Questions about the Metropolitan Opera/メトロポリタン・オペラへの疑問

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(Edited)

First, let's learn about the Metropolitan Opera.

The Metropolitan Opera is America's premier opera company, based at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City—one of the world's largest opera houses. Fondly known as “the Met,” it is renowned for its star-studded casts and lavish productions.

🎭 Overview of the Metropolitan Opera Located within Lincoln Center in Manhattan, New York City, USA.

🏢 About the Metropolitan Opera House The Metropolitan Opera House is one of the world's three major opera houses, alongside the Vienna State Opera and La Scala in Milan.

A historic opera house founded in 1883

Boasting approximately 4,000 seats, it is one of the world's largest opera houses.

It features a magnificent chandelier and a large mural by Chagall.

Performances run from late September through May of the following year.

Regarding the Metropolitan Opera, I recently saw on Facebook that they held an event supporting Ukraine, which is currently being invaded by Russia. They sang the Ukrainian national anthem and strongly criticized Russia. Well, I understand that much. Russia has done such terrible things.

But while I was thinking they still hadn't broken their silence on the genocide in Gaza by Israel, things have now escalated to the point of a potential US-Israel invasion of Iran.

In other words, it's a double standard: criticizing only when a disliked country does something bad, while staying silent when a favored country does the same thing.

The classical music industry relies on public subsidies and corporate funding, making it a constrained world where political statements are difficult. Upsetting sponsors would be a huge problem.

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony sings of the noble ideal that “all men shall be brothers,” but in reality, there's division, and we're nowhere near being brothers.

Timothée Chalamet caused quite a stir by saying, “No one cares about opera or ballet.” Well, well.

Well, opera and ballet are out of my league anyway, given how expensive tickets are to see them live. I couldn't care less.

まずはメトロポリタン・オペラについてお勉強です。

メトロポリタン・オペラは、ニューヨークにある世界最大級のオペラハウス「メトロポリタン歌劇場」を拠点とする、アメリカ随一のオペラ団体です。通称「メト(MET)」として親しまれ、その豪華なキャストや舞台装置で知られています。

🎭 メトロポリタン・オペラの概要 アメリカのニューヨーク市マンハッタンにあるリンカーン・センター内に位置しています。
🏢 メトロポリタン歌劇場について メトロポリタン歌劇場は、ウィーン国立歌劇場やミラノ・スカラ座と並ぶ世界三大歌劇場の一つです。
1883年に創設された歴史あるオペラハウス
約4000席を誇る世界最大級の歌劇場
豪華なシャンデリアやシャガールの大壁画がある
9月下旬から翌年5月にかけて公演

そのメトロポリタン・オペラですが、最近、Facebookでロシアに侵攻されているウクライナ応援の催しを紹介しているのを見ました。ウクライナ国歌を歌ったりしていました。かなり強い口調でロシアを批判。まあそこまではわかるんですが。それだけ悪いことをしたからです。

しかし、イスラエルのガザでのジェノサイドには一向に沈黙を破らないなと思っていたら、アメリカ・イスラエルによるイラン侵攻にまでことは進行してしまいました。

つまり、気にくわない国が悪いことをした時だけ批判し、お気に入りの国が同じことをしても黙っているというダブルスタンダードですね。

クラシック音楽業界は公的補助や大企業の補助によって成り立っているので政治的発言がしづらい、不自由な世界です。スポンサーを怒らせたらえらいこっちゃですからね。

ベートーヴェンの交響曲第9番は「すべての人は兄弟となる」という崇高な理想を歌っていますが、現実には分断があり、ちっとも兄弟になってないですね。

ティモシー・シャラメが「No one cares about opera or ballet」と言ってかなり物議を醸しましたが、あらあらです。

まあオペラやバレエは生で観るとなるとチケット代が高くて私には縁のないものですから。どうでもいいです。



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Double standard is the right word indeed. In fact, Trump acts very much the same wrt Iran as Putin acts towards Ukraine. Using very similar arguments why the 'special operations' is allowed, calling it not a war etc etc etc.

USA is full of self censorship is what I am told by some US citizens themselves. Something that isn't just now, but has been for a very long time. Many don't want to be called anti-American, therefore they not say everything they may think.

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Thank you for your comment. Reading it, I was reminded that Trump is doing the same thing as Putin. And the person who is making a shameful face by fawning over Trump is Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Even so, I'm surprised because I thought that widespread self-censorship was a phenomenon unique to Japan. In Japan, there is a word that corresponds to "anti-American": "unpatriotic."

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Am not surprised Japanese society embraces self-censorship as well.
WOW, your language even has a word for this.
The whole Trump thing and how to deal with him is perhaps a bit of a role play.
Like our ex-Prime Minister and Secretary-General of NATO, Mark Rutte, is role-playing the slimy guy toward Trump, but as I mentioned, this is a role play. Mark's attitude is what Trump likes, so they stay in conversation. At the same time, Mark is working on other plans. I wouldn't be surprised if more leaders in the world did something similar.

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A role play. I looked up Marc Rutte. He promised NATO to support the US if it were attacked. He's been described as a Trump whisperer. But what about the current Prime Minister of the Netherlands? I heard that the Netherlands and Iceland have joined the genocide lawsuits against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Giorgia Meloni, the far-right Italian Prime Minister and a close ally of Trump, has turned his back on his illegal war on Iran, accusing it of being "outside of international law" and condemning the "massacre" bombings of schools. Japan is isolated in the world.

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Europe is indeed getting woken up. Not everybody is just keeping their mouths shut anymore. Though, the recent visit of the German Bundeskanzler (Prime Minister) to Trump in the Oval Office was a disgrace for the German guy. Elections in the most southern state of Germany turned out to be a good sign overall, went to a social left-wing environmental-friendly party. Let's see what will happen with the elections in Hungary, if Orban will be pushed out, finally; Though the guy who intends to push him out isn't much better than Orban, quite right-wing, conservative, though slightly better towards Europe. The Spanish Prime Minister said no to USA using their bases on Spanish ground, the only leader in Europe who stood up and said no, the rest is keeping quiet and giving support to defend European countries such as Cyprus, which is targeted by rockets from Iran.

Anyways, what I try to tell is that the world is still trying to figure out how to deal with Trump. Most are still scared of what Trump can do to them. I suppose for Japan this isn't much different with the threat of China. Some island located very close to China, and China not showing they will respect those to be Japanese? Not sure of any details, but read something about that in past weeks.

The good thing is, when specialists and experts talk about what will come out of all this mess, new ordering of power blocks, they usually mention Japan is part of a co-operation for Europe, including Canada, Turkey and Japan. Your country isn't forgotten ;)

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(Edited)

Europe is waking up. The rise of the far right is also slowing down. German Chancellor Merz is wavering and questionable. How does he compare to when his political rival Merkel was Chancellor? Hungary is also having elections. The candidate trying to oust Prime Minister Orbán is somewhat better if he is tolerant of the EU. I never expected the Spanish Prime Minister to refuse the US use of Spanish territory for military bases. According to information I've received from Japanese liberals, France, the UK, and Canada are following Spain's lead in raising their voices in opposition. Japanese media certainly escalates the threat from China. However, a furniture maker who is a former Israeli soldier living in Japan traveled to China and, after interacting with the Chinese people, concluded that "China is not Japan's enemy." Japan was once a colonialist towards China, which complicates relations between the two countries. There is an island close to China that is Japanese territory. Speaking of which, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Cabinet's approval ratings are falling. With inflation continuing to soar, it seems the public is starting to realize that Takaichi is no longer suitable.

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