Another beloved figure has taken Timothée Chalamet to task for his recent comments the Oscar nominee made about opera and ballet, including that “no one cares” about them anymore.
“I believe we often tend to keep our distance from what we have not yet truly encountered,” legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli said in a statement to People. “Opera and ballet are art forms that have crossed centuries and continue to speak to the human heart, because they answer a deep need for beauty, truth and emotion. They are not arts of the past, but living languages that can still move us, make us reflect, and bring different generations together.”
Bocelli, a former Oscar nominee himself, then extended an olive branch to Chalamet.
“I am convinced that a sensitive performer like Timothée, who understands the power of emotions, may one day discover that opera and dance draw from that very same source,” the famed singer predicted. “Should he ever be curious, I would be happy to welcome him as a guest at one of my concerts. Sometimes it only takes a few minutes of hearing this music live to understand why, after centuries, it continues to be loved all over the world.”
Bocelli’s remarks echoed those of ballerina Misty Copeland, who took Chalamet to task yesterday
“I think that it’s important that we acknowledge that, yes, this is an art form that’s not ‘popular’ and a part of pop culture as movies are, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have enduring relevance in culture,” observed Copeland.
She noted in a social media post that, “there’s a reason that the opera and ballet have been around for over 400 years.”
“I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera, or you know, things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive,’ even though it’s like, no one cares about this anymore,” he said, drawing laughter from both McConaughey and the crowd. “All respect to the ballet and opera people out there.”