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Ukraine invasion & the arts: Gergiev fired by his agent, etc.


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14 hours ago, pherank said:

Macaulay (naturally) posted about this on IG:

"The Russian soprano Anna Netrebko at last clarifies her position: she condemns the war in Ukraine. Brava! From one of the most prestigious of all Russian performing artists - I saw her in a dozen different roles at the New York Metropolitan Opera in 2017-2019 - this must have taken courage. It’s likely to prove a Rubicon moment.
If she is currently in Western Europe - she is a tax resident of Austria - one must ask whether she will be allowed in due course to return to Russia, something she has often done throughout this century. Congratulations to Graham Spicer (Gramilano) on publishing this."

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbvvBiBoaxM/

Is he serious?

Edited by nanushka
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2 hours ago, nanushka said:

Is he serious?

Netrebko is burning bridges--that takes bravery whatever you think of her past or her statement. The fact that it appears to be a response to the pressures she is under if she wants to continue her career and that it appears to be a little less than perfectly candid about her entanglements with Putin doesn't change the fact that under these circumstances any statement takes bravery. Wasn't Gergiev her big champion at the beginning--well, will she ever be able to sing under his baton again? Shouldn't we imagine her career at the Mariinsky was profoundly important to her? Well, maybe that's over now. For good. No-one will compare this kind of bravery to the kind of physical bravery involved in saving babies from bombed buildings--or even the bravery of ordinary Russians deciding to leave Russia without her level of fame or dual citizenship--but I still find it reasonable to call her words brave. (Moreover as Macaulay pointed out, she did, as soon as the war started, express her distress and opposition to war--that was followed up by other posts I gather from reports that did try to thread the needle, but it's not as if she said nothing at the beginning of the war.)

Ratmansky himself seemed a little less than perfectly candid on Instagram responding to some challenges on his record of working with state institutions in Russia under Putin's regime. Though he did admit that there were things he didn't understand [edited to add: more exactly he wrote things he wished he had understood better at the time]. I don't blame him--building the arts under a dictatorship doesn't promote perfect candor, perhaps even to oneself. The current war in Ukraine crosses a different kind of line for many (most) observers than even the annexation of Crimea did and that's fair enough...but I fear it's a mistake to go in search of some "pure" position in which no-one is implicated in anything problematic ever.

(Heck, the CIA was heavily involved in promoting NYCB tours back in the day...around the same time they were involved in overthrowing and undermining democratically elected governments that weren't to the United States's liking and with appalling results. It's not a reason NOT to condemn Russia and its horrific war now, but it is yet another reason I am inclined to pause before demanding absolute purity of position from Russian artists today.)

Edited by Drew
grammar
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8 minutes ago, Drew said:

Netrebko is burning bridges--that takes bravery whatever you think of her past or her statement. The fact that it appears to be a response to the pressures she is under if she wants to continue her career and and that it appears to be a little less than perfectly candid about her entanglements with Putin doesn't change the fact that under these circumstances any statement takes bravery. Wasn't Gergiev her big champion at the beginning--well, will she ever be able to sing under his baton again? Shouldn't we imagine her career at the Mariinsky was profoundly important to her? Well, maybe that's over now. For good. No-one will compare this kind of bravery to the kind of physical bravery involved in saving babies from bombed buildings--or even the bravery of ordinary Russians deciding to leave Russia without her level of fame or dual citizenship--but I still find it reasonable to call her words brave. (Moreover as Macaulay pointed out, she did, as soon as the war started, express her distress and opposition to war--that was followed up by other posts I gather from reports that did try to thread the needle, but it's not as if she said nothing at the beginning of the war.)

Ratmansky himself seemed a little less than perfectly candid on Instagram responding to some challenges on his record of working with state institutions in Russia under Putin's regime. Though he did admit that there things he "didn't understand." I don't blame him--building the arts under a dictatorship doesn't promote perfect candor, perhaps even with oneself. The current war in Ukraine crosses a different kind of line for many (most) observers than even the annexation of Crimea did and that's fair enough...but I fear it's a mistake to go in search of some "pure" position which no-one is implicated in anything problematic ever.

(Heck, the CIA was heavily involved in promoting NYCB tours back in the day...around the same time they were involved in overthrowing and undermining democratically elected governments that weren't to the United States's liking and with appalling results. It's not a reason NOT to condemn Russia and its horrific war now, but it is yet another reason I am inclined to pause before demanding absolute purity of position from Russian artists today.)

I'm with you 100%.  Demaning purity of position from Russian artists  is not reasonable.  Netrebko's position is not analogous to Gergiev's, who is an active supporter of Putin as well as a personal friend.

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1 hour ago, Marta said:

Demaning purity of position from Russian artists  is not reasonable.

It is not being demanded of the vast majority of Russian artists. Other Russians are singing at the Met right now without issuing statements, as far as I know. Netrebko was different because she aligned herself with Putin during an election campaign. It may have been a purely superficial connection. Perhaps he thought her endorsement would add glamour to his campaign, though it's not as though the election results were ever in doubt. More likely, she thought it would score her points in the corridors of power. Then Putin turned the world upside down, and her employers wanted to know: did her endorsement still stand? She may have been willing to retract it, but she was a bit reluctant to repudiate Gergiev, perhaps because she had been his protégée. The fact is, though, that he is an integral part of the regime, and he became an albatross around her neck.

Edited by volcanohunter
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Not every river with some burned bridges is a Rubicon. As is often the case, I think Macaulay is being excitable and putting his rhetorical style over clear-headed substance.

I certainly didn't mean to suggest that I "demand purity of position from Russian artists." I just don't think "bravas!" are in order, in this case.

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To be sure, Netrebko can't go back to Russia. But she doesn't live there. Perhaps she spent more time there during the 2020-21 season, when theaters in other countries were closed. But for the past 20 years she has been working primarily in the West.

I'm sure her name is being dragged through the mud on the RUnet right now, and no doubt it's worse than when she acquired Austrian citizenship some 15 years ago. But if things get very hard on her family in Russia, she will be able to get them out. Exit visas haven't been reinstated just yet.

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Another Macaulay find:

The Prix de Lausanne, the eminent international ballet competition founded in 1973, is severing connections at present with the Vaganova Institute, the renowned ballet school of St Petersburg in Russia, because of the latter’s continuing affiliation to the government of Putin’s Russia. I copy below (a) the courteous letter of the Prix de Lausanne’s Kathryn Bradney (1), albeit in an English I have been unable to resist correcting (I reproduce the original)(3) (b) the considerably more confrontational reply by Nikolai Tsiskaridze (2) of the Vaganova Institute. (I thank Natela Verizhenko-Goodwin for sending me these. The translation of Tsiskaridze’s letter is hers: she adds “You will see some peculiar phrasing, I tried to stay as close to the original as possible. He writes in a very Soviet way.”)

I am afraid that, although I post this on the morning of April 1, none of this is an April Fool’s gesture.

Friday 1 April (no April Fool gesture, this)

A. Dear Nikolai,

I hope this email finds you well in such troubled and difficult times.

It pains me to announce to announce that the Prix de Lausanne has decided to suspend its ties h he, for the time being, to institutions which maintain official relationships with the Russian government and which have not condemned the current conflict in Ukraine. This concerns directly the Vaganova Ballet Academy. By taking this stance, the Prix de Lausanne aligns itself to the conduct of other Swiss cultural institutions, which follow the guidance of our authorities. We will issue a statement to that effect shortly.

Our decision is uncompromising towards this grave matter. I remain available should you wish to discuss this further.

This is a sad situation. Our hearts go out to all the victims of the conflict. We might still be in a position to welcome young dancers of any nationality to our pre-selections, workshops, and competition, providing they are not political. Artists too are victims of this conflict. We dearly hope that peace will prevail.

From a personal viewpoint, I regret that our artistic ties will be severed. You have always been a loyal partner, and I shall choose to remember the good memories of our encounters and fruitful collaboration, hoping we and they may resume one day.

Sincerely yours,

Kathryn Bradney, the President and Board members

Kathryn Bradney
Artistic and Executive Director


B. Nikolai Tsiskaridze:

Dear Madam Bradney!

In response to a notice I received from Prix De Lausanne, I inform you that the Vaganova Academy of Russian ballet is an organization that conducts educational and training activities in accordance with principle 10 of the Declaration of Children’s Rights, protecting them «from practices that may encourage racial, religious or any other form of discrimination ».

Throughout its 285-uear year history, the Academy has never been involved in campaigning. Even during 900 days of siege of Leningrad after the Nazi invasion, when the city was blocked, under bombardment and the citizens were dying of hunger, the Academy was exclusively engaged in its duties.

The Vaganova Academy of Russian ballet has always been, is and will be a stronghold of classical ballet, professionalism and true art. During the three centuries of the existence of ballet as a stage genre, many composers and choreographers who were not subjects of the Russian State or Slavs by origin, created their brilliant works in Russia, for the Russian culture and by the orders of Russian government (the name kept changing depending on a social system). During that time military conflicts and revolutionary upheavals took place, and Russia was forced to take part in them as one of the largest states in the world.
I believe that Prix De Lausanne has no rights to demand any political and even more so - anti Russian actions from the Academy. I would like to remind you that the competition uses variations from classical ballets in its program, which are attributed to the works of Marius Petipa, the outstanding Russian choreographer of French origin, but which in fact were created by the Russian choreographers of the 20-21 centuries - Gorsky, Chabukiani, Balanchine (Balanchivadze), Sergeev, Vainonen, Lopukhov, Gusev, Ermolayev, Grigorovich, Nureyev, Vaganova, Burlaka and others. Yes, and Petipa himself consciously accepted Russian citizenship and wrote in his memoirs that he had only one homeland - Russia.

I will say more, Anna Pavlova, Vatslav Nijinsky, Tamara Karsavina, George Balanchine, Vakhtang Chabukiani, Rudolph Nureyev, Mikhaïl Baryshnikov, Natalia Makarova and many other great dancers who make up the concept of « ballet » today - all are the graduates of not just a Russian/Soviet school but the very School to which you addressed such an outrageous message.

In addition, please note that Article 31 of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (to my knowledge this Convention has been ratified in Switzerland) states that participating nations shall respect and promote the rights of the child to full participation in cultural and artistic activities, shall provide and promote the ground for appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural and creative activities, leisure and recreation (paragraph 2, article 31 of the mentioned Convention). The right to take part in cultural activities in the context of the Convention is considered in conjunction with the respect and enforcement of this right without any discrimination, regardless of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, state of health and birth of the child (?), his parents or legal guardians, or any other circumstances (Article 1). At the same time the participating nations shall take all necessary legislative, administrative and other measures to implement of the rights recognized by the Convention. With regard to economic, social and cultural rights, the participating nations shall take such measures to the maximum extent of their available resources within the framework of international cooperation when necessary.

Taking notes of your message, I am dismayed because I am convinced that creating the artificial conditions and restrictions in the field of choreographic education (?) is an erroneous measure that violates international law, destroys cultural achievements of many decades and creates an unprecedented politicization of the art of ballet.

I am all the more dismayed that your competition represents Switzerland, a country that has been neutral for over 500 years, a country that adhere to the principles of maintaining relations “between countries, not between governments”, which has always allowed dialogue regardless of politics and ideology.

Acting rector of Vaganova Ballet Academy
…….signature…….

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbzNXOqAWXE/

Edited by pherank
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And now for Fethon Miozzi's opinion on the Vaganova Academy/Prix de Lausanne kerfuffle:

"Dearest friends,
Let me give my opinion on the decision by the Lausanne international competition to exclude the Vaganova Academy from the competition.
In my opinion, what is happening in general is truly disgraceful. Seeing art and culture torn apart by the political situation at the expense of talented young people, whatever their nationality, is disgusting. Such an action only demonstrates the stupidity and cowardice of those who make these decisions.
The Lausanne competition has long been considered one of the most important and has seen, over the years, the birth of excellent talents, many of whom have subsequently established themselves in the world of ballet . In recent years, however, both the level of the competition and the decisions of the jury have created a great embarrassment. Especially recently, the organization and the jury have deliberately boycotted the competitors from Russia too often by shamelessly and shamelessly rewarding their "proteges" even though not always everyone was certainly up to it.
Of these cases, in recent years, there have been too many alas. In other words, clear preference has been given and still is almost always given to competitors from the sponsoring schools affiliated with the competition or to competitors protected by some member of the jury.
Now with the excuse of the war in Ukraine finally the organization of the competition can officially exclude Russian competitors so that this kind of "family reunion" becomes less tense and with a feel-good background and understanding towards the oppressed.
Clearly the prestige of the Vaganova Academy will certainly not be affected by this decision, on the contrary ... It is as if a pebble wanted to crush a mountain but which one hopes to achieve in this way as well as suppress the talent of young people?"

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb1MnHdIJ_8/

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I wouldn't expect a faculty member to react any differently. 

Favoritism at arts competitions is pervasive. The same charge is made against music competitions all the time. Although frankly the most egregious example is the Benois, where jury members also nominate the candidates, often their own subordinates. 

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1 hour ago, volcanohunter said:

I wouldn't expect a faculty member to react any differently. 

Favoritism at arts competitions is pervasive. The same charge is made against music competitions all the time. Although frankly the most egregious example is the Benois, where jury members also nominate the candidates, often their own subordinates. 

I love this part: "It is as if a pebble wanted to crush a mountain...". Now that doesn't sound petty or spiteful.  😉
He does a good job of ignoring the real issue behind the "severed connections" while pretending to crusade on behalf of children. Presumably Ukrainian children in Mariupol or Volnovakha (to pick just two locations) are of much lesser importance.

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On 4/2/2022 at 4:26 AM, pherank said:

(I reproduce the original)(3) (b) the considerably more confrontational reply by Nikolai Tsiskaridze (2) of the Vaganova Institute. (I thank Natela Verizhenko-Goodwin for sending me these. The translation of Tsiskaridze’s letter is hers: she adds “You will see some peculiar phrasing, I tried to stay as close to the original as possible. He writes in a very Soviet way.”)

Yes, very Soviet.  I wonder if the letter was written for him to sign.  He writes his thoughts a lot on Facebook and has a distinctive style, very different from that letter.

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On 4/1/2022 at 9:26 PM, pherank said:

...variations from classical ballets in its program, which are attributed to the works of Marius Petipa, the outstanding Russian choreographer of French origin, but which in fact were created by the Russian choreographers of the 20-21 centuries - Gorsky, Chabukiani, Balanchine (Balanchivadze), Sergeev, Vainonen, Lopukhov, Gusev, Ermolayev, Grigorovich, Nureyev, Vaganova, Burlaka and others. 

If this is Tsiskaridze's demand to get rid of the awful Soviet accretions in "after Petipa" productions, then I am 100% in favor.

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More interesting changes resulting from the invasion of Ukraine:

London’s National Gallery Has Retitled Degas’s ‘Russian Dancers’ as ‘Ukrainian Dancers’

"The National Gallery in London has updated the title of Edgar Degas’s drawing Russian Dancers to Ukrainian Dancers after an outcry by Ukrainians on social media.

The pastel picture by the famed French Impressionist shows a troupe of young performers sporting hair ribbons in vivid blue and yellow, the national colors of Ukraine."

https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/national-gallery-retitles-degas-ukrainian-dancers-1234624050/

Edited by pherank
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It's been four five years since the last Moscow International Ballet Competition (it didn't happen last year because of Covid), so the 14th edition is scheduled for June 3-11, though I suspect it will be a lot less international than usual. So far the only jury member listed is Yuri Grigorovich, though the organizing committee includes both Nikolai Tsiskaridze and Vladimir Urin. (Golly, those meetings must be something.)

https://moscowballetcompetition.com/en/

Also in June, the Bolshoi has scheduled the traditional gala of past Benois laureates, but it appears there will be no "competition" this year, since a performance of Swan Lake has been scheduled on the night the main event should have taken place. So far the Benois site is silent on the matter. I'm guessing the selection of past laureates will be mostly domestic.

Edited by volcanohunter
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Instagram's algorithm drew my attention to an account that describes itself (according to google translate) as follows: "We publish information about dancers, ballet dancers, teachers, and choreographers who ignore or support Russia's war in Ukraine." They have just three posts so far and in addition to calling out the current head of the opera house in Russian-occupied Donetsk, they call out Polunin and Ovcharenko. The latter danced in the performance of Spartacus that was the Bolshoi's fundraiser for the families of dead Russian soldiers and Ukrainian "refugees" in Russia. (They also criticize Ovcharenko's initial 'peace' post on the war--an image of friendship between Russia and Ukraine--as not, in fact, opposed to the Russian position at all.)

I do NOT endorse this sort of 'calling out' of Russian or Ukrainian artists--well, maybe the guy in Donetsk if he really did line up his dancers in the Z formation as reported both here and elsewhere--but I also suppose the account is run by Ukrainians and I am not inclined to fault them for their rage either. (You can see the account is followed by a number of Ukrainian dancers whose names are now known to ballet fans the world over such as Potiomkin.) I post about the account here only because I think it's a sobering reminder that when this war ends it may not be all Kumbaya in the world of classical ballet. Too much that is too horrible has happened.

Here is the link:     https://www.instagram.com/zradaart.ua/

Edited by Drew
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15 hours ago, Drew said:

I do NOT endorse this sort of 'calling out' of Russian or Ukrainian artists--well, maybe the guy in Donetsk if he really did line up his dancers in the Z formation as reported both here and elsewhere--but I also suppose the account is run by Ukrainians and I am not inclined to fault them for their rage either.

Yes, I think the main purpose of the account is to point out turncoats from Ukraine in the dance world, and I find these choices uncontroversial, so to speak.

However, the case of Vadim Pisarev, the artistic director of the Donetsk Opera and Ballet Theater, is interesting, convoluted and deserving of greater journalistic investigation. When Donetsk was occupied in 2014, Pisarev left the city and gave an interview, which I cannot now find, with his scathing assessment of the new "authorities." He ran unsuccessfully for the Ukrainian parliament that year, and at some point he was persuaded to return to his old job in Donetsk. In 2017 he was on the jury of the Moscow International Ballet Competition, and I remember from the opening ceremony that he was introduced as representing Ukraine (perhaps the only one at that competition).

At the time of the occupation, Pisarev's eldest son was a soloist at the National Ballet of Ukraine, but in 2014 he joined the Kremlin Ballet. However, in 2017 he moved to the company at the Odessa opera house, and as far as I know, he still works there. Pisarev's wife, meanwhile, is a ballet mistress at the opera house in Kharkiv. When the bombing of that city began, she was forced to flee.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10159678433169291&set=a.10154260430624291

So the situation is peculiar to say the least, with Pisarev working in occupied Donetsk, lining up his corps de ballet in Z formations, touring Russia and toeing the party line on Russian television, while his family was living and working in Ukraine proper--and being bombed by the Z army.

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