Wagner’s Tristan with Currentzis in Dortmund and Baden-Baden will not happen. Allegedly, there are no more soloists for it. Therefore, the Russian Greek is now to conduct Verdi’s Requiem. The two concert halls have announced that « in view of the current situation in Ukraine (…) a piece more appropriate to the situation » has been chosen. The Verdi Requiem is a work that « may be understood as a statement » in the current situation.
Now the question is: a statement by whom? From the organizers? Could be. From Currentzis? That can hardly be assumed, and to pin that on him would be presumptuous and the whole thing hypocritical.
The conductor and his orchestra MusicAeterna are undoubtedly close to Putin’s murderous regime. The money comes from the VTB bank, which is sanctioned in Europe. Its chief sits on the orchestra’s supervisory board, as do National Bank head Elvira Nabiullina and the governor of St. Petersburg, Putin confidant Alexander Beglov.
According to German media, the ensemble is rehearsing with Currentzis in a hall owned by a holding company headed by Putin’s mistress Alina Kabayeva.
In addition, Currentzis and MusicAeterna have played for guests at Putin’s economic forum in St. Petersburg. They were also on a tour organized by Gazprom this summer. Currentzis has also never distanced himself from Kostin’s statement that he told him he was not a traitor and would stay in Russia.
All this is not supposed to be a problem? All this is to be whitewashed with a Verdi Requiem? That can’t be. To harness a composer like Verdi to this stinking cart is scandalous.
