Attendance of vice-president – who once disbelieved that people listened to classical music for pleasure – strikes sour note at Kennedy Center in light of Maga takeover
The situation invokes a thought of ‘Inglourious Basterds’
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Thursday evening’s concert programme – Shostakovich’s second violin concerto, with Leonidas Kavakos the soloist, followed by Stravinsky’s Petrushka – got off to a slightly shaky start before settling into its stride.
Audience members nervously joked during the intermission about the apposite all-Russian programme, given Vance’s brutal dressing-down of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during an Oval Office blowup in February that played directly into the hands of the Russian ruler, Vladimir Putin.
If this was a movie I’d complain about the stupid “coincidences” that happen for the sake of the plot.
Aww I love Shostakovich. He almost died under Stalin, but decided to play along afterwards. Still, anyone who doesn’t understand that his music was deeply critical of the system - well, doesn’t understand his music.
If this was a movie I’d complain about the stupid “coincidences” that happen for the sake of the plot.
Aww I love Shostakovich. He almost died under Stalin, but decided to play along afterwards. Still, anyone who doesn’t understand that his music was deeply critical of the system - well, doesn’t understand his music.