American composer Philip Glass has accused the Sevastopol Opera and Ballet Theater in Russian-annexed Crimea of using his music in the ballet “Wuthering Heights” without permission. He addressed the issue in an open letter posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) on July 25.
The theater’s management appears not only to have used his music without permission, but also advertised the production by using Glass’s name. Glass condemned this as an “act of piracy” and accused the theater of violating the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.
The composer noted that he was “well aware that the current circumstances in occupied Crimea leave [him] powerless to assert [his] right under international law to prohibit this act of piracy.”
He added: “I shall make my vehement objection to it known should you proceed.”
The theater responded to Glass’s accusations by saying that it was operating within Russian law.
“We officially state that the theater operates within the framework of Russian law. We do not allow the illegal use of copyrighted [material],” the theater’s press service told business publication RBC.
The Sevastopol Opera and Ballet Theater intends to premiere the ballet “Wuthering Heights,” based on Emily Brontë's eponymous novel, on July 29 and 30 at the Palace of Culture of Fishermen. The production credits Philip Glass as one of the composers — alongside Moscow's Tatiana Shatkovskaya and Iceland's Hildur Guðnadóttir. Sergei Polunin, who directs the theater, will perform one of the leading roles in the ballet.
Polunin, an ardent supporter of President Vladimir Putin, has three tattoos of Putin's face on his chest and shoulders. He has publicly endorsed Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and claims to have donated money to the Russian armed forces. Under Putin's orders, Russia is constructing new facilities for Polunin's opera and ballet theater in Sevastopol.
The 87-year-old Glass is renowned as one of the world’s greatest living composers. He has composed music for numerous theatrical works and films, including the 1998 drama The Truman Show. Three of his film scores have been nominated for Academy Awards.