Martin Kettle accurately highlights the moral dilemma faced by the Royal Opera House in hiring the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko for the upcoming performances of Tosca (As Putin’s bombs fall on Ukraine, the Royal Opera House had a call to make about Anna Netrebko. It made the wrong one, 28 August). He goes on to place the ball in Netrebko’s court by suggesting she should withdraw from the performances or “say something unambiguous for the British audience in opposition to Putin’s continuing war”. He later acknowledges that Netrebko stated her opposition to the war at its outset and that she was attacked for her stance by the Russian regime.
Must this happen again? As Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova pointed out, when speaking in a 2022 Guardian interview of how she was “pretty much ready to die” when she went on hunger strike: “If you fight with a dictator, you have to show them that you are ready to fight to the end.” Members of Pussy Riot were separated from their children and endured appalling conditions in prison.
We cannot expect such bravery from every artist – Netrebko should not have to be an activist as well as a world-class singer. It is really up to the Royal Ballet and Opera to decide how far to go with political alignment. They certainly need to address the discrepancy between their obvious support for Ukraine in the last three years and the recent suppression of a show of support for Palestine during a performance.
Kate Lough
Southsea, Hampshire
There is an incredible double standard with regard to the banning of Russian artists and sportspeople. Israel is waging a genocidal war in Gaza (not justified by the horrific atrocity against Israelis that preceded it), and its violent settlers have been systematically driving out the original dwellers of the West Bank for years now. However, not only are Israeli artists not banned, but Israel participates in European events despite not being in Europe, such as European football and the Eurovision song contest.
Many other countries have carried out unprovoked attacks on other nations – for example, the US on Iraq in 2003 and Iran this year. Nobody has ever suggested that their artists be banned.
Whether or not Anna Netrebko is close to Vladimir Putin, I do not see that ostracising her and other Russian artists is justified, unless artists from other countries engaging in wars of aggression are also banned, and unless all commercial contacts with Russia are also forbidden. Let us have the same standard for all.
Name and address supplied
I am surprised that Martin Kettle puts the onus completely on the management of the Royal Opera House. It has to make its way financially. If enough people buy tickets to watch and listen to Anna Netrebko, they will put her on stage. If the public choose not to watch her, her feet will not be seen for dust. The onus is clearly on opera-goers to boycott her performance, but perhaps they have feet of clay.
Richard McLachlan
Ipswich, Suffolk
Would your writer like to give his opinion on the wartime National Gallery concerts of Dame Myra Hess and performances by others such as Eileen Joyce where they played music by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and other German composers? I used to believe that the arts reached out to solve problems, like Ukraine, where diplomacy clearly is failing.
Trevor Singleton
Warton, Lancashire
