Bolshoi's "Porn Opera" Upsets Russians

Telegraph (UK) ^ | 3/24/05 | Nick Allen

[maestro]

Bolshoi's "Porn Opera" Upsets Russians ....but, perfect for British crowds....

/sarcasm?

[Military family member]

Have the people running this opera company every read an opera? Prostitutes, courtizens, hareems and brothels have been the settings for opera for years.

Good grief!

[Junior]

A "dancin' around the subject" ping.

[cjshapi]

Cultured porn!

[sergey1973]

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.

[anonymoussierra]

Ping

[GSlob]

"It is as it was" - it must be easier to clean an opera than to clean Moscow. Hence the reaction.

[steenkeenbadges]

"The controversy also reflected the deep prudishness of much of Russian society, even in Moscow, and its traditional taste in the arts."

Have I got this? Overt porn is ok, but tradition and class are "prudish". They really are buying into our wonderful western values.

[Military family member]

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.

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?

[sergey1973]

"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.

[kevkrom]

If this is the Russians' idea of "porn", then I beleive freedom just may be failing over there...

[oyez]

commissioned by the state-funded theatre

That couldn't happen in the good old USA. Or could it?

[steenkeenbadges]

"The protesters in fact are Kremlin organized Youth Gangs..."

Thank you for the response. Are you saying that Putin's "gang" protests the content of the opera for political reasons?

[sergey1973]

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.

[koba37]

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).

[koba37]

Sereyesha,
Tver needs some order! The place is a crime-ridden gangland and Chechen refugees are running amok. ;)

[Joe 6-pack]

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....

[koba37]

You're right!

[Joe 6-pack]

I was going to see a performance of VM once, but I heard it stunk. I went to check out the theater and things smelled kind of fishy so I got out of there before it got too hairy.

I don't talk about it much...In fact, I've kept my lips sealed until now....