The latest battle between liberals in Russia and the church/state: Wagner Opera Scandal

[pampango]

Wagner Opera Scandal Reflects Deep Divide in Russian Society

An avant-garde production of a Wagner opera in a Siberian city that has seen conservative Russian Orthodox activists declare war on the liberal intelligentsia is a sign of things to come, some in Russia fear. The production of "Tannhauser" at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater is accused of the crime of insulting the feelings of religious people, and has exposed the sharp divisions within Russian society: What some perceive as a sophisticated work of art was interpreted as offensive blasphemy by others.

The high-profile scandal, which has seen the country's Culture Ministry weigh in on the side of the Orthodox activists, is a "pure political action whose goal is to crush the independence of modern art and create new instruments for the censorship of creative work," Irina Prokhorova, one of Russia's leading culturologists, told The Moscow Times this week.

Public actions that offend religious believers' feelings were made a crime in 2013 following an anti-Putin performance by female protest group Pussy Riot in Russia's main Orthodox cathedral the year before. The crime carries up to three years in prison.

The Novosibirsk Orthodox Diocese has called on the Federal Security Service, Prosecutor General and Investigative Committee to conduct an objective investigation into the activities of anyone connected with the "Tannhauser" production. "This opera has insulted religious believers' feelings, has instigated instability in society and is capable of destroying the good soul of our nation," the diocese said in a statement Saturday.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/wagner-opera-scandal-reflects-deep-divide-in-russian-society/518057.html

Conservatives everywhere seem to battle with the arts to enforce 'family values' and 'patriotism' themes. Russia seems to be no different.

[Downwinder]

1. Indiana and Russia in lock step?

[NuclearDem]

8. No, not the same.

Nowhere near the same.

Mike Pence is an asshole, but he's nowhere near the level of Putin.

[Downwinder]

9. Just a matter of degree.

[NuclearDem]

11. Also no.

The religious freedom bullshit here is one of the final death throes of the anti-LGBT movement as they struggle for relevance in the inevitable scenario of nationwide equality.

The exact opposite is true in Russia. Putin's just getting started.

[DetlefK]

2. Am I the only one thinking of book-burning right now?

Remember when the Nazis set up criterias of what art is allowed and what not?

And in the end it was all the same: Athletic, half-nude people in archaic poses.

It's good that Russia doesn't worship an athletic, half-nude guy who longs for the good old, clear-cut days before decline and homosexuality happened.

Wait...

[whatthehey]

3. Tannhauser offensive?

A Christianized myth about forgiveness and redemption? How the hell can that be offensive unless it's been subjected to one of those godawful post-modernist absurd stagings that idiots seem hell-bent on inflicting on Wagner even though he wrote probably the most detailed staging instructions in opera history?

[Wella]

4. Here is the actual conversy: the opera is "updated"

In 30-year-old Timofei Kulyabin's staging of Wagner's story about a contrary medieval composer who takes part in a song contest, the action is transposed to the modern day and the protagonist enters a film competition with his work on the unknown years of Jesus Christ that were not described in the New Testament.

The film, whose action is also portrayed on stage, suggests that between the ages of 12 and 30, Jesus lived in "Venus's grotto" — which also serves as the film's name — where he is tested by the temptations of love and pleasure. At the end of the film, Jesus destroys the grotto and leaves the world of fantasy for the real world of suffering and death.

At the film competition, the character of Tannhauser presents a poster for his film, which depicts a crucifix between a naked woman's open legs. It was the poster that elicited the most criticism from Orthodox activists.

As a strong advocate of the First Amendment, I believe this version of the opera should go on without incident. However, Russian law does not have a first amendment and there is a law on the books about insulting religion. This "rethinking" of the original opera certainly seems to go against that law. There is a definite case here--in Russia.

[whatthehey]

5. Yep I should have known; post-modernist claptrap

Why artsy fartsy wannabe "creative" types can't keep their talentless fucking fingers out of genuine art I have no goddamn clue but they ruin every opera they get a chance to. No other art form suffers this kind of abuse. Nobody re-writes To Kill a Mockingbird set in a Martian bestiality brothel or refilms Citizen Kane as a furry love triangle with a punk rock soundtrack. Why do they have to piss all over opera, seemingly especially virulently with Wagner, with their pretentious pseudo-intellectual shitefests?

[Wella]

6. Well, there is that

I always prefer the original, but some updates are very well done. This one, unfortunately, seems to be crude for the sake of being crude.

[LanternWaste]

10. Cool... I used to pretend I knew what I was talking about too.

Cool... I used to pretend I knew what I was talking about too.

[whatthehey]

13. Oh you were a modernist opera producer?

[Wella]

15. It sounds like you still might...

[DavidDvorkin]

17. You are so right.

[hifiguy]

18. I must agree.

The Louvre does not allow "creative additions" to the masterpieces hung there. However nasty a person Richard Wagner was (plenty) his artistic intentions should be followed. One does not offer a performance of Beethoven's Ninth as rescored for kazoo ensemble, anvil section and the choir from the local insane asylum singing Ginsberg's "Howl" instead of Schiller's words unless one is an ignorant poltroon without an ounce of integrity or appreciation for the artist's work. This staging sounds like it was dreamed up by the South Park guys in their "The Tale of Scroty McBoogerballs" mode.

[pampango]

7. True. If you are going to arrest people for 'insulting religion', these folks deserve to be arrested

It seems to me that we protest when Muslims arrest people (and worse) when their religion is insulted. There are many Americans who would like to see a law against insulting religion. Thankfully we don't have one and can't have one.

I do not support Russians or Muslims arresting people for insulting religion despite the existence of a national law allowing them to do so, any more than I would support arresting gays just because being gay violated a national law.

[Wella]

14. Our First Amendment is crucial. You can see what happens when a country doesn't have one

Also, the separation of church and state.

[treestar]

12. The case is good under Russian law

Kind of brings down Eddie Snowden's claim it protects freedom better than the US does.

[Wella]

16. I'll be interested in seeing what happens

And, perhaps, Snowden is as naive as many America-haters who think life is better in other countries.