Anna Netrebko has openly shown her sympathy for the victims of the war in Ukraine – but she remains close to the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin. For the president of the German Theater Association, this is not acceptable.
Hamburg Culture Senator Carsten Brosda (SPD) does not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin’s estrangement from soprano star Anna Netrebko is credible. First she allowed herself to be photographed with East Ukraine separatist leader Oleg Zarjov along with the “New Russia flag”, then she celebrated her 50th birthday in the Kremlin.
“Do that and then let the lawyer claim you’re not a politician? You’re selling your own audience for stupid,” Brosda said in an interview with “Hamburger Abendblatt” on Friday. Anyone who has shown closeness must behave credibly, demanded the president of the German Stage Association.
Netrebko concert in Hamburg has already been postponed
Thus, he criticizes the planned September recovery date for a Netrebko concert at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie. “I don’t think it would be good if this show happened then.” After the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, several concert halls canceled performances by Netrebko, including a concert planned for early March at the Elbphilharmonie. Netrebko had spoken publicly against the war, but not against Putin.
Weeks later – on Wednesday – the soprano, who lives in Austria, had her German lawyer announce: “I am not a member of any political party, nor am I linked to any leader in Russia.”
Culture Senator calls for consequences
She regrets “that some of my actions or statements in the past could be misinterpreted”. In fact, she’s only met Putin a few times. “I strongly condemn the war against Ukraine and my thoughts are with the victims of this war and their families.”
Brosda said: “Where artists are close to the Putin system or enjoy privileges through that closeness and are not able to behave reasonably, there is no basis for further cooperation.” This also applies to Netrebko.
“And if you consider that someone like Valeri Gergiev celebrated the annexation of Crimea, put on a show in Syria in front of Russian soldiers and in the presence of Putin, and is now in freezing silence, the decision to unilaterally terminate his Munich contract It was also the correct one…”