Posted on 02/25/2022 10:05:48 AM PST by MarvinStinson
In an extraordinary last-minute move Manhattan’s Carnegie Hall has cut the acclaimed Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, a close supporter of Vladimir Putin, from its programming this weekend “due to recent world events,” a spokesperson at the prestigious institution said.
The decision — which Carnegie and the Vienna Philharmonic had earlier delivered in a joint statement — comes in the wake of the Russian president’s invasion of Ukrainen.
Protesters were expected at the superstar maestro’s three highly anticipated appearances leading the Vienna Philharmonic in New York to begin Friday.
Gergiev has not yet spoken publicly regarding Moscow’s offensive, but he has proven fiercely loyal to the Russian president in the past, and has triggered protests at previous New York performances for allying with him on matters including the annexation of Crimea and a law aimed at stifling LGBT rights activists in Russia.
Russian pianist Denis Matsuev — another Putin supporter who was scheduled to solo with the Vienna Philharmonic on Friday — was also dropped from the performance.
Yannick Nezet-Seguin will fill Gergiev’s spot, according to the statement, conducting the weekend of shows ahead of his direction of Verdi’s “Don Carlos” on Monday at the Metropolitan Opera, of which he is musical director.
The soloist for Friday’s program has yet to be announced.
“Carnegie Hall and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra are immensely grateful to Yannick Nezet-Seguin for stepping in for these performances at very short notice,” read the statement.
The globe-trotting Gergiev has also faced pressure in Milan, where he is currently leading Tchaikovsky’s “The Queen of Spades” at the Teatro alla Scala, to speak out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
If he doesn’t, “the collaboration will be over,” Italian media quoted Milan’s mayor as saying. .
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Cool.
We axed a Russian?
Is there video of it? Just asking for a friend.
If Trump were President and Putin were invading Ukraine, would he still be conducting at Carnegie Hall? (Perhaps he would only be allowed to use one arm, due to the severe semiconductor shortage.)
Baltimore Symphony Fires Flutist Who Shared Covid Conspiracy Theories
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/05/arts/music/baltimore-symphony-covid-pandemic.html
BSO fires principal flutist Emily Skala, who was previously rebuked over social media posts
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Flutist FIRED For Posting ‘Misinformation’ On Facebook
Toronto Symphony Orchestra drops Ukrainian pianist Valentina Lisitsa over offensive comments
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s decision to cancel performances by a Ukrainian-born pianist over what it calls her “deeply offensive language” is part of a troubling phenomenon that could lead artists to self-censor, civil rights advocates said Tuesday.
Valentina Lisitsa, an ethnic Russian born in Ukraine who now lives in the United States, said in a Facebook post that she has been accused of “inciting hatred” on Twitter because of her comments on the conflict in Ukraine.
I think there is a problem with the message that this sends to artists that they may have trouble getting jobs or keeping jobs if they express views that are unpopular or controversial
- Cara Zwibel, Canadian Civil Liberties Association, on the TSO’s decision
While it’s not uncommon for workers to be penalized for expressing opinions on social media that reflect poorly on their employer, it’s difficult to make that case for Lisitsa, said Cara Zwibel, director of the fundamental freedoms program for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
“It’s hard to see the connection between what she said and what the duties of her job are and how it would affect it,” Zwibel said.
“If the idea is just that the orchestra wants to avoid controversy, I don’t find that a particularly compelling reason. The fact that maybe there would be some people protesting is, again, not a reason to let her go,” she said.
“I think there is a problem with the message that this sends to artists that they may have trouble getting jobs or keeping jobs if they express views that are unpopular or controversial.”
Speaking out against ‘atrocities’
In her post, Lisitsa said she has been speaking out against the “atrocities” of the civil war, particularly those committed against the Russian minority in Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions.
Valentina Lisitsa received support on social media on Monday night following the decision by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
She said she has been “watching helplessly” as her country slides “ever faster into the abyss” and had taken to Twitter “to get the other side of the story heard.”
In a statement released to various media outlets, TSO president and CEO Jeff Melanson said Lisitsa has been replaced due to “ongoing accusations of deeply offensive language by Ukrainian media outlets.”
bmp
If Trump were President...
We would be energy dependent... and Putin wouldn’t be flush with cash to go out and start wars in Ukraine.
How did Valery Gergiev get to Carnegie Hall? 🤣
Was he axed before he was axed?
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