Posted on 03/24/2005 8:21:35 AM PST by kiriath_jearim
Bolshoi's 'porn opera' upsets the Russians
By Nick Allen in Moscow (Filed: 24/03/2005)
The Bolshoi Theatre was surrounded by protesters and paramilitary police last night as it raised the curtain on a production that some Russians have branded a "porno-opera".
Placard-waving activists called for a ban on Rosenthal's Children, a contemporary look at Moscow's underworld of prostitution, alcoholism and violence.
The work is the first new opera to be commissioned by the state-funded theatre in 30 years. It tells a curious tale of Soviet-made clones of classical composers including Tchaikovsky and Verdi, turned out on the city's streets in 1991 to fend for themselves.
The musical geniuses busk at the city's filthiest railway stations to survive before being given poisoned vodka by a vengeful pimp. All die with the exception of young "Mozart", who winds up in intensive care.
"This is simply diabolical. I can't get my head round the idea of a chorus of prostitutes on the stage of the Bolshoi," Irina Saveleva of the Duma's culture committee said after attending a dress rehearsal Tuesday.
She appeared to be particularly upset by a chorus of actresses playing prostitutes singing: "They want our flesh at the stations."
Undeterred by the verbal harassment of recent days, the management of the 229-year-old theatre fiercely defended the opera as "an original new composition in the genre" that "complements the country's finest musical traditions".
The Bolshoi appealed for all sides to act responsibly.
Although peppered with vulgarities that critics say have no place in the country's most famous opera venue, the furore stems as much from the choice of the author of the work's libretto, Vladimir Sorokin.
The writer's explicit works were publicly "flushed" in a large mock-up lavatory near the Bolshoi in 2002 in a protest over their content of sex and violence.
The controversy also reflected the deep prudishness of much of Russian society, even in Moscow, and its traditional taste in the arts.
The group who protested against Mr Sorokin three years ago, a youth movement loyal to the Kremlin called Walking Together, recently joined forces with the Duma to attack the opera and picket the theatre.
Some MPs plan to ask President Vladimir Putin to have the production relocated. Other MPs said it would die a natural death if left to run its course.
The head of the Federal Cultural Agency, Mikhail Shvydkoi, warned the Duma that it had no right of censorship in today's Russia's and that only the courts could close the opera or force its relocation.
/sarcasm?
Good grief!
A "dancin' around the subject" ping.
Cultured porn!
These "protesters" are in fact from Kremlin organized youth movement "Ours" ("Nashi" in Russian) that many refer to now as "Putin Youth" or Putin Yugend (like Hitler Youth). Duma and Kremlin organized protesters do not like "Porn" opera and at the same time they are happy to allow Putin to Rape the country and abuse its Constitution to usurp the power for real. If you want the case of super HYPOCRICY--that's it.
Ping
"It is as it was" - it must be easier to clean an opera than to clean Moscow. Hence the reaction.
Have I got this? Overt porn is ok, but tradition and class are "prudish". They really are buying into our wonderful western values.
This woman is beyond stupid. here's a list:
Brecht's "Three Penny Opera."
Many of Mozart's works
La Traviata
etc etc etc
Low characters, prostitutes, criminals, etc., have appeared in Opera for hundreds of years. She's just noticing it now?
"Have I got this? Overt porn is ok, but tradition and class are "prudish". They really are buying into our wonderful western values."
Sorry to intercede, but I detest porn too. However, those who protest it have simply no Moral right to do so in light of what Putin Regime does to the country. The protesters in fact are Kremlin organized Youth Gangs called "Ours" so I doubt that it has anything to do with real morality.
If this is the Russians' idea of "porn", then I beleive freedom just may be failing over there...
That couldn't happen in the good old USA. Or could it?
Thank you for the response. Are you saying that Putin's "gang" protests the content of the opera for political reasons?
I have a reason to suspect that any action of "Putin Youth" has nothing to do with real Morality. This is a total Hypocricy to protest some opera (which is not clear whether it's really porn according to classical definition), while there are plenty of real abuse going on in Russia. For instance, recently in a small town of Blagoveshensk, Special Police units were rampaging through the city, arresting anyone at will, beating dozens of youth and raping young girls, to avenge the scuffle with a few local youth. Is this police or some gang that call itself police ? Similar like this happened in another city--Tver (North West of Moscow). Why they would not protest about this ? Why the would not protest about really cruel beatings of elderly Pensioners who peacefully protested Putin Benefit Reforms (St Petersburg, Perm) ? It happened all over the country. So I'm simply saying that this protest is completely shamelessly Hypocritical rather then political.
Sergey,
Are you confusing "Nashi" with "Idushie Vmeste"? They're pro-Kremlin groups, but hardly organized by the Kremlin - if so, Sorokin would have been out of business two years ago - he's a favorite target of their's, and, frankly, he's a weird guy. Writes complete crap. His books/works would have issues in the States as well.
As far as "prudish" Russians - WHAT? You can't visit a nightclub here without see a strip show. Showing as much skin as possible is the fad, etc. They're far from prudish - the real issue most Russians I have spoken to about this play is not the play itself, but the venue. It'd be akin to having the "Vagina Chronicles" at the Kennedy Center in DC (well, we really don't have anything comparable to the Bolshoj - an absolutely beautiful theater).
Sereyesha,
Tver needs some order! The place is a crime-ridden gangland and Chechen refugees are running amok. ;)
I think you mean "The Vagina Monologues." I've always wondered how anyone could keep a straight face while billing, "opening night," for a performance of the Vagina Monologues....
You're right!
I don't talk about it much...In fact, I've kept my lips sealed until now....
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