Star soprano Anna Netrebko has been hospitalised with Covid-19
18 September 2020, 09:06 | Updated: 27 January 2022, 11:45
The Russian soprano, who has so far played down the virus, has been hospitalised with pneumonia caused by coronavirus.
Star Russian soprano Anna Netrebko has been hospitalised in Moscow with coronavirus.
The opera singer, who back in May called for music fans to break social-distancing rules, posted on her Instagram last night (Thursday 17 September) and revealed she has been in hospital for five days, but “will recover soon.”
“Everything will be fine! The devil is not so terrible as it is described,” Netrebko insists in her post.
The soprano was admitted to hospital with pneumonia caused by Covid-19 after performing at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
She elaborates in her post: “I had two choices: One, to stay at home and be afraid to get infected, or two, to start working, driving around, performing at the risk of getting sick. I unconditionally chose two and do not regret anything.”
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Netrebko’s manager, Maxim Berin, has told The New York Times, “Doctors told me everything is fine, and now Anna has started to sing in hospital, which is why she made the post.” She has been in hospital since 9 September, according to Berin.
Netrebko had been performing at the Bolshoi to open the 2020/21 season with Verdi’s Don Carlos on 6 September, until the bass in that production, Ildar Abdrazakov, tested positive for Covid-19.
On 10 September Abdrazakov confirmed on social media, “Dear friends! The day before yesterday evening, after the second performance of Don Carlo at the Bolshoi Theatre, I felt unwell, I had a slight fever and I decided to take the coronavirus test again. A preliminary positive result came this morning.”
He, Netrebko and the rest of the production had managed performances on 6 and 8 September, until they cancelled the final appearance on 10 September due to Covid-19. Over here in the UK, theatres and concert halls have largely remained closed due to concern that singing could pose an increased risk when it comes to spreading Covid-19.
Last month, Mariinksy Ballet in St Petersburg was forced to shut down due to a mass outbreak of Covid-19, after being one of the first major ballet companies in the world to reopen with live performances.
Soprano Netrebko previously condemned measures taken to curb coronavirus, taking to Instagram to highlight nearly-empty socially-distanced concert halls with the hashtag #breakquarantine.
“Really? This is how our life is gonna be till spring?!?!?!,” the soprano wrote with a picture of a socially-distanced concert hall. “I think, whoever decided that rules has to vanish! #bringcultureback!!! #stopstupidrules #breakquarantine”.
945K people in the world have died with coronavirus so far, with many countries remaining in lockdown, or partial lockdown, to prevent the spread of the virus.
