New York’s financially struggling Metropolitan Opera issues warning over Puccini’s work turandotwarns audiences that “racial stereotypes” are “pervasive” in the blockbuster masterpiece set in feudal China.
It also accused Italian composer Puccini of cultural appropriation, accusing him of borrowing and distorting Chinese music.
Long trigger warning. This is included in the program notes. saw People online are calling Puccini’s classical opera “problematic.” The work currently running at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a lavish production by the late Franco Zeffirelli that the company has had in rotation for decades.
new york post was the first report About trigger warnings.
among them turandot In its program notes, the Metropolitan Museum of Art describes Puccini’s opera as a “thrilling but troubled masterpiece.”
“The West is a projection of the East, and is rife with contradictions, distortions, and racial stereotypes,” the company said. It then warns: turandotPuccini’s appropriation, reconstruction, and reharmonization of Chinese music has received high praise in recent years. ”
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority also claims that: turandot Although “difficult” for Chinese people to watch, no evidence has been shown to support such a bizarre claim.
“It is surprising that many audiences of Chinese descent find it difficult to see their heritage exploited, fetishized, or portrayed as barbaric, bloodthirsty, or backward. That’s not the point.”
Turandot is a staple of opera houses around the world. The aria “Nessun Dorma” is one of his most famous operatic arias ever written and is often performed in concert.
The Metropolitan Opera is in dire financial straits.
Met General Manager Peter Gelb revealed earlier this year that the company recently withdrew $40 million from its endowment, reducing its endowment to about $255 million. Withdrawing funds from endowments is typically considered a last resort for nonprofit arts companies when they cannot cover their costs through donations or ticket sales.
The decision comes after the Metropolitan Museum of Art received $30 million from endowment funds last season to cover operating costs amid sluggish ticket sales and a lack of funds.
Like many other performing arts institutions, the Metropolitan Museum of Art embraced the identity politics awakened during the 2020 Black Lives Matter uprisings.
The company hired a chief diversity officer and conducted “anti-racism” training for employees. At the time, he also said he was aiming for a “more racially just institution.”
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