Sunday, May 30, 2010

I got a blog too, baby .

A couple of years ago, I sang Rosina in Venice. (you can still read my blog entries from then- March/ April 08). I was nervous to be the only foreigner among an all Italian cast, singing an Italian opera. Although I did alright, I agree that it wasn't my best, and for that, I got trashed by a known mean-spirited Italian blog (it's a group of different Italians who go to every opera they can, then review it).
At the time, I came across that blog and was devastated to read how badly I was received (by them). I remember a day of trying to get to the one and only, far away supermarket, in the rain, with too many tourists blocking my way.. and me crying the entire way).
I learnt my lesson- don't read these blogger reviews.

Something interesting happend to me recently. An older Italian gentleman (living in Germany) asked to be my friend on my private Facebook page. Since I don't know him in person, and have never met him, I wrote him a nice message directing him to my public "Fanpage". (This is my own general policy regarding FB, for my own privacy sake). He replied and said that he would come to see my show in Baden Baden. I wished him an enjoyable evening.
Looking at his page, I noticed that he had an opera review blog.

That's how I came to visit his blog now. A fan on Facebook. I was quite curious to see what he would have to say. (pros and cons).
To my surprise, his review attacked me in some ways I couldn't really imagine:
He was explaining that I am a Soprano in disguise, who has no low note, but no high notes either... etc etc: an unimaginatively harsh, cold, and hateful review (which was almost word to word similar to the Venetian one) but underneath, in a side comment, as he criticizes the "production", he mentions that my Carmen is a "Zingara, prostituta, ebrea e terrorista. Che si vuole di più?" (Gypsy, prostitute, Jewish, and a terrorist").
While you can somehow explain the "Gypsy", or even the "prostitute" (the costumes?) or the "terrorist" (I was at one little point carrying a gun), I truly don't recall wearing the yellow star on my arm or praying to the bible in this production.
In other words: an antisemitic remark which shines a whole other light on this new FB "fan" and his "review". (He is no longer my Fan on FB). .... UPDATE: Mr. gianguido mussomeli has quietly and cowardly erased his little fascist remark.

I decided to do something I never do; This just infuriated me too much- I responded to his comment.
I wanted him to realize that since he actually WAS in personal touch with me, I came to read his blog. I wanted him to realize that I am a human being, a real one, and especially because we HAVE met on cyber space, he might want to reconsider his offensive ways. ... UPDATE: Mr. gianguido mussomelli has quietly and cowardly also erased some of my responses, and other readers comments, and has left his blog nice and "clean".
I don't expect privileged positive reviews just because we exchanged words on the Internet, but reading such a harsh critic which is laced with an anti- Semitic foot note, was really an unpleasant surprise.
To my comment, he replied by digging up and posting this 2008 unrelated (Barbiere!) VENICE review from that other blog I was mentioning earlier. LoL.

I guess here is where I should really stop. and I am. But at least I am not crying all the way to the supermarket anymore (on the contrary- I am smiling all the way to there, to the theater, AND to the bank, too!) :)

8 Comments:

Blogger ronnoa said...

What a story!! Rini, you were brave to write to this hating man.

5:41 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Gross. This vulgar animal isn't worth a single moment of your thoughts. Sounds like a weirdo to me.

7:21 AM  
Anonymous AlikGhibek said...

It's unbelievable!
How can anyone in the world do such things?!!
So insulting - to pretend like this - of course - through internet he cannot look directly into your eyes and say everything he thinks he is allowed to say...i hate racists!Stupid agressive moron!

8:49 AM  
Blogger Good Chi said...

Gimme his address,I real chinese communista is gonna get this right.

10:00 AM  
Anonymous Iona said...

What an idiot he was! Well done for sticking up to him, I agree with the above comment – the internet makes people feel they can say anything.

On that note, I want to let you know that I LOVE your voice, it’s beautiful. I would like to have heard you in Birmingham when you were there, but unfortunately it clashed with school term (I’m eighteen, so school is still a factor!).

So for all your fans’ sakes, don’t let it get to you!
Iona

4:12 PM  
Anonymous Radu Prisacaru said...

found your site on del.icio.us today and really liked it.. i bookmarked it and will be back to check it out some more later. I invite you to see my post, I hope you will find interesting too.

9:11 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

So sorry you ran into such a hateful person. Not only is he an idiot, he has a tin ear. You have a gorgeous, very mezzo, voice. Agree with Iona, don't let it get to you.

9:19 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Unbelievable how rude people can be! We do not all have the same opinions and/or tastes in life but we do not have to share that with the world. You have a wonderful, thick Mezzo voice and it is not to heavy (which I like very much). I love your Carmen! Keep up the good work and don't let jealous and bitter people get to you. I'm studying Carmen at the moment and I do look up to you! I wish you all the best :) Dora Armannsdottir (Mezzo, from Iceland)

1:24 AM  

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