Musicians Face Political Cacaphony NY Times 4/5/14

[Richard Barrett]

When it comes to objections to Putin there is, of course, the small matter of Russia's invasion and annexation of part of another sovereign country...

Indeed, and many artists in the West were vocal in their condemnation of comparable actions committed by "our" government in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, to name only these; and not because we were shamed into doing so by aggressive journalistic questioning in some other part of the world.

[aeolium]

I think it's shameful that Dudamel has decided to try and sidestep the matter altogether - whether he's keeping quiet so as not to offend his US hosts by standing up for the Venezuelan government, or so as not to bite the hand that fed him by criticising it, makes no difference really. At least Gabriela Montero says what she thinks, although it seems to me she represents the wealthy minority of Venezuelans who've been objecting to the redistribution of wealth in Venezuela from the start. Perhaps it's also relevant that she is half American.

While Gergiev appears to be an enthusiastic supporter of Putin and his policies, he has also mumbled now and again that he supports gay equality, though not in a very convincing way. Personally I think artists do better to say what they think; the kind of equivocation we see from Dudamel and Gergiev doesn't say much for their personal integrity.

Why should Dudamel commit himself to public political positions in support of or opposed to governments? Indeed, why should conductors generally be politically partisan? Isn't that part of the problem for Gergiev now, that he has openly expressed his support for Putin on a range of issues (including, recently, the annexation of the Crimea) and is not seen to be detached from the policies of the Russian government? Dudamel has openly expressed his praise for the El Sistema enterprise which was generously funded by the Chavez government (though it had been in place long before Chavez came to power). But that does not mean that he is necessarily a supporter of everything that government or its Maduro successor has done.

After all, it's hardly a straightforward situation of good v evil we are talking about in Venezuela. It's desperately hard to find any kind of neutral reporting of what has been happening there recently, since views are so polarised. With an inflation rate of over 50%, a crime rate of nearly 25,000 homicides in 2013 and high corruption levels there are significant problems, but there have also been undoubted social achievements by the Chavez government in reducing poverty and improving housing, education and healthcare provision. But how would it help matters for Dudamel to take sides publicly in this polarised situation, whatever his personal views? Arguably it is the very fact that Gergiev has taken sides, or is at least perceived to have taken sides, that has created difficulties not just for him but for the institutions outside Russia where he has positions.

The late Colin Davis here was a conductor with strong views and principles, and was prepared to take a public stand on them, for instance when he conducted benefits concerts for the Musicians Union in support of their protest against the BBC's plan to shut down some of their orchestras in 1980. But he did not AFAIK make a public stand, using his position to do so, about other matters of government policy with which he may well have disagreed, such as the Poll Tax or the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Should he have, and what would it have achieved had he done so? Are conductors, and other musicians, always to become politically engaged on every controversial issue, coming down clearly behind or against a government, even where those issues may be complex and far from black-and-white?

[Sir Velo]

Well said. It's extremely easy, for us in our safe European homes, to condemn any artist that does not live up to Brechtian ideals. However, given the way in which scores of families and relatives of those who have spoken out against South American regimes have disappeared or worse, within living memory, perhaps some of us shouldn't be quite so quick to point the finger at Dudamel.

I, for one, would not wish to condemn someone who puts the security of himself and his loved ones ahead of making political points in order to curry favour with a few militant musicians waving their banners from the safety of their living rooms.

[ahinton]

Well said. It's extremely easy, for us in our safe European homes, to condemn any artist that does not live up to Brechtian ideals. However, given the way in which scores of families and relatives of those who have spoken out against South American regimes have disappeared or worse, within living memory, perhaps some of us shouldn't be quite so quick to point the finger at Dudamel.

I, for one, would not wish to condemn someone who puts the security of himself and his loved ones ahead of making political points in order to curry favour with a few militant musicians waving their banners from the safety of their living rooms.

Whilst I accept your points as far as they go and I also see just where aeolium's coming from on this, if we're talking finger-pointing here, it would seem to be rather be difficult for any one person to point the same finger at both Dudamel who's trying to keep out of this and Montero who is doing the opposite, but does that meanthat no one should point a finger at either? It's a difficult one re Venezuela, not least because all the woeful faults in that country must be taken hand in hand with those many improvements to which Richard Barrett and aeolium have drawn attention, not to mention El Sistema's continuing rôle in social change there; Dudamel adopting a stance analogous to Montero's would undoubtedly look to many people like biting the hand that's fed him (and many of his colleagues and friends).

[Richard Barrett]

Why should Dudamel commit himself to public political positions in support of or opposed to governments?

All I'm really saying is that his "I'm just a simple musician" response to questions about a situation which, as you say, is plagued by misinformation from both sides (which is why I try to stick to facts and figures, though it doesn't seem to have helped much), comes over, to me at least, as disingenuous. Not that he is alone among artists, or in general people with some kind of public presence, in avoiding talking about difficult issues of course.