? The Three Tenors mega-fees died nearly 2 decades ago. It has to be Putin’s cash!
The “rabid printing device”, also known as the State Duma, may pass any law that Putin wishes to have passed.
“we have learned that he is selling $150 million of properties in Italy. Given all Gergiev’s other properties, how does he come by such vast wealth? The Three Tenors mega-fees died nearly 2 decades ago. It has to be Putin’s cash!”
Nope. This one is actually something he has inherited from a filthy rich Nippo-Italian – and it wasn’t even ALL that she left behind, but only a quarter, if I remember correctly.
There was a similar hatred in the US against Furtwängler when he turned down NY Phil in the late 30’s.
Музиката е за всички.
Please translate.
Music is for everyone.
Does this mean there will be a ban on toothpicks?
It is not a weak argument, this is the strong truth and fairness. Everything else is hypocrisy and cultural dictatorship.
It is practically not an argument at all – just a bunch of nonsense. For real “hypocrisy and cultural dictatorship”, see current Russian media and enjoy it.
Wouldn’t it be easier for you to write in Chinese or Russian? I believe it would.
The New York Post … Donald Trump’s favorite newspaper?
Why is this no surprise (to me, at least)?
What is the purpose of ART? To express human emotions, commemorate history, expose injustices, overcome obstacles, and gain an understanding of the world around us. If artist, conductors, singers just celebrating themselves, collecting more money from the FREE WORLD and not able to stand up against atrocity, they do not deserve to be the ‘channel’ of the ART. Artist like Rostropovich, risked his life (hiding Solzhenitsyn), giving up his courier in USSR, yet denounced the restriction of freedom. These so called Only One Nabretco wouldn’t even have to risk anything, her money or life, yet she and Gergiev are standing with barbarian Putin government. Russian music, tea, food..e.t.c are not Putin’s allies!!
Gergiev only cares about music and the funding of the Marinsky, couldnt care less about Putin.
Funny how a journalist not only seems misinformed, but she does not understand what it is all about. Its not about “russian artists” , its about the accomplices of the murderer Putin, and people who openly support him. The sad thing is not so much her ignorance, but that she publishes those naive ideas of hers and some readers could even believe her…