The underside of a difficult decision

When the management of the Orchester symphonique de Montréal made the decision to cancel the performance of Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev last March, it received a salvo of criticism from the international music community.

Now that she has decided to maintain the concert that Daniil Trifonov, another Russian pianist, is to offer on April 20 and 21, she is facing strong and emotional reactions from Montreal’s Ukrainian community.

This situation is causing extremely heartbreaking moments for the OSM team, who believe that art and music must be above this conflict which, every day, brings its share of desolation, scenes of horror and rage towards Vladimir Putin, who was responsible for this despicable massacre.

Madeleine Careau, the OSM’s CEO, agreed to speak to me. Before addressing the case of Trifonov, I wanted to go back a few weeks to try to understand what had happened between the cancellation of Malofeev’s performance and the decision, a month later, to maintain that of Trifonov.

“I was in Europe when the Russian invasion began in Ukraine,” she says. I discovered this drama with amazement, like everyone else. I returned to Montreal on March 5. Alexander Malofeev was due to start rehearsing on March 7. Quickly, we said to ourselves that it was not appropriate to present a Russian artist in such a context. I found that it lacked sensitivity towards our Ukrainian compatriots and Quebeckers who support Ukraine. »

The management of the OSM had to come to terms with a citizen movement that was determined to prevent the holding of this concert under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. The OSM therefore established an intervention plan with the Montreal police to ensure that the hall of the Maison symphonique would be monitored during concerts. Measures have also been planned to offer protection to Malofeev during his travels.

“Then we said to ourselves: do we want to expose this young artist to that? continues Madeleine Careau. He risked being called names when he arrived on stage. Do we want to put Chief Tilson Thomas in such a situation? These were troubling times. »

Meetings were organized in a climate of urgency with the members of the OSM’s executive committee, and the decision to withdraw Malofeev was finally taken. The musician, who had already arrived in the metropolis, was taken in charge by the OSM and was entitled to an impromptu vacation in the metropolis.

A unanimous condemnation

During these three concerts without Malofeev, the Ukrainian anthem was performed, the Grand Orgue Pierre-Béique was illuminated in the colors of the Ukrainian flag and the musicians wore a ribbon as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine. However, these gestures did not prevent a corrosive reaction from the international press, which judged that the OSM had made a very bad decision.

“It was unanimous, says Madeleine Careau. It came from everywhere, from New York Timesof washington postof Worldof Figaro, from BBC World News. »

This condemnation was also felt within the OSM itself. “Our musicians, our employees and our musical director did not agree with our gesture, says Madeleine Careau. They sided with the management, but they didn’t accept that. »

The CEO and her team have taken a step back and left the world of emotions in which they were immersed. During a meeting, the following observation emerged: the OSM wanted to be sensitive to the Ukrainian and Quebec community, and it alienated its immediate community, that of music.

For Madeleine Careau, who has been through a lot during her long career, this moment was very trying. “So we made the decision not to boycott the artists, unless they support this war. We understand, however, that they cannot denounce it. »

The OSM musicians and employees were very happy with this change of direction.

A title that does not pass

Madeleine Careau had discussions with representatives of the Ukrainian community. Some were tough. “I was told that the OSM plays to the glory of Putin,” she said. Some fear Putin is using this to his advantage. A lady called Trifonov a “collaborator of the genocidal regime”. It’s so not that. We want to let the music speak, that’s all. »

A group of citizens, headed by members of the Quebec provincial council of the Congress of Ukrainian Canadians, organized a “peaceful and silent” gathering that would take place during the two concerts at the Maison symphonique. Among the supporters of this movement, we find Serge Sasseville, independent councilor for the Peter-McGill district, who attracted the attention of the media by playing the Ukrainian anthem every day in front of the Russian consulate in Montreal.

I spoke with Mariya Makivchuck, a Montrealer of Ukrainian origin, who, along with members of the Congress of Ukrainian Canadians, welcomes refugees. She thinks first of all of those people who come to us in a state of shock.

In a statement published Thursday on its website, the management of the OSM speaks directly to the Ukrainian community in Quebec and talks about the consensus it has reached. “Banishing Russian artists who have nothing to do with the actions of the Russian government is not the way to go. On the contrary, many believe that such a boycott movement would play into the hands of the Putin regime, which could use it as proof that the West wants to erase Russian culture and heritage, thus justifying its invasion of Ukraine. »

It is also recalled that from the very first days of this war, Daniil Trifonov declared on his Instagram account that he was heartbroken by what was happening in Ukraine, that the war is a tragedy and that he prays for a solution leads to lasting peace. “Given that his family lives in Russia, it would have been difficult for him to be more assertive about his opposition to the Russian invasion without running the risk of putting his loved ones in danger”, one writes.

Daniil Trifonov will take part in a concert entitled Russian concertos and French symphonic poems, which includes the Concerto for piano and string orchestra of Schnittke and the Piano concerto no.oh 1 in D flat major by Prokofiev. Chosen more than a year ago, the title of the program hurts the sensitivity of some people. Mariya Makivchuck is one of them. She recalls that Prokofiev was born in a city that is now part of Ukraine and that Schnittke has German origins. “Why don’t we call it the Soviet concertos if we really want to be fairer? “, she says.

Unfortunately, all promotional material has been in print for a long time. But Thursday, at the end of the day, the OSM decided to add a work to the program. It is Prayer for Ukraineby composer Valentin Silestrov.

As much as I agreed with the OSM’s decision to cancel Malofeev’s participation, I recognize, a month later, that maintaining Trifonov’s presence is a good thing. This extremely delicate question, I have been asking myself for weeks. The total banishment of Russian artists flatters our moral sense, but on the merits, the gesture has little impact.

This choice must be personal. If it makes someone feel uneasy to go and applaud a Russian pianist performing the work of a Russian composer, they just have to skip it. It’s not as if we received 75 Russian artists in Montreal every week.

You have to learn to distinguish between a Russian artist and an openly pro-Putin artist.

Let’s put our energies into helping the Ukrainian people resist this barbaric invader, let’s continue to multiply economic sanctions that will really harm Putin and let’s unite to welcome more Ukrainian refugees.

And then, let’s not be naive in the face of the Russian reality.

Let us remember that for every Russian personality who publicly shows his support for Putin, there are tons of musicians, filmmakers or dancers who live in fear, who are gagged, who are unable to express themselves freely under pain of be imprisoned or poisoned.

Let’s leave these artists their art so that they can, for the time of a concerto, feel a little free.