Comment on Melbourne Symphony Orchestra says it made 'error' in cancelling pianist's performance after Gaza comments

• ziltoid101@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Eh, they played the ukranian national anthem before concerts in 2022. I could see where you’re coming from if the soloist actually said something controversial but his statement was literally along the lines of “war crimes are bad” - cancelling his performance for that is a much more inflammatory political statement (hence the huge backlash) than what he said in the first place imo.

  source
• Zagorath@aussie.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  the MSO’s event is not a platform from which to espouse political views

  What absolute nonsense. He was playing a piece of music literally dedicated to journalists murdered by Israel. The piece was on the programme at that concert, it’s not like he surprised them with it in an encore. (I know the public isn’t usually made aware of what piece might be played for an encore. I dunno if the host orchestra normally would be. Not that that’s relevant here anyway.)

  If you don’t want politics, don’t get involved in the arts. Expecting no comment to be made about Israel’s war crimes is like expecting a Shostakovich concert to never mention the Nazis & WWII or Stalin and his artistic crackdowns. Or to perform Beethoven’s Eroica and make no mention of Napoleon.

  All art is political. Some more explicitly so than others. And they scheduled a piece that was extremely political, and then got outraged at the politics of the piece being mentioned. It’s absurd.

  source

  • fine_sandy_bottom@lemmy.federate.cc ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Apparently the MSO agrees that their performance is not a platform for political views.

    source

    • Zagorath@aussie.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      The MSO is objectively wrong if they claim to believe that, not least because of what they literally chose to be on the programme of this very concert. (And their previous political statements vis à vis Ukraine, and the mere fact that they are a purveyor of the arts).

      source
• hitmyspot@aussie.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Yet, they Streisanded their views and politics.

  source

  • fine_sandy_bottom@lemmy.federate.cc ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Not really.

    Yes they amplified what the guy said, but they also distanced themselves from his views.

    Suppose the orchestra has wealthy pro-israel benefactors. The MSO committee might agree with what piano-face said, but as an organisation they may have felt obligated to uphold a non-partisan position.

    The Streisand effect is when you try to delete content. In this case they just tried to disclaim it.

    source

    • hitmyspot@aussie.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      And as you said , amplified it. If you think silencing criticism of a genocide to appease donors is not showing your politics, then what is?

      I didn’t mean they held the same views. Rather, the opposite. Or at least indifference, which from the perspective of the performed, amounts to the same.

      Holding a non partisan pisition would be saying they dont share his views nor think it was an appropriate place for it, but not try to cancel him.

      source

      • fine_sandy_bottom@lemmy.federate.cc ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        The guy engaged to make pretty noises made an allegation of a war crime.

        It’s disingenuous to frame the MSOs response as “silencing criticism of genocide”. Everyone is free to criticise all they like, but if you use someone else’s platform to do so, there will be consequences.

        source

        • -> View More Comments
    • Zagorath@aussie.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      to uphold a non-partisan position

      There’s nothing non-partisan about cancelling someone for stating facts.

      source

      • fine_sandy_bottom@lemmy.federate.cc ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        It’s an alleged crime yet to be confirmed by a recognised court, therefore they remain “alleged” facts.

        source