The famed soprano Anna Netrebko is seeking $360,000 in compensation for breach of contract, defamation, and “severe mental anguish.”
What’s up?: Anna Netrebko was scheduled to appear in 40 performances at the Met Opera in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons. She was to receive the Met’s top fee of about $15,000 per performance.
Why did they fire her?: Peter Gelb, the Met’s General Manager, alleges that Netrebko is a close friend of Vladimir Putin’s and never formally denounced the war in Ukraine. She has been photographed holding Russian separatist flags and endorsed Putin for president in 2012.
“She took a public stance over a period of years,” Gelb remarked in 2022.
What has this meant for Netrebko?: Netrebko’s lawyers claim that she experienced “depression, humiliation, embarrassment, stress and anxiety, and emotional pain and suffering,” following the breach in contracts. The soprano sold her New York City apartment at a loss and has experienced criticism and firings from other companies, including the Bayerische Staatsoper.
Wait, I’m still a Netrebko fan…: Despite the Met’s strong stance, the soprano is scheduled to appear this season at Berlin’s Staatsoper unter den Linden, the Vienna State Opera, Teatro alla Scala and the Paris Opera.
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