Breaking: Bolshoi chief conductor resigns in both Russia and France
NewsThe thoughtful and principled Tugan Sokhiev has communicated his decision to slippedisc.com in English:
I know that many people were waiting for me to express myself and to hear from me my position
on what’s happening at the moment.
It took me a while to process what is happening and how to express those complex feelings that
the current events provoked in me.
First of all I need to say most important thing: I have never supported and I will always be against
any conflicts in any shape and form. For some people even to question my desire of peace and
think that me, as a musician could ever speak for anything other than Peace on our planet is
shocking and offensive.
During various catastrophic geopolitical events our humanity faced during last twenty years of my
career, I always remained with my fellow musicians and we always, together, shown and
expressed the support and compassion for all the victims of those conflicts. This is what we
musicians do, we express things with music, we say emotional things with music, we comfort with
music those who need it. We musicians are the lucky ones to be able to speak this international
language that can sometimes express more than any words known to civilisation.
I am always very proud to be a conductor who comes from such a rich cultural country as
Russia and I am also very proud to be part of rich french musical life since 2003. This is what
music does. It connects people and artists from different continents and cultures, it heals souls
across the boarders and gives hope for peaceful existence on this planet. Music can be dramatic,
lyrical, funny, sad but never offensive! This is what my very fruitful partnership with great Toulouse
orchestra has proved. This is what my fantastic ensemble of Bolshoi Theatre was showing me
every time I conducted performances with them in Russia or on tour in Europe. Both in Toulouse
and in Bolshoi Theatre I regularly invited Ukrainian singers and conductors. We never even
thought about our nationalities. We were enjoying making music together. And it still remains the
case. This is why I started Franco-Russe festival in Toulouse, to show everyone that people of
France and Russia are connected historically, culturally, spiritually and musically and that I am
proud of this connection between our two great countries that I love. This festival is being
opposed today by the politicians and administrators in Toulouse. What a shame. And they want
me to express myself for peace! I believe that this festival can achieve more in building bridges
than political words.
During last few days I witnessed something I thought I would never see in my life. In Europe,
today I am forced to make a choice and choose one of my musical family over the other.
I am being asked to choose one cultural tradition over the over.
I am being asked to choose one artist over the other.
I am being asked to choose one singer over the other.
I will be soon asked to choose between Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Shostakovich and Beethoven,
Brahms, Debussy. It is already happening in Poland, European country, where Russian music is
forbidden.
I cannot bear to witness how my fellow colleagues, artists, actors, singers, dancers, directors are being menaced, treated disrespectfully and being victims of so called “cancel culture”. We as musicians are given extraordinary chance and mission to keep human race kindhearted and respectful to each other by playing and interpreting those great composers. We musicians are there to remind through music of Shostakovich about horrors of war. We musicians are the ambassadors of peace. Instead of using us and our music to unite nations and people we are being divided and ostracised.
Because of everything that I have said above and being forced to face the impossible option of choosing between my beloved russian and beloved french musicians I have decided to resign from my positions as Music Director of Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse with immediate effect. This decision should confirm to everyone concerned that I am a very lucky person, to be able to know Bolshoi Theatre artists and Toulouse orchestra musicians. It is always a privilege to make music with all wonderful artists from those two institutions and I will always stand by them as MUSICIAN!!!!!
Tugan Sokhiev
Toulouse needs to bring Vanessa Benelli Mosell to conduct.
Hello “Conductress.” Changed your name? But didn’t change your crude advertising.
what is the connection to the topic ? not interesting comment !!
Quite. She has conducted after all the prestigious Divertimento Ensemble, and the United Europe Symphony Orchestra (Who they? Ed.)
I, for one, find this brilliantly well written. I feel his pain.
All he was asked to do, was to state: “I condemn Putin and his war.” Which in fact he still has not (speak of “peace” as much as you like).
And all of the above seems like a big distraction to cover exactly that.
Sad.
His family and relatives still live in Russia. It’s very easy to speak out in a free country, it’s much more risky when living in a dictature… don’t forget that. I could understand that he wouldn’t want to put his family at risk, or even just never see them again for a whole decade.
All he was asked to do, was to state: “I condemn Putin and his war.”
Dance for me puppet, DANCE!
There are many other courageous Russian artists who have spoken out strongly and they surely do have relatives in Russia as well.
You’ve nailed in 100%. The conductor has already paying a heavy price; let’s admire him for his conviction and values.
Then that could have been discussed confidentially with the Toulouse management, who could have issued an anodyne statement that they have discussed the matter satisfactorily with Sokhiev and concluded that there are no issues that preclude a further collaboration. Bla bla.
his family lives in England. you are an amateur
His family lives in Russia. Sources:
https://www.lepoint.fr/culture/a-38-ans-le-chef-de-l-orchestre-de-toulouse-tugan-sokhiev-compte-parmi-les-grands-11-03-2016-2024667_3.php
https://www.lefigaro.fr/musique/laurent-bayle-pour-exister-les-musiciens-russes-ont-besoin-de-l-ouest-20220301
So, please don’t write lies… unless you’d think Laurent Bayle (former head of the Paris Philharmonie) is less informed than you are?
It was a beautifully written statement and it seemed to be building towards a condemnation of Putin and his illegal invasion of Ukraine. That climax never came so I appreciated all the other words but left me feeling that it was all just a tad hollow.
Dear Max, I have absolutely no problem at all with unequivocally denouncing you and your kind.
Well put! I would greatly appreciate knowing if the people in France would have prevented any Russian who denounced the war from participating. If you are unable to speak out because of fear of reprisals then that alone speaks volumes. My
understanding is that in addition to those who faced arrest for protesting in the streets over a million Russians have signed a petition denouncing the invasion. Why live in a country if you are unable to peacefully express your opinions?
Sometimes it is impossible to leave the country that you live in.
It is important to take many things into consideration. This is a much more complex situation than what one might think. Stop putting thought and words into other people’s mouth and mind.
To Max, it is not always easy to condemn a regime that does not hesitate to poison those who disagree, even when they are in a foreign country. Easier said than done!
He is absolutely correct, that musicians, of all people should not be condemned because of nationality, etc. On the other hand, close association and apologies for the behaviors of a head of government chasing destructive means to subjugate other countries and peoples through war and oppression is immoral.
I don’t know what this gentleman’s sentiments concerning Putin are, but if they are in agreement with his, then his words ring hollow. If not, then he should be allowed to do what he does best, make music.
Bigotry in times of war only fuels war. It harms the innocent who are caught up because of common nationality with those who commit atrocities in the name of their country. Guilt by association should be avoided. Bigotry is to be condemned.
I don’t know what his previous political associations were, but I am more sympathetic to artists who have indeed abstained from politics for their whole life and now face 15 years in prison if they say the wrong thing. He may not have European citizenship, homes and assets, so he is now trapped. If he kept out of politics before, I say he can stay out now. Unlike Gergiev and Netrebko who have long histories of publicly supporting Putin and his policies, including donating to a violent separatist and posing for Russian PR with that separatist flag.
Time of dogs ready to bark to everything not mainstream. Moralism, judgmental attitude, self good consciousness. What a wise decision to take , King Salomon would have taken the same maybe. This police of minds which demands you to think a certain way and to say certain things is as bad as Russian autoritarism, but much more hypocrite. Sokhiev m’a “déçu en bien” as the French Canadian say….
Nope, it isn’t more hypocrite that Russian totalitarianism, and certainly less bad. Read the latest news on what’s going on in Russia.
Better go to jail for 15 years than acting like a coward. Putin will be replaced in one month so this would not be too long anyway. Pity that he didn t speak out.
Violent separatists? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b8j0tJsKltg 14000 dead since 2014. So many dead and wounded children? Somehow when Kosovars backed by Albania were trying to separate from Serbia they were not ‘ violent separatists’ but needed Nato bombing of Yugoslavia.
All he was asked to do, was to state: “I condemn Putin and his war.”
All he would have achieved, would have been to bar himself from seeing his relatives again for a good decade or so.
Wow!!!! This guy speaks 200% the truth and to the point!! What a shame to live in this black and white world!!!
To HAVE to live in a black and white world, you mean.
What a shame to be dying beneath Russian bombs in Kharkiv or Mariupol! Note how this letter refuses to use the word ‘war’, just ambigious references to vague, unspecified ‘conflicts’.
The man was simply asked to condemn the murderous invasion of Ukraine by Russia, not to ‘choose between cultures’ or ‘musical families’. Of course, speaking out would likely have opened him up to repression in Putin’s Russia, but as a public figure, you sometimes need to resist despots.
If you move to Ukraine Putin will relieve you of the burden of living in this black and white world. There isn’t a more black and white spot in Europe at the moment than Ukraine. It wasn’t black and white before.
This is an excellently worded letter. My compliments to Putin’s propaganda office, or Sokhiev’s lawyer, they deserve their money.
“During last few days I witnessed something I thought I would never see in my life. In Europe, today I am forced to make a choice and choose one of my musical family over the other.”
I am sure he is bewildered. The Ukraine population is bewildered too, and they weren’t offered anything, least of all a choice, unless you call choice your staying alive by chance, while your beloved ones die under your eyes.
Congrats, guest!
Youv’e nailed his caméléon type personality. His being proud of Russia in the beginning of the statement ties such personality to just one nationality.
Very sad.
All he was asked to do, was to state: “I condemn Putin and his war.”
And another one. Let’s see:
“It took me some time to process what was going on and to express the complex feelings that”
It seems he wasn’t done processing. Would explain some things.
Complex feelings? Wow.
“The fact that anyone can question my commitment to peace and think that as a musician I can ever advocate for anything other than peace on our planet is shocking and insulting.”
That’s a non-denial denial. It’s pretty easy to just write: “I condemn Putin’s war on Ukraine.” And yet, you didn’t.
“being forced to face an impossible choice between my favorite Russians and my favorite French musicians”
That’s all in your head. You had to choose between supporting an invasion or condemning it. You choose the (silent, in oh so more words) support.
“sympathy for all the victims of these conflicts.”
Like the poor Russians who cannot use PayPal anymore?
It’s not complex. It’s complicity. On your part.
“That’s a non-denial denial. It’s pretty easy to just write: “I condemn Putin’s war on Ukraine.” And yet, you didn’t.”
It’s pretty easy when you live in a free country, and there’s no risk at all to write that. It’s not as easy when living in a dictatorship that has already jailed thousands of anti-war protestors. And where all free media (including international press) are now self shutting down because of the repressive laws.
“That’s all in your head. You had to choose between supporting an invasion or condemning it. You choose the (silent, in oh so more words) support.”
He’s implicitly condemning it, with the type of wording he can still use without getting himself (and his relatives) into trouble. Read it more carefully… he does write he’s against conflicts (not just for “peace”), he is writing against nationalism.
““sympathy for all the victims of these conflicts.”
Like the poor Russians who cannot use PayPal anymore?”
He was writing about the conflicts that happened during the last 20 years, so I don’t think he was referring to what you’re implying. The past 20 years would also include, for example, the terrorism from Al Quaeda and ISIS (which did hit France…), and the too many wars in too many parts of the world…
@Brettermeier: And what would you have done? Forget your smug, safe keyboard warrior position for a minute before replying.
“And what would you have done? Forget your smug, safe keyboard warrior position for a minute before replying.”
That’s rich. Didn’t you all call Germans complicit in the atrocities of Nazi-Germany? And now it’s “but, but, but…!”
Pathetic.
What I would’ve done:
Speak out and join the protests in Russia.
His options were:
1. With balls: Speak out against Putin
2. With one ball: Quietly leave
3. No balls: Write several pages of empty words and blabla and hope, that nobody notices. It worked with you, after all.
Yeah, right.
If you have such big balls, aren’t you actively campaigning for NATO to directly intervene and send a massive air & ground force?
If that’s not the case, please stop talking about balls.
By the way, he’s actually leaving – he’s also quit his Bolchoi job… and not that quietly.
“If you have such big balls, aren’t you actively campaigning for NATO to directly intervene and send a massive air & ground force?”
That’s not how logic works. Kremlin bot?
“By the way, he’s actually leaving – he’s also quit his Bolchoi job… and not that quietly.”
That qualifies as “no balls”.
As a jew,i am always suspicious of German resistance,Mr.Brettermeier.When my dad came back as an american soldier,he was surprised about the gigantic number of resistance fighters…Not that he had encountered many on Nov.9,1938…though.
“As a jew,i am always suspicious of German resistance”
You’re a funny man. I’m talking about the war NOW. And I’m doing my part while you’re looking for excuses.
I wonder who history will favor.
You´re talking big .On your laptop or PC.No less,no more. Doing your part,exactly.
LOL:….I think you´re overestimating your role in history a bit….Just a tiny bit….Fighting heroically on the PC front in a cozy TV chair in Germany…
He,he….
I agree. Particularly given that one of Toulouse’s twin towns is Kyiv, so those ‘administators’ and ‘politicians’ he criticises have a basic duty to defend a partner city which his home country is today illegally bombing.
In his position, not declaring himself explicitly against this Russian act of aggression is complicit. All the bullshit about music being the international language of peace and French and Russia having shared culture and history is just whataboutery. In situations of absolute moral clarity, you need to take a side and to call out the aggressor, not stand on the fence.
As others have said, his family are in Russia and subject to possible reprisal and enforced separation from them if he says the wrong thing.
It was a shallow comment. And a very poor “trying to be neutral” statement.
It is very easy for you to write “I condemn Putin’s war on Ukraine” while you are in the free country and neither you nor your family would suffer the consequences. I wonder if you’d be so brave if writing it would get you 15 years in prison. Sure, there are brave Russians that are protesting today and are being arrested, but can you condemn people for not being willing to do it? Especially, if you aren’t the one doing it.
“but can you condemn people for not being willing to do it?”
I have never seen you telling that to Helene when she ranted about the complicity of Germans. Today’s Germans.
“Especially, if you aren’t the one doing it.”
Don’t project what YOU do on what I do. People tried and failed. Just saying.
Political cat. Decided not to take any hits on any fields. To lay low for a while.
Interesting, but the fact he is so worked up about “cancellation culture” and not at all about the wasting of human lives in Ukraine ought to tell us something. He is misrepresenting the magnitude of the first and pretends the last doesn’t exist. I will read what I can find online about the cancellation of the Toulouse festival. Never consume news from just one source, particularly a source coming from a country practicing censorship right now.
Yes, I avoid mainstream American media too.
This morning I saw a woman and her two children lying dead in the street from Russian fire. That is cancel culture not the thwarted ambitions of Russian musicians
Such a beautiful letter! I feel so sorry for this war
All he was asked to do, was to state: “I condemn Putin and his war.”
Wah! I quit.
Aaaaaand he’s going to be music director of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic in 3… 2…
Too long for nothing to tell. He is nowhere. Shame
Very sad indeed: it is, basically, “say what publicly we want to hear or you can’t do what you do and you will never conduct for us again. Keeping your personal opinions private is not an option”.
We are living very worrying times, and not only because what Putin is doing.
We live indeed in very worrying times, but I worry more about Putin than about any governments or organizations who deprive conductors of a few gigs. Last time I looked, Putin was depriving thousands of people of their life, taken violently, and those thousands include children. But I guess you have your priorities. Each its own.
He could have stated everything in ten words: “I condemn Russia’s WAR CRIMES and immoral invasion of Ukraine.”
“Complex Feelings?” A conscience DOES NOT REQUIRE any form of complexity when we examine the evidence of reality: That innocent Ukrainian women and children are being intentionally murdered by a wicked, corrupt, authoritarian regime.
Murdering fellow human beings INTENTIONALLY does not foster complex feelings. On the contrary, it causes an automatic, BASIC, and natural reflex that fills one with disgust. This is not a nuanced intellectual exercise. It’s a matter of objectively affirming that MURDER IS WRONG! In sum, he’s a weasel of highly questionable character; an utter disgrace.
As chief conductor of Bolshoi, Sokhiev was part of the Russian cultural propaganda machine. So for him, just staying neutral was indeed not an option. You can either be Furtwängler or Toscanini, but not both. He decided for the moment to be none of them.
What I find sad is that we didn’t do this when the US invaded Irak, Afganistan, Yemen, Lybia…
A totally wrong comparison. These were/are rogue states led by criminal regimes, threatening their own civilians. The Ukraine is not a rogue state but an ex-soviet nation developing towards a normal, western state – THAT is what the Russian regime fears most, the encroaching of normal, modern ideas about statehood. And the russian regime has chosen to turn Russia into a rogue state as well, creating a fake reality for its population.
Nailed it!
Let’s do it: next time the country “leader of the free world” decides to invade another country let’s make all US-American artists condemn their government and its armed forces actions publicly, and fire them and refuse to hire them in the future if they don’t.
I have no problem saying that Putin is a criminal and the invasion of Ukraine is an atrocity, but I will never manifest that in public if being forced to do so under the threat of being fired.
Sounds like he was put in a very difficult position by the city council. We’ve gone from one authoritarian round of groupthink with Covid to one on Eastern European conflicts, about which few people know very much at all. Difficult situation for all concerned.
bravo tugan brave man, wish you to return soon.
At least one part of the letter is not true! He writes “It is already happening in Poland, where Russian music is forbidden.” Russian music is not forbidden in Poland. Various soloists, chamber groups and orchestras in Poland are performing works by Russian composers this week, next week, and scheduled into the future. Stop spreading false information and check your facts, Mr Sokhiev.
He could have stated everything in ten words: “I condemn Russia’s WAR CRIMES and immoral invasion of Ukraine.”
“Complex Feelings?” A conscience DOES NOT REQUIRE any form of complexity when we examine the evidence of reality: That innocent Ukrainian women and children are being intentionally murdered by a wicked, corrupt, authoritarian regime.
Murdering fellow human beings INTENTIONALLY does not foster complex feelings. On the contrary, it causes an automatic, BASIC, and natural reflex that fills one with disgust. This is not a nuanced intellectual exercise. It’s a matter of objectively affirming that MURDER IS WRONG! In sum, he’s a weasel of highly questionable character; an utter disgrace.
Great , there are so many top orchestral institutions in need of a Chief Conductor that he will have plenty of choice soon.
Unless those top orchestras are in Russia, no. And last time I looked, Russia had just two top orchestral institutions, 2-5 if you stretch it. Plenty of second and third rate in Siberia, I guess. This is one reason why Russian artists have infiltrated the West, not much opportunity at home. The other reason is that they were sponsored by the regime. The third reason is that a few of them have real talent.
Few of them have real talent????The last time you looked,Russia had just two top orchestral institutions???When was this,1854????LOL….Your absolutely ridiculous lack of knowledge about music,combined with primitive xenophobia(with more than little whiff of antisemitism,occasionally) is a real hoot.Sounds …,well,very krautish,absolutely parochial,anyway…Ohh boy…..
One who truly has character.
He could just say he is a Putin supporter instead of faffing round in double speak.
It is very simple: if Sokhiev has no ties to Mr Putin or P’s direct environment, he should never been asked, let alone forced, to make declarations for or against Russia or Mr Putin’s war.
A lot of Russian users of VK are probably the most voracious consumers of Western classical culture and the biggest pirates in this field. The BSO Peter Grimes stream has just ended and it can already be found on VK. And it can be watched for free (there are a few reactions already : red hearts showing glowing satisfaction) together with loads of Putin imperialist trash dealing with Russia s role in remaking the international geopolitical game or with Russia s courting of China. Add to this Eugene Ionesco s complete works and Pasolini s entire filmography, dubbed in Russian ( unfortunately) and so on and so forth. How such cultured people , so attached to the highest European art ,can also approve on the barbaric deeds of its political lieders in an European country is a mystery to me. Is art really able to unite us devoid of political awareness?
The point is: do these people understand the meaning of art? if not, that is not the responsibility of the art. The nazis loved Beethoven in the evening while murdering people during daytime and felt no clash between the two. People can be crazy.
Many of the pirated uploads are nothing but hacker pride. It the same on Chinese sites. A hacker uploads everything from opera to the last p0rn as long as it is pirated, to demonstrate his skill. Some people watch the classical stuff. Others watch the other stuff. But, citing John Borstlap above, how many people understand what they are watching? (This applies to Western and Chinese online audiences as well.) Reactions in form of hearts – gimme a break, it’s just the typical illiterate reaction of people who communicate through emojis because they can’t write two sentences together, or are too lazy to do so. It isn’t proof of anything, least of all of cultured people. They shower selfies and pictures of cats with hearts too.
https://sinfoniaiuventus.pl/rachmaninow-3/
,,…It is already in Poland…” Warsaw 19.03.2022.
Has anyone noticed that this guy has resigned from two top musical jobs in Europe?
It’s not only words. He has put his very promising career at stake
(I have never read any bad words about his musicianship. Saw him once or twice with his Toulouse orchestra, and they were brilliant).
As to demands that Sokhiev must say the right things about Putin, what a shame. Not very liberal behaviour, to say the least. Quite authoritarian, frankly.
We should always fear the bullying, or worse, of those who believe they have the Good (or God) on their side.
He could have said: ‘Of course I condemn war atrocities, how could you doubt it? I have no ties to the Russian government, and I will continue my job.’
There are plenty of people in Russia who are standing up against this war, and paying the price for it. They don’t have the ability to leave their country like this guy has, and yet he couldn’t even muster up the courage to not whine about “cancel culture.” Useless and cowardly.
His family relatives still living in Russia are among those who can’t easily leave their country. And I could understand he wouldn’t want to be cut from them for the next decade or more (which may pretty much mean forever when that includes an older parent).
*leader
Even at the height of the cold war, music was a language expressed universally, even by the great Russian artists (yes, it was for PR and foreign currency purposes but still existed). This time, performers are being denied such opportunities.
And Ukrainian civilian, including perfectly innocent children, are being denied their right to live.
Gimme a break with this high melodrama about poor Russian artists being denied opportunities in the West. You make it sound like they’re entitled for the West to put their (Russians artists’) interests above everything. Their entitlement and the pretensions jump the scale. They had had their opportunities in time of peace, and many of those opportunities were bought with Russian money, more the shame for the West. Now there is a war going on. If it is any consolation to you, plenty of Western artists who worked in Russia had to return home too, being denied their job in Russia, yet they don’t whine on social media. As I said, the entitlement and pretensions of certain Russian artists and certain supporters jump the scale. There is a word for it, and the word is _insolence_
Where is the global world to actively protest against Putin ????????
Well, just look around a bit.
Yeah, look around and stop sticking your finger on the question mark, it doesn’t help. I hope you are not treating your patients with the same hysterical approach you use on SD. If you are not a doctor in medicine, I hope you practice more restraint in your professional papers.
Just finished watching the destruction of Kyiv wrought by Russian missiles. How can anyone write a letter about cancel culture regarding a culture causing such devastation and not once directly and clearly denounce the culture causing it?
It’s not the culture causing it, it is the criminal regime of a rogue state.
I disagree. For the past 20 years putin has created a nationalist/militarist/kleptocratic culture that justifies repression at home and expansionism abroad for the “greater good” of Russia. As in other such fascist states he uses the arts and to a lesser extent science to further the validity of his vision. As such the culture he has created is directly responsible for the devastation in Ukraine and anyone who refuses to denounce the war crimes occurring on a daily basis should be called out. Mr. Sokhiev’s righteous indignation at being called to account for his silence is imo disingenuous and the latest example of a conductor trying to play both sides against the middle.
“In such a world of conflict, a world of victims and executioners, it is the job of thinking people, not to be on the side of the executioners …” –Albert Camus. Mr. Sohkiev needs to decide .
F**king idiot. They wanted you to condemn that devil Putin. It has nothing to do with choosing cultures. Good riddance.
Typical Russian, squirms like a worm in an essentially moral-blind fashion. Just compare to Thomas Sanderling’s statement.
It is not just Mr. P., I am afraid. . .
Chapeau bas! Maestro Sokhiev!
He’s one of the closest friend of Putin, best thing to do now is run away in a corner and wait so he can’t ruin his career . What a shame to have so many people interested only in themselves, so timid and with no pride…if you want to spread peace you have to condemn assassins, no matter if the name is Putin, Hitler or Obama.
You forgot Putin´s little puppet,Cadet Bone Spurs.Putin´s useful idiot.
Obama? Really?
What a shame, he Missed his chance to condemn Putin. He was asked to do So but decided to Act like Geegiev and stay silent.
No musician today can hide behind music, being a man of the world facing an abyss. And these many I – I – me-me, my-my -says a lot about the persona of the conductor, who is still trying to balance on two chairs.
Perhaps I will be excused for a short non-musical story of Communist times. I was at a resort for young people, there were some East German kids. A drunk Russian was explaining to them what a wonderful thing the German Democratic Republic was. They listened stone-faced, knowing that anything they might say would be reported. At some moment the Russian got so drunk that he broke some glasses and they asked him to pay for them. He responded that he loved them very much and would gladly sacrifice his life for them. And they didn’t want his miserable life, just pay for the damage.
As the child of WWII refugees of mixed Bulgarian/Russian/Ukrainian background, born in Belgium and partly raised and mostly educated in the United States, I have always been proud of all my cultural heritages and was driven to work for all of us humans and peace through the United Nations and international non-profits. Every encounter with others has enriched me. I applaud a maestro who gives thanks for us fellow humans with music.
. . . and who spreads fake news about Poland banning Russian music.
I am so sorry that you are feeling thos discrimination . It is not the Russian people who are to blame but Put in himself. Now Russian people everywhere will have a very difficult time . Many Russian soldiers don’t want to fight as many have relatives in the Ukraine. As a conductor of music you would only want peace . It is totally wrong that you felt you must resign .It is
shocking.
However Putin planned this a long time ago…. not only is he slaughtering innocent men women and children of the Ukraine , but ordinary Russian people will have a terrible time.
The Russian people must get rid of Putin somehow as he will not
stop and he could not care about his own people.Its diabolical.You of course probably have no political views on this …dead children mean nothing to Putin.
He’s using the same ploy as Netrebko: he paints himself as the victim being forced to make a statement, forced to choose between two cultures. That simply isn’t true. Nobody is forcing him to make a choice between Russian and non-Russian music, nor between the musicians in Toulouse and those in Moscow.
He’s a high-profile public figure in both cities: It’s not enough for somebody in his position to waffle on about wanting peace (see how he also puts himself in the position of a victim here: he finds it “shocking and offensive” that people could question his “desire of peace”).
For an example of how a conductor with jobs in Europe and Russia can show some backbone in this situation, look at Vasily Petrenko.
He was actually asked to choose between Toulouse/West and Bolchoi. Because there’s little chance he’d have been kept by Putin at the Bolchoi if he had strongly condemned the war, whilst he’d have been ousted from his western engagements if he had remained the Bolchoi’s musical director (as the Bolchoi is a major symbol of Russia). I see no scenario where he could happily keep both and travelled back and forth.
In his comment, he’s obviously also complaining about the way Toulouse’s mayor handled the situation : the mayor took advantage of the war to make a communication and publicly forced his hand instead of trusting him (I do doubt Sokhiev would have been able to keep quiet forever). It was cheap political move that showed distrust and contempt, and I think it’s one of the main reasons he’s leaving Toulouse (he’d have left in 3 months anyway, but would then have been nominated honorary/emeritus conductor there). The saddest ones are probably the musicians…
Yes, some other artists have expressed stronger thoughts. Their stance on returning to Russia to visit their relatives may differ, though (when they still have close relatives there… seems true for Vassily Petrenko, not that sure for others). Not everyone would be ready to cut ties for a very long duration and I wouldn’t reproach it to those who’d want to avoid that. We can admire Petrenko’s courage without shaming all others – was everyone in the Résistance?
Harpist of the CSO fell over on stage Friday night.
Lynn Turner.She´s 81 now…..Playing with the CSO for 60 years now.hope she is okay!
I understand he may be in a difficult spot, if he has family in Russia that could suffer reprisals. But he presents a bit of false choice: He’s not being asked to choose one family over another, he’s being asked to choose what to say about a leader of his country who wages a devastating war on a neighbor – and his brother state, really. He can conduct all the Russian music he wants. He could have just resigned without comment from the Bolshoy; that would say it all. Resigning from Toulouse implies a bit of both-sides-ism.
He was treated like sh… by Toulouse’s mayor – who wanted to publicly *force* him to make a statement and was basically giving him the same treatment as Gergiev (who went to occupied Georgia and Syria) and Netrebko (who sang in occupied Ukraine, and made a photo shoot next to a separatist flag), despite Sokhiev never having publicly supported Putin’s policies in the past. So I can understand why he resigned this position as well – and I’m sure it did hurt him a lot to do so, because he loved both his orchestras.
It took him “awhile” to figure out that war is bad? And he has “complex feelings” about it? Lots of double-speak – and Norman, why no mention of the fact that his manager has dropped him?
Because she hasn’t. We heard from her directly.
Bravo MaistroIf all the people of arts would do the same peace would prevail!
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I seem to remember the story of of Egmont has something relevant here – being a person who who refused to take the extremes of either side and ended up paying the penalty