Joyce DiDonato, who will sing at the Last Night of the Proms tomorrow night (and whose dazzling greatest-hits collection ReJoyce was released the other day), writes on her blog about repressive anti-gay measures in Russia, and announces her intention to dedicate “Over the Rainbow” to “all of those brave, valorous gay and lesbian souls whose voices are currently being silenced.” She is well aware of the difficulties inherent in the spectacle of an American artist assuming a pose of moral superiority, and avoids a grandstanding tone: it’s a nuanced and personal discussion of a hugely charged issue.
I have been following stories and commentaries about the controversy over Russian musicians’ support of Putin, and will write about it in a future issue of The New Yorker. I trust there’s no need to explain why I’ve headed this post with Sviatoslav Richter playing Tchaikovsky.
Previously: Gergiev endorses Putin.