The plot of one opera: a young woman, on God's behalf, leads an army into war against a foreign occupying power and thus saves her king's crown.

But her own father accuses her of devilish activities because of her love for a young man.

The enemy can then capture them, sentence them to death and execute them.

Even on the pyre there is wonderful singing.

The plot of the other opera: On God's behalf, a young woman leads an army into war against a foreign occupying power and thus saves her king's crown.

But her own father accuses her of devilish activities because of her love for a young man.

The enemy can then capture them, sentence them to death and execute them.

Even on the pyre there is wonderful singing.

Didn't notice any difference?

The St. Gallen Festival does.

Because the first opera was written by Tchaikovsky, the second by Verdi.

Both used Schiller's drama The Maid of Orleans as their main source, but one composer was Russian, the other Italian.

As a result, the opera has become unacceptable for the Swiss summer festival that begins in two months: "Even if the theme of this work is French through and through, it is currently not justifiable to play Russian music outdoors in the middle of the city, which is based on acts of war lie, to bring to sound.

Since those responsible want to stick to the theme of this year's festival opera, they have decided

Do you still have words?

Let's take the last of the burning virgin.

In Verdi: "Heaven opens .

.

.

Farewell, mortal glory.

I fly high.

I'm already glowing in the sun.” With Tchaikovsky: “The heavens have opened, the suffering is over!” What sounds more warlike?

And what will the St. Gallen Festival do if Marine Le Pen wins the presidential runoff in France tomorrow?

"A thoroughly French work", whether by a Russian or Italian composer, would then probably no longer be appropriate "out in the open in the middle of the city" if it is based on national saints.

And if you equate music that is 177 years old (Verdi) or 141 years old (Tchaikovsky) with the present as consistently as in Switzerland.

"Everyone live quietly in their own homes"

proclaims their national hero Wilhelm Tell in another Schiller drama before he turns into a freedom fighter.

But not even this cowardly Tell will have meant the renunciation of music.