Photo credit: SvetRimm
Renowned Russian opera soprano Anna Netrebko made a triumphant return to the Berlin State Opera stage following a prior suspension of her collaboration over the conflict in Ukraine. Her performance featured in Giuseppe Verdi's Macbeth. All tickets were sold out.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ukrainian Embassy in Berlin expressed their discontent with this choice. Despite the presence of pro-Ukrainian activists rallying outside the theater, Netrebko delivered a successful performance. To maintain order, the police installed special barriers to separate the activists and theater visitors.
The Berlin State Opera clarified that Netrebko had refrained from working with Russian organizations in recent times and had no immediate plans to perform in Russia. The director of the Berlin State Opera Matthias Schulz has endorsed the decision to reinstate Netrebko, emphasizing the importance of separating art from politics.
Netrebko's supporters state that it is essential not to unfairly judge all Russian artists based on the actions of a few, as doing so could support the image of Russophobic West.
The singer is set to make a comeback in Vienna, Milan, and Paris in the upcoming months. At the Salzburg Easter Festival in early spring, she will take on the lead role in Ponchielli's La Gioconda, directed by Oliver Mears, the artistic director of the Royal Opera in London.
Russkiy Mir
