Moscow crisis: Tchaikovsky competitors are told to stay in their hotels
NewsDuring the Wagner Group’s mutriny and its apparent march on Moscow, we understand that some contestants at the Tchaikovsky Competition were ordered to stay in their hotels throughout today.
Meanwhile, results were announced for the third round. The farce continues.
What a pitiful state of affairs.
You mean that, without a crisis, the KGB would let them roam about just like that? Friends of mine who went to Moscow to give lectures for free tell a very different story.
I worked in Moscow as a music teacher for 4 years, before the invasion of Ukraine. Contrary to what you say here, I, as a British citizen, was treated extremely well: allowed to use the pianos at the Conservatoire and Gnessin Institute for my own practice, asked to sit in on exams/performances at central music schools, invited to give lectures on British music, given library cards to Russian institutions, etc. I never had any problems with documents and travelled freely both within Russia and came and went on a multi-visa with no problems at all. If I was being scrutinised, then it was done very discreetly, as I was certainly never aware of it, never stopped, never questioned. I certainly do not condone Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but I have to say that not only did I witness an extraordinary high level of cultural activity whilst in Russia, but also enormous efficiency and courtesy as a foreigner. Maybe I was just lucky, but not once, in 4 years of day-to day living, did I experience any difficulties.
Russia’s courtesy toward foreigners is not in question. Peter Donohoe had a tumultuous reception to his triumph (along with Vladimir Ovchinnikov) in 1982 and has enjoyed the Russian public’s enthusiastic reception every since. This is about something different – giving succour to a murderous regime by participating in the state run competition when there is the choice not to do so.
It was in response to IP, who stated that his/her friends had been treated badly as foreigners.
This murderous regime was maybe close to be replaced by an even more murderous one….a devil we know is sometimes the less bad option…
…Not sure why this comment has attracted so many dislikes. The writer has said nothing offensive or controversial. They clearly state that they support Ukraine, and are merely describing their own personal experience, which they have the right to do so. Do the people who find this post offensive really think in such black and white terms? That ANYTHING positive said about Russia at all – must be criticised. I wonder how many of the people criticising this post actually have the experience of having personally lived and worked there as the writer seemingly does.
What does any sane person expect. It’s in a country run by a mad mass murderer any one of his best friends, the disgraced Gergiev, has his mucky paws in the competition.
It‘s all about style. If a country mass murders even more innocent people which is a „cool“ country, like the US in Iraq, then we should not get outraged. All about style and virtue signaling.
What is better? A rotten humanity that shows its true face (Russia), or a rotten humanity with a deceptive bread&games facade (US)?
You are correct. I used to think it was my country, right or wrong and I do still have great patriotism for this country, however(and a BIG however) I now realize the evil that our government has been operating under since basically WW2. It’s disgusting.
Always nice to hear from the Eurotrash who think history started in 1945.
Nobody here thinks so, but nice to hear from the simpletons in the US, who believe that them helping winning over Hitler justifies their delusional mental construct of exceptionalism, their grave war crimes and economic and cultural imperialism since forever.
Tamino, I just told you in a previous post that as a US citizen I do not believe that the US a cultural world power. How does this support your theory that we in the US all have a “delusional mental construct of exceptionalism” or that we are afflicted with a sense of “cultural imperialism”?
I am telling you exactly the opposite. So please explain to all of us “simpletons” in the US exactly how we are imperialists?
We are trying to follow the Tchaikovsky Competition. If you have a problem because your Iphone or Coca Cola were made in the US or object to US military activity during the past century, that is not on us. Most of us here were not even alive during WW2. We are mostly musicians here, we have no opinions on US involvement in war & we are certainly not displaying any type of cultural superiority in these discussions.
The US is a large, diverse nation. Many US citizens are immigrated from other countries or are the children & grandchildren of immigrants. Many US citizens, especially in music, spend much of their careers outside the US. Our views & our political beliefs are as broad & expansive as our geographical area.
This diversity is something non US people seldom understand. They want to generalize us, say we’re all “imperialists” or “simpletons”. It’s pure ignorance to do that.
Tamino, take your vicious accusations against those of us in the US who would like to follow these discussions about the Tchaikovsky Competition in peace somewhere else, please.
From the POV of people living outside of the US, the actions of your government and their consequences on the world stage are a much more foreground reality to experience, than the diversity of mentalities of average people living there. So don‘t be surprised that people worldwide hold you accountable.
Tamino, what does any of that even remotely have to do with the Tchaikovsky Competition?
Sue. You could argue with this people and you’ll never beat them because they a have a bit rooted problem with the US period.
They’ll blame the US even if their soup got cold. I don’t live in the US, not in a culturally potent country like Italy, Spain or France for example that have such great theatre, orchestras cultural institutions like la Scala, Teatro Real, Liceu, Ópera de Paris yet I read quite often in the news about the thousands of people who die or drown trying to reach their coasts, everyday of every year. Please explain how such cultural superior countries let such things happens?
I’m curious, Tamino – why are you & so many others so intent on making the US a focal point of this conversation about the Tchaikovsky Competition? We stand far behind nearly every other major nation culturally. We literally have one candidate left in this competition & he’s half Russian. We are not a cultural world power & yet you & others here feel the need to keep attacking the US in these discussions about the Tchaikovsky Competition. Why is that?
I was replying to a mass murder comment about Putin Russia, not about the competition.
I can‘t help when these comments come from the Anglo-American world to notice the stark blindness of most of these people about their own country‘s grave crimes against humanity in recent times. It‘s so sad and tiring. Nobody learns anything, all are blind and full of themselves.
I thought Angel Stanislav Wang was Asian American, but I could be wrong. I mean, I’ve been known to be wrong. That date is actually on my calendar.
You are right about the USA – and it gives me no pleasure to agree with you about this. It is collapsing in on itself. Decadence has taken hold to a very serious extent.
You’ve all had it too good for too long. Those days are over.
Sue, I wouldn’t go that far. US leaders who unfortunately prioritize military spending above supporting the arts doesn’t mean we’re “collapsing”, it means we’ve become a military power rather than a cultural one.
Those same US leaders would probably accuse more culturally advanced nations as being “decadent” because of the importance they place on the arts. It doesn’t mean the US is imploding, it’s a different perspective.
No one in the US has “had it good for too long”. That’s what you want to see from afar. It’s an outdated fairy tale from the 1950’s that people outside the US can’t seem to shake.
The US is a big, diverse nation. Don’t generalize. We’re just trying to follow the Tchaikovsky Competition like everyone else. Hopefully without people constantly attacking us about US war crimes. We know we’re not the best at culture but that doesn’t mean we’re imploding. Seriously?
Sue, Angel Stanislav Wang was born in Los Angeles to a Chinese American father & a Russian emigre mother. His mother is a piano teacher who trained in Moscow, has close ties there & sent Angel to study there.
Usa were of course benefactor of humanity in Irak, Afghanistan not to mention Vietnam, natives and black people… What country on earth has such white and pure hands that it could give lesson to the whole world? France ? Germany? Spain? Greece? …. Russia is certainly not at his best, not many people support the invasion but throwing names like “mad mass murders” won’t help anyone in Ukraine or elsewhere..
Zombies farce continues, but putinoids loose their power. Soon, medals from gergiev&matsuev will become a bad mark even in Russia.
“Zombies farce continues, but putinoids loose their power. Soon, medals from gergiev&matsuev will become a bad mark even in Russia.”
As we are daily enlightened by the mass media in the West – or Russian state controlled media, mutatis mutandis.
How about this kind of future: a never ending war without winners? No?
Speaking of farces, would you say the Wagner spectacle of taking over Moscow was a serious one – instead of an opera, with a stage director Putin?
I find “the news” laughable, in any and every country.
My prediction is that the winner/s will go onto the next international competition and accrue wins.
Far from being a ‘bad mark’ they know what I do: winners are grinners.
Not sure that winning the Tchaikovsky Competition 2023 carries any honour internationally but one of disgrace. Cannot for the life of me think why any right minded pianist (apart from Russians) would want to enter it.
And after Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Afghanistan, Iraq; why would anyone want to enter an American-based music competition?
Harry, we don’t HAVE any big music competitions in the US! The only one is the Van Cliburn & the winners are usually all from Asian countries.
I am Mexican and I am tired of reading all this negativity toward Russia. It makes this website look like nothing more than cheap propaganda. Would it be too hard to focus on music and remain neutral?
Pablo, May I ask how different is the cheap propaganda disseminated on this website about Russia from the lies, insults, threats and propaganda disseminated every morning for the past six years by your president Andre Lopez Obrador? I understand he undermines and threats everyone who disagrees with him call them journalists, opposition leaders, judges, common people. Etc
How different is that staunch manner in which you seem to defend Russia from that? Please explain…