Philip Glass condemns unauthorized use of his music at the Sevastopol Opera and Ballet Theater in temporarily occupied Crimea
Philip Glass condemns unauthorized use of his Music at the Sevastopol Opera and Ballet Theater in occupied Crimea
Philip Glass, the American composer, has publicly condemned the unauthorized use of his music by the Sevastopol Opera and Ballet Theater in Crimea. This protest stems from the theater’s plan to premiere a ballet adaptation of “Wuthering Heights”, based on the novel of the same name by Emily Brontë with music by Philip Glass, without his consent.
Glass expressed his outrage in a letter posted on X, saying that the use of his music and name without permission violates the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. He described this action as “an act of piracy” but also acknowledged that the current political situation in temporarily occupied Crimea renders him powerless to legally enforce his rights. However, he made it clear that he strongly objects to the unauthorized use of his work and name.
— Philip Glass (@philipglass) July 25, 2024
The ballet is set to include not only Glass’s compositions but also music by Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir.
The theater’s director, Sergei Polunin, a known supporter of President Vladimir Putin, is expected to perform a leading role in the production​.
In 2019, the Paris Opéra Ballet revoked an invitation for him to perform due to backlash over his homophobic and sexist social media posts. Polunin is also an outspoken supporter of Vladimir Putin and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has alienated many in the dance community. Sergei Polunin also has three tattoos on his chest and shoulders depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A full blown fanatic in other words.
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