The planned concert of Russian conductor Valery Gergiev on July 27 at the Royal Palace of Caserta (Italy) has provoked a sharp political scandal. The Italian Ministry of Culture condemned the maestro's performance, calling it “a mouthpiece of Russian propaganda,” while the authorities of the Campania region continue to insist on holding the event as part of the Un'Estate da Re festival.
The planned performance of Russian conductor Valery Gergiev on July 27 at the Royal Palace of Caserta (Italy) has caused a heated controversy. Despite protests from the country's Ministry of Culture, the authorities of the Campania region, headed by Vincenzo De Luca, insist on holding the concert as part of the Un'Estate da Re festival.
Critics (including the Italian Ministry of Culture) believe Gergiev is a “mouthpiece of Kremlin propaganda” and that his performance will send the “wrong message” against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, Tagesspiegel reported.
“Ukraine is an occupied country,” Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli said.
Supporters (of the regional government) argue that art should be out of politics.
After 2022, many Western venues (e.g. La Scala, Vienna Philharmonic) broke contracts with him. In 2023 Gergiev's concert in Luxembourg was canceled after protests.
Earlier wrote that Ukrainians bought up tickets to Gergiev's concert in Italy. In addition, the opera “Semyon Kotko” for the first time in 40 years returns to the stage of the Bolshoi theater.