Anna Netrebko sang a recital live from Vienna as the opera company and its unions remain in a standoff.

By Anthony Tommasini

“Since the end of March, the unionized orchestra and chorus, among other workers, have remained furloughed, with talks between the unions and management at a standstill. Frustrations have been vented on social media over the Met’s decision to stream recitals like Netrebko’s while the company’s house artists remain out of work. (The orchestra is planning its own streaming concert, independent of the Met, on Feb. 21 at metorchestramusicians.org, featuring the star soprano Angela Gheorghiu; proceeds will go to the Met Orchestra Musicians Fund.)

The issue has been hanging over the recital series, which began in July with Jonas Kaufmann and is a venture into testingwhether opera audiences will pay for online content, as well as an attempt to keep fans and patrons of the Met engaged.”