The Well-Tempered Ear

A canceled Russian diva sues the Met. Who should win?

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By Jacob Stockinger

Soprano Anna Netrebko — singing in France in 2020 in the Getty Image below and singing the famous aria “Sempre libera” from Verdi’s “La Traviata”  in the YouTube video at the bottom — is a world-famous Russian diva and longtime opera star.

But ever since Russia’s war on Ukraine started, she has defended the so-called “special military operation”  — complete with war crimes and human right violations — and announced her continuing support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Like other nationalistic arts figures who have done the same — including the conductor Valery Gergiev and the pianist Denis Matsuev — her  career has suffered as she has seen concert appearances disappear and canceled or withdrawn.

Now she has filed a suit against the Metropolitan Opera and its general director Peter Gelb — whose Canadian wife Keri-Lynn Wilson has conducted tours of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. Netrebko is seeking $360,000 in damages and restoration of her fees for her upcoming cancelled performances.

Here is a story with the basics: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66413874

And here is a blog column by lawyer and Georgetown University professor Jonathan Turley (below) — a well-known legal analyst with a large public reputation for television and radio commentaries.

He supports Netrebko’s lawsuit in the name of free speech and artistic expression. He argues against cancelling her appearances and withholding payment because contracts have already been signed. And he compares such sanctions to loyalty oaths.

What do you think about artistic performances being canceled because the artist supports Russia’s war on Ukraine and Vladimir Putin?

Should athletes who act similarly be barred from competition, including the upcoming summer Olympics?

Do such cancellations fall under the heading of justified sanctions or illegal broken contracts?

Who do you think should win the lawsuit?

The Eat wants to hear.