State Opera Unter den Linden
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Shortly before Anna Netrebko’s controversial performance at the Unter den Linden State Opera, police estimate that around 150 people protested against the 51-year-old Austrian-Russian singer on Friday evening.
Before the performance began, they demonstrated in front of the opera house in the center of Berlin with Ukrainian flags, posters and chants of “No Netrebko!” The police shielded the demonstrators from the opera audience with gates.
Applause and boos
In her first guest appearance at the Berlin State Opera since the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Netrebko was frenetically celebrated with minute-long ovations in the role of Lady Macbeth in Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Macbeth”.
In the opera house, which had almost 1,400 seats, there were also persistent boos after the first arias of the artistically brilliant soprano. Netrebko countered her critics’ protests twice with demonstratively crossed arms and a winning smile at the edge of the stage. After the guest performance on Friday evening, there are three more performances with the 51-year-old on the Berlin State Opera schedule.
The internationally acclaimed soprano came under criticism for her alleged closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin after the start of the war.
Before the appearance, the Ukrainian ambassador Oleksij Makejew and the Berlin Senator for Culture Joe Chialo (CDU) visited the photo exhibition “Russian War Crimes” at the Humboldt University directly opposite the State Opera. There, photos show the cruel consequences of attacks on civilians and infrastructure in Ukraine.
Ukrainian ambassador misses “acceptable response” from State Opera
Makejev showed understanding that those politically responsible had no direct influence on the opera. He tried to do that State Opera director Matthias Schulz to explain why he didn’t think the performance was appropriate at all. “Unfortunately, I didn’t get an acceptable answer,” Makeyev said.
At the same time, Chialo says he made no attempt to change the director’s mind. “The independence of the Houses is something I respect. This asset is valued highly in our democracy.”
Broadcast: rbb24 Inforadio, September 15, 2023, 7:30 p.m