Valery Gergiev’s role in Manchester United’s defeat
mainIf you watched Man United vs PSG last night you will have seen extensive advertisements for the social and cultural blessings of the Champions League sponsor, Gazprom.
The cultural heroes of this worthy Russian benefactor are none other than Valery Gergiev and Denis Matsuev. The two artists were featured heavily in the Gazprom ads.
The next time you read that artists have no alternative to collaborating with President Putin’s foreign adventures, remember too that there are rich rewards available to those who sing along with the Russia’s imperial ruler.
is anything wrong with Gergiev’s talent or what? If no, he can sing along with everyone he wants, even a jukebox in karaoke , that empire has democratic laws 😉 … any way whatever floats you boat , Norman. As for me I like him, he is great.
These two swimmers on Sunday morning gave an astounding performance of Tchaikovsky’s G-Major Concerto — lots of power but no bombast, good structure, imaginative phrasing, unexpected detail and color, staggering virtuosity from Matsuev, and nice partnering with the MPhil violin and cello in the unusual middle movement.
You must be new at SD, Andrew? Their musical abilities aren’t for consideration here. We are concerned only with their amorphously-alleged links to very reasonably-priced gas supply (moreover, in winter). If you’re still having trouble with this, drop an email to Gavin Williamson – I’m sure he has a simplistic boilerplate explanation he can forward to you?
Spot on!
“These two swimmers on Sunday morning gave an astounding performance of Tchaikovsky’s G-Major Concerto”
Nice try. As we all know, the only piano concerto Tchaikovsky ever wrote is the piano concerto in b flat minor in one movement. 😀
Many of us do not admire or support the reigning government of our country. We may even be employed by them. But we cannot choose our heritage or native land. And strikes me as extremely ungracious to criticise citizens of another country for the accommodations they may have to reach in difficult circumstances.
Quite, and they may regard loyalty to the country as more stable than loyalty to a current government
You’re right. The real or imagined faults of the Putin government in Russia receive fulsome coverage in this, supposedly, musical forum. The name Benyamin Netanyahu and his corrupt, bellicose regime in Israel seem so far to have escaped our notice…..
As indeed there are rich rewards for bien pensant who walk in lockstep with the mainstream media. And watch out if you dissent from their hegemony!! Be prepared to surrender your reputation and/or career.
Exactly, Sue. You know it’s been rigged when The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph march in lockstep with each other! 😉 Even Gavin Williamson’s pet desktop spider could work that one out!
But since Gazprom’s name has been invoked, let’s compare the prices?
Spot price for Gazprom gas, piped to Germany, Poland, Latvia, or other countries = $5.65 per MMBtu. (Cost of gas pipeline borne by Gazprom).
Spot price for American LNG (Liquid Natural Gas = the form in which it can be shipped by sea to Europe) = $8.1 per MMBtu when landed and regasified. (Cost of LNG shipping terminal to be borne by the purchasing country).
Germany is budgeting to spend $500 million on building an LNG terminal to land American gas – even though Russian gas is 30% cheaper and delivered in ready-to-use pipeline form.
Poland has said it will refuse to buy Russian gas, and will rely on American tanker shipments across the Atlantic for its heating needs. Poland’s economy must be doing better than expected, for them to be able to turn down Gazprom gas at 30% cheaper?? And moreover, to buy $414mln dollars-worth of American ICBMs ‘to protect Poland from Russia’, as the Warsaw govt announced this morning. Lucky old Poles, eh? So flush with their money!!
The worry is that Gazprom, if they were the only supplier, would be able to suddenly increase the price (or suddenly decide to stop supplying their gas). Hence many countries are looking to alternative suppliers, should these be needed. Of course, the extent to which these fears would ever be realised is, I suppose, unknown: perhaps you and the Polish government have different views on this.