They were horrified by it. There in Rotterdam, at De Doelen. Because 'their' Valery Gergiev, former chief of the local orchestra and namesake of the prestigious festival that sometimes to be held in September, doesn't like gays. At least, that's what we all believedl when he supported his bosom friend Vladimir Putin in enacting the law banning gay propaganda near minors.
You know. The same law that prohibits athletes from joining the winter Olympiad be allowed to see their partner if she happens not to be straight.
Well. So. The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra now says in a press statement, co-authored by the Municipal Executive of the Maas city, that Gergiev is not against gays, as long as they stay away from minors. The master conductor said so earlier in response to a few angry articles in the media, and they now feel the same there.
[Tweet "According to Gergiev, the minimum distance between a gay man and a minor is 45,000 kilometres."]Exactly how far away from minors those gays should stay, they do not specify. According to Putin and thus Gergiev, the minimum distance between a gay man and any minor is about 45,000 kilometres. Preferably further.
Whether the Rotterdam Philharmonic feels the same way, the press release does not tell.
The statement can be found below:
The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Municipality of Rotterdam see no reason to question the Rotterdam Philharmonic Gergiev Festival in any way as a result of recent coverage in the Dutch and German press of alleged statements by Gergiev. Based on the information at their disposal, Gergiev's statements in a Volkskrant article of 10 September were taken out of context.
In the article, Gergiev is asked about his position on the Russian law against 'gay propaganda' among minors. Gergiev says the law is often misunderstood, including in the Netherlands. 'In Russia, we do everything to protect children from paedophiles. This law is not about homosexuality, but is directed against paedophilia.'
Last month, Valery Gergiev already responded to protests in London with a statement on his Facebook page. He states that he does not discriminate against anyone, gay or otherwise. He says it is incorrect to suggest that he supports anti-gay legislation. His work is based on equal rights for all people.
'In all these years of cooperation, I have experienced that too,' said Hans Waege, general director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Gergiev Festival: 'Our institution conveys the fundamental values of the Netherlands and Western European culture. We will continue to do that in our way.'
Culture councillor Antoinette Laan: 'The Gergiev Festival receives a subsidy because of its artistic qualities. Based on the information we currently have, we see no reason to reduce or stop that subsidy.'
6 November: Statement Valery Gergiev
I am aware of the gay rights protest that took place at the Barbican last week prior to my concert with the LSO. I have said before that I do not discriminate against anyone, gay or otherwise, and never have done, and as head of the Mariinsky Theatre this is our policy. It is wrong to suggest that I have ever supported anti-gay legislation and in all my work I have upheld equal rights for all people. I am an artist and have for over three decades worked with tens of thousands of people in dozens of countries from all walks of life and many of them are indeed my friends. I collaborate with and support all my colleagues in the endeavour for music and art. This is my focus as a conductor, musician, artist and as Artistic and General Director of the Mariinsky Theatre and Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.
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