+++
author = ["authors/jenna.md"]
categories = "Op-Ed"
date = 2022-07-18T04:00:00Z
disclaimer = ""
image_gallery = []
postamble = ""
preamble = ""
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1658157243/media/2022/07/sqAngelAnna_jegk3h.jpg"
primary_image_credit = "Sopranos Angel Blue (Dario Acosta) and Anna Netrebko (Julian Hargreaves)."
related_articles = ["articles/the-met-s-at-home-gala.md", "articles/crowded-flights.md", "articles/anna-1.md"]
related_companies = []
related_people = ["scene/people/angel-blue.md"]
short_description = "Today, the opera world seems firmly divided in two: those who are with Angel Blue, and those who are with Anna Netrebko. These two sopranos have become the current faces of the current issue in the opera industry, and I've already started making gross generalizations about people who choose one side or the other."
slug = "a-thoroughly-divided-opera-world-great"
title = "A thoroughly divided opera world, great."
youtube_url = ""

+++
Something depressing occurred to me over the weekend. It happened while I was reading star soprano Angel Blue's [now-viral announcement on social media](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/16/us-soprano-angel-blue-slams-blackface-pulls-out-of-italy-opera) that she would be pulling out of Arena di Verona's upcoming production of _La traviata_, because of how the company handled (or didn't handle at all) Anna Netrebko's [latest foray into actual blackface](https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf1eK-rI_pV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link).

Blue wrote: "Let me be perfectly clear: the use of blackface under any circumstances, artistic or otherwise, is a deeply misguided practice based on archaic theatrical traditions which have no place in modern society. It is offensive, humiliating and outright racist."

(Note: As of my writing this, Angel Blue's accounts on Instagram and Facebook aren't currently available, which makes sense considering the flurry of media coverage her statement rightfully earned. I hope she's doing OK and not simply drowning in hateful DMs...)

The Arena di Verona put out a [statement in response](https://operawire.com/arena-di-verona-releases-statement-regarding-angel-blues-cancelation/) to Blue's cancellation:

"The 2022 première of 'Aida' took place on 18th June. This production's characteristics were well known when Angel Blue knowingly committed herself to sing at the Arena. Every country has different roots, and their cultural and social structures developed along different historical and cultural paths. Sensibilities and approaches on the same subject might widely vary in different parts of the world."

I mean, it's definitely a non-answer that suggests that blackface has been a part of at least an Italian opera culture for a while, and one can't expect it to go away just like that. I mean, it's just a matter of the Arena _not breaking out the darkened makeup_, or at the very least, [a singer refusing to wear it](https://www.veronasera.it/attualita/tamara-wilson-polemica-razzismo-aida-verona-arena-blackface-26-luglio-2019.html), but who am I to butt in?

> The division is the first step. The next step is losing fans.

Yeah, so in 2022, Russian soprano Anna Netrebko forged boldly ahead -- and I mean, _boldly_ -- with her blackface-covered iteration of Verdi's Aida. Now, I'm not saying that someone who [rails against COVID-19 safety restrictions](/guys-stop-telling-people-to-breakquarantine-because-of-a-crowded-plane/) or takes [wayyy too long](/opera-politics-blurry-lines-being-kind/) to denounce Putin's invasion of Ukraine is always going to be pro-blackface, but that _appears to be what is going on with opera's so-called biggest star_.

<figure data-type="image">{{% md %}}<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf1eK-rI_pV/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf1eK-rI_pV/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf1eK-rI_pV/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by @anna_netrebko_yusi_tiago</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>{{% /md %}}</figure>

WHAT YEAR IS IT.

And I made the mistake of heading over to Anna's Instagram, just to see how her comment sections were looking. Sure enough, there were the odd frustrated commenter, bringing up the craziness of Anna and her castmates all painted up like it's the 1920s.

<figure data-type="image">{{% md %}}![](https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1658157090/media/2022/07/Netrebko_instagram_screenshot_fcfhvb.png){{% /md %}}

</figure>

There's certainly plenty of love for Anna on her [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/anna_netrebko_yusi_tiago/), as you'd expect there to be; and plenty of those Anna fans were quick to defend blackface, suggesting that sensitive Americans just didn't get the point of opera in Italy. When Anna herself did reply, it was to say that the choice to sport blackface wasn't hers (are we to imagine her being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the makeup chair against her will?), and that the singers who were crying outrage were just jealous of her success. Sigh.

<figure data-type="image">{{% md %}}![](https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1658159173/media/2022/07/Netrebko_instagram_screenshot2_fkjj7p.png){{% /md %}}

</figure>

So, back to the depressing thing that occurred to me: the opera world has become split in two, like some horrible microcosm of the rest of the globe. And it seems to stem from the actions of opera people who suck: those who continue to hire big-name singers [even though they faced accusations](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-domingo/placido-domingo-apologizes-after-union-finds-he-sexually-harassed-women-idUSKCN20J113) of sexual harassment and assault by dozens of women over their entire career; those who [use their serious social media following](/guys-stop-telling-people-to-breakquarantine-because-of-a-crowded-plane/) to tell people to do things that are ignorant and a public safety hazard; those who refuse to acknowledge that painting your face black in 2022 will piss some people off and that even singing Verdi's "greatest opera" doesn't give you the right to be an aggressive racist.

> It starts to require too many mental gymnastics, too much compartmentalization to say, "I adore the artform but I abhor the industry."

Yeah, if you head back over to [Netrebko's Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/anna_netrebko_yusi_tiago/), you'll see a slew of people who love the bejeezus out of the famed soprano, who think she can do no wrong and who nod their virtual heads along with the weird idea that sopranos who don't think blackface is nice are clearly jealous of Anna Netrebko's professional life. Come on.

It's the kind of non-sensical non-argument that we've all seen in the last decade of media insanity. One group of people points out that there's a social problem in our midst, and to solve it we must change our behaviour; an opposing group says _hell no_ to changing our behaviour, and decides to dig in their heels and be part of the problem _harder_. Abortion rights, racial bias in police departments, gun laws, apparently blackface in opera: for every movement that speaks up for equality and kindness and public health, there's a hate group for that.

Today, the opera world seems firmly divided in two: those who are with Angel Blue, and those who are with Anna Netrebko. These two sopranos have become the current faces of the current issue in the opera industry, and I've already started making gross generalizations about people who choose one side or the other. (I'm pro-Blue, in case you're wondering.)

> What an utter shame, and what a waste of a platform.

The division is the first step. The next step is losing fans. Because really, when an opera company -- and its star singer -- defends blackface in the name of tradition, deference to Verdi, and some other made-up shit that only matters to opera snobs, it becomes really difficult to call oneself an opera fan. It starts to require too many mental gymnastics, too much compartmentalization to say, "I adore the artform but I abhor the industry."

So, Anna, for this current media cycle, I'm going to direct this to you: Shame on you for helping to divide our little community. You're a multilingual international traveler with more access to the world than most ever get (especially the average working artist!) and yet you _still_ insist on a tiny, xenophobic, self-centred viewpoint of the world. What an utter shame, and what a waste of a platform.

Some big questions are about to be tested: is Anna an anomaly, or among the norm? How many companies will refuse her stardom in the name of social progress? How many other singers will follow Angel Blue and sacrifice their own income for their convictions? I'm not sure I want to find out...