Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Anna Netrebko has not performed in operas in countries opposing Russia. The soprano lost her contracts in Milan, Zurich, Berlin and New York. At the Metropolitan Opera she was replaced by a Ukrainian singer.
Netrebko tried to save the contracts by distancing herself from Putin and her previous statements. She finally managed to convince the authorities of the Opera Unter den Linden in Berlin.
Protests in Berlin before the performance of Russian Anna Netrebko
Friday’s performance would be Anna Netrebko’s first since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. However, it is not known whether it will happen at all. Several Berlin organizations and people associated with culture and art have sent an open letter to the Unter den Linden opera, in which they oppose the performance of the soprano, who has openly supported Putin and his actions against Ukraine for years. A protest in front of the opera building has also been announced for Friday if Netrebko’s performance is not canceled, we read in “”.
She is an artist who has repeatedly and always directly supported the dictatorial and inhumane regime in Russia in the past. She never distanced herself from her past views or apologized for them, it was written in the open letter.
She was photographed with Vladimir Putin many times in previous years and supported his candidacy in the presidential elections in 2012 and 2018. She denied having an affair with the Russian dictator, but at the same time she said that “she wouldn’t mind, he’s so strong, he exudes masculinity.” It supported a pro-Russian group seeking to separate the Donetsk region from Ukraine.
When Russia attacked Ukraine, Netrebko, who had been living in Austria and New York for years, saved disappearing contracts by distancing herself from the war. After subsequent statements condemning Russia’s actions, the Duma declared her a “traitor to the nation.”
The end of the ban on Anna Netrebko?
This caused the invisible blockade imposed on Netrebko to disappear. In 2022, she filed a lawsuit against the Met for unfairly canceling her performances (she won). She also managed to reach an agreement with the Berlin Opera.
From the beginning of the war, the opera Unter den Linden was in discussions with Anna Netrebko. At the beginning of March 2022, we decided together that he would not participate in the new version of “Turandot”, scheduled for June 2022, and all future commitments were also suspended. Without a clear definition of the artist’s identity, any cooperation with Unter den Linden could not be maintained. On March 30, 2022, Anna Netrebko publicly and clearly identified herself on one of the sides, as much as she was able, and distanced herself from the Russian authorities – it was written in a statement by the opera authorities in early September 2023.
We must distinguish between what happened before and what happened after the outbreak of the war. From that moment on, Anna Netrebko did not make any appearances in Russia and her managers assured us that she did not intend to do so in the future. It has clearly defined its attitude and distanced itself both through statements and actions since the outbreak of the war. This must be noticed. Additionally, Anna Netrebko knows that our scene is exclusively pro-Ukrainian. For these reasons, in our opinion, it should be given a chance and the isolation from the audience should be ended – summarized the position of the opera Unter den Linden.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
