American opera singer Angel Blue has cancelled her debut with Enviornment di Verona in protest at soprano Anna Netrebko’s (pictured above) Blackface make-up within the Italian firm’s manufacturing of Verdi’s Aida.
Blue was resulting from tackle the function of Violetta in Enviornment di Verona’s manufacturing of La Traviata, opening right now, however after seeing photos shared on Netrebko’s Instagram web page, she took to Fb to specific her outrage on the ‘deeply misguided apply based mostly on archaic theatrical traditions which haven’t any place in trendy society’.
Her full submit reads:
Pricey Mates, Household, and Opera Lovers,
I’ve come to the unlucky conclusion that I cannot be singing La Traviata at Enviornment di Verona this summer time as deliberate. As lots of , Enviornment di Verona just lately made the choice to make the most of blackface make-up in a current manufacturing of Aida. Let me be completely clear: using blackface beneath any circumstances, inventive or in any other case, is a deeply misguided apply based mostly on archaic theatrical traditions which haven’t any place in trendy society. It’s offensive, humiliating, and outright racist. Full cease. I used to be so wanting ahead to creating my home debut at Enviornment di Verona singing one in every of my favourite operas, however I can’t in good conscience affiliate myself with an establishment which continues this apply. Thanks in your understanding, and to all who’ve proven assist and sensitivity to me and my fellow artists of coloration.
Within the Instagram footage (above) from this yr’s Enviornment di Verona manufacturing, Netrebko, who portrays the Ethiopian princess Aida, is seen alongside fellow forged members, who’ve additionally utilized pores and skin darkening make-up. It’s not the primary time the Russian singer has darkened her pores and skin to tackle the function. In 2019 she posted a photograph of herself as Aida on Instagram, and when a follower requested whether or not donning Blackface was ‘actually essential’, Netrebko responded: ‘Black Face and Black Physique for Ethiopian princess, for Verdi’s best opera! YES!’
The newest photos have been roundly criticised by the musical neighborhood, together with by bass-baritone Michael Sumuel, mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, tenor Nicholas Phan and bass-baritone Ryan McKinny, however Enviornment di Verona has defended their staging, telling Opera Wire:
‘The purpose is that so long as we do a historic Aida within the Enviornment, it is extremely tough for us to vary one thing. Now we have two Aidas. One is a duplicate of the one which opened the Enviornment di Verona in 1913 and this can be a duplicate. The second is the Zeffirelli Aida which was made when these delicate subjects weren’t such a difficulty.
‘All over the place on the planet used to have what you name Blackface. So so long as we have now a historic manufacturing, it is extremely onerous to vary them as a result of it means altering one thing that was designed that manner. One way or the other, the Enviornment di Verona is a theatrical museum. We don’t have new productions yearly. We would like our historical past to really feel like it’s residing. We determined to have a philological method and so long as we don’t have a brand new manufacturing, we comply with that philological method. We should respect the historic reality.’
The apply of Blackface has an extended affiliation with the world of opera, and as just lately as 2018, the Metropolitan Opera manufacturing of Aida in New York featured Netrebko in pores and skin darkening make-up – although the corporate’s 2015 manufacturing of Otello featured white tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko within the lead function with out make-up, and its 2021 manufacturing of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess forged black singers Eric Owens and Angel Blue within the lead roles.
