Gergiev under pressure to dissociate himself from Putin

[Megan]

What worries me now is they might take the Russian Classics off the Bookshelves.
Has anyone read War & Peace, or seen the film? I love it. It is the best Novel every written in my estimation.

[Schenkerian]

What worries me now is they might take the Russian Classics off the Bookshelves.
Has anyone read War & Peace, or seen the film? I love it. It is the best Novel every written in my estimation.

With respect, we are heading towards WW3 and this is the very least of our worries.

[Peter]

What worries me now is they might take the Russian Classics off the Bookshelves.
Has anyone read War & Peace, or seen the film? I love it. It is the best Novel every written in my estimation.

Yes I've read it and watched both the Sergei Bondarchuk and the Anthony Hopkins BBC adaption. Yes very fine novel but my favourite Russian novel is Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. I'd be very surprised if they took them off the bookshelves, but who knows in these uncertain times what could happen?

[Quijote]

A step too far - https://slippedisc.com/2022/03/break...s-tchaikovsky/

Here's a letter from an Oxford prof and an article about this:

Why now is no time for Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture
https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...-1812-overture

Cardiff orchestra defends move to cut Tchaikovsky from concert
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...concert-russia

[Peter]

Here's a letter from an Oxford prof and an article about this:

Why now is no time for Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture
https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...-1812-overture

Cardiff orchestra defends move to cut Tchaikovsky from concert
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...concert-russia

Yes maybe the 1812 is inappropriate in the current situation, but even if they felt the 'Little Russian' was offensive to Ukranians, why not other Tchaikovsky works instead of scrapping him completely? You could argue on that basis that Symphony no.2 is always going to be offensive to Ukranians. Ludicrous of course since he simply uses Ukranian folk tunes and the term 'Little Russia' was in common usage in the 19th century - I'm certain Tchaikovsky meant no offence to the Ukranians by using that title.

[Schenkerian]

Yes maybe the 1812 is inappropriate in the current situation, but even if they felt the 'Little Russian' was offensive to Ukranians, why not other Tchaikovsky works instead of scrapping him completely? You could argue on that basis that Symphony no.2 is always going to be offensive to Ukranians. Ludicrous of course since he simply uses Ukranian folk tunes and the term 'Little Russia' was in common usage in the 19th century - I'm certain Tchaikovsky meant no offence to the Ukranians by using that title.

Why are we expecting historical figures, for example composers, to be called to account for their choices?? It's the road to perdition.

[Peter]

Why are we expecting historical figures, for example composers, to be called to account for their choices?? It's the road to perdition.

Absolutely - if we go down that road we'll probably only be left with Hildegard.

[Quijote]

Yes maybe the 1812 is inappropriate in the current situation, but even if they felt the 'Little Russian' was offensive to Ukranians, why not other Tchaikovsky works instead of scrapping him completely? You could argue on that basis that Symphony no.2 is always going to be offensive to Ukranians. Ludicrous of course since he simply uses Ukranian folk tunes and the term 'Little Russia' was in common usage in the 19th century - I'm certain Tchaikovsky meant no offence to the Ukranians by using that title.

You're preaching to the choir on this one, Peter.

[Harvey]

The sad thing is it the real president were in power, we would not have this situation. Everything has been falling apart since January 2021.

[Schenkerian]

The sad thing is it the real president were in power, we would not have this situation. Everything has been falling apart since January 2021.

Presumably you're talking about President Biden? I have no doubt Putin wouldn't have moved an inch if Trump was still in power; one tyrannical bully can easily recognize another. Simple rules of both the school playground and the Mafia. Trump made Putin feel he was his friend and admired by him, yet it wouldn't have taken a shaft of daylight between that and a knife between Putin's shoulder-blades if Trump so desired. Ruthless people are needed in ruthless times; the kind of ruthlessness exhibited by Churchill when he bombed French ships in occupied France, and these ships were filled with French (allied) sailors. Churchill couldn't afford those ships re-deployed against the UK. Today Churchill would have been labelled a 'war criminal' by the Left.

Putin just never knew what Trump would do and neither did the American people!! Trump proved to be a big deterrent to Putin (who thought he was his friend; memo to Putin - renegades don't have friends!!)

Four years of the Democrats pumping up Putin's tyres by obsessing about him created a bigger Frankenstein monster. The western world is filled with incredibly silly leaders.

[Harvey]

Well I wouldn't label Trump as tyrannical, but he sure knows how to play hardball.

[Quijote]

The sad thing is it the real president were in power, we would not have this situation. Everything has been falling apart since January 2021.

Not sure about that. Let's hear from someone with more expertise on this than any of us on this forum: Marie Yovanovitch, former US ambassador to Ukraine.

Lessons from the Edge review: Marie Yovanovitch roasts Trump on Putin and Ukraine
https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...-putin-ukraine

[Harvey]

I think some folks need an alternate view than the groomed propaganda of main stream media. Try this,
https://www.stopworldcontrol.com/ukraine/
Not saying this guy is right or wrong, but there is more to it than we are being fed.

[Quijote]

Tried that. No thanks.

[Quijote]

Still, have you noticed the number of military pundits on TV and in the press these days, all giving their 2 cents as to what's going to happen next in Ukraine?
And now ...