Gergiev's misplaced mandarin

The assessment by a reader of Valery Gergiev's tenure to date at the London Symphony Orchestra continues to reverberate around the world. In Italy it has prompted an article titled Overgrown Path stronca Valery Gergiev. The word stronca translates as demolishes. Meanwhile, back at the LSO's London base there is the mystery of the misplaced mandarin. On Jan 27, 2009 Gergiev and the LSO were scheduled to play the Rite of Spring and a concert performance of Bartok's Duke Blue Beards Castle (yes, in that order), followed on Jan 29 by the suites from Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges and Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin coupled with another performance of Blue Beard. But the nicely themed Jan 29 concert has been dropped in favour of a repeat of the Rite plus Blue Beard programme. No reason has been given for the change. I am quite sure it had nothing to do with rehearsal time; perhaps someone simply wanted to give audiences two chances to hear one of the most unbalanced concert programmes ever conceived?

You can find the misplaced mandarin here.
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