It was inevitable. Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, that celebration of Russia’s successful defence against Napoleon’s invading army, has itself become a casualty of war. The Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra has removed it from its forthcoming concert, in response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. 

At this febrile time, the roar of cannon fire to be heard in it is undoubtedly in bad taste, and you can see why the orchestra (whose number includes a musician whose family are directly caught up in the Ukraine situation) has made the decision, fully aware of its incendiary impact. “We are aware that, whatever decision we made, it would not go down well, so we are stuck between a rock and a hard place,” said Martin May, the director of the orchestra, in a statement earlier this week. 

Another potential flashpoint in the concert was the inclusion of Tchaikovsky’s 2^nd Symphony no 2, the so-called Little Russian. This was the name given to Ukraine by Russians during the Tsarist era, and it was claimed Ukrainians might find this offensive. So the symphony too had to be dropped, and in the end the orchestra reprogrammed the entire concert from scratch.

This shows how quickly common sense can be set aside, when passions are inflamed by conflict. Anyone with any knowledge of Russian culture will know that the diminutive form in Russian language is a sign of affection. Far from being contemptuous, the name Little Russian is a sign of the reverence and love held by Russians for Ukraine. Must we banish Tchaikovsky’s symphony – which actually quotes Ukrainian folk-melodies – just because one man has twisted this historical fact into a reason for an armed invasion?

The question might seem trivial, when set beside the vast human suffering now being unleashed in Ukraine. But this cancellation is only one sign of a wider cultural boycott now being mooted. All around the world, musical or operatic events that involve Russia or Russians are being called into question, or revised to eliminate all Russian participation. To give just one example, the Honens Piano Competition in Canada has banned all the Russian participants from attending.