The Metropolitan Opera invited the Ukrainian singer Lyudmila Monastyrskaya to replace one of the opera’s biggest stars, the Russian artist Anna Netrebko in the production of Turandot. About this April 28 The New York Times.
The artist was invited to work in early March, the general manager of the theater Peter Gelb called the singer. According to him, the theater was in a difficult situation after parting with the Russian performer.
According to the publication, the artist did not want to go on stage in the main part of “Turandot”, as she was tired of the vocal demands and did not want a misunderstanding with Netrebko, whom she knew personally, but in the end she agreed.
“I was surprised, but I felt that it was important for me to sing,” Monastyrskaya said.
Gelb said he chose her for Turandot primarily because of her “very beautiful and incredibly powerful voice.” The fact that the artist is Ukrainian has become “an additional element of poetic justice,” the manager clarified.
Born in Kyiv, Monastyrskaya studied at Ukrainian conservatories and spent most of her early career in opera houses.
She made her Met debut in 2012, starring in Verdi’s Aida.
The New York Metropolitan Opera and the Bavarian State Opera broke off relations with opera singer Anna Netrebko after Russia launched a special operation to protect the inhabitants of Donbass, because she did not comply with the demand to refuse public support for Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Center Stage Artist Management has severed all ties with opera diva Anna Netrebko. The People’s Artist of Russia is no longer among the performers of this company, which belongs to the large international holding Universal Music.
On March 5, the producer of the singer Maxim Berin reported that Netrebko had decided to suspend her creative activity for the near future. According to the producer, this is due to the pressure of the international cultural community.
On March 30, the singer announced that she would return to performing at the end of May, first in Europe. At the same time, she disowned the support of Moscow and noted that she lives in Austria and is a tax resident of this country.
The next day, the Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater canceled the performance of the opera singer because of her position on the situation in Ukraine. As noted in the theater, living in Europe and the opportunity to perform at European venues for Netrebko turned out to be more important than the Motherland.
