Julia Davis

A wave of protests accompanied Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko and conductor Valery Gergiev throughout the string of their North American performances. Both of them earned the ire of Western audiences for openly endorsing Vladimir Putin’s forcible annexation of Crimea and covert invasion of Ukraine. Gergiev signed the controversial “letter of support” for Putin’s aggression, while Netrebko fraternized with terrorist leader Oleg Tsarov, who was sanctioned by both the U.S. and the EU. Tsarov was sanctioned by the United States as a person who poses a threat to national security. Executive order signed by President Barack Obama with respect to the sanctions stated that “the actions and policies of persons including persons who have asserted governmental authority in the Crimean region without the authorization of the Government of Ukraine that undermine democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine; threaten its peace, security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial i...

The recent performance of “Iolanta” at the Met was outshined by the high-spirited protests, accompanying Russian Conductor Valery Gergiev’s and opera singer Anna Netrebko’s performances in the West. Mariinsky theater musicians callously asked protesting Ukrainian artists: “When will you all die already [expletive]?” and exclaimed “Alaska will also be ours!” (play on words for the Russia’s distasteful annexation slogan, “Crimea is ours!”) Undeterred, protesters put on quite a show, inside and outside of the Met. Dressed in colorful costumes, they reenacted Anna Netrebko’s ill-fated donation to the sanctioned separatist leader, Oleg Tsarov. While the protesters’ musical act and a political message was a resounding success, critics lambasted Gergiev’s barely-rehearsed productions. They were also far from impressed with Netrebko’s waning vocal chops. A review of “Iolanta” bemoaned her poor performance: “Maybe it’s sentimentality that’s kept this role in Netrebko’s repertoire, because a...

Controversy continues to surround Russian conductor Valery Gergiev and opera singer Anna Netrebko. Both of them are close friends of Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin. Indeed, Gergiev and Putin are said to be Godfathers to each other’s children. Until the outbreak of hostilities in Gergiev’s home region of Ossetia, the conductor kept his political views to himself. He complained that the West attempts to politicize Russian composers for what he described as "propaganda wars" perpetuated by "boring people who don't hear the music." Contradicting his own stance, Gergiev chose to politicize his position when the Russian Federation invaded Georgia. The maestro openly supported Russia’s aggression, even though it meant betraying his native land. From that point forward, Gergiev used his celebrity status to promote his political views. His views could be summed up quite simply: no matter how draconian, the conductor blindly supports all of Putin’s policies. C...