ITL is back with a 100% topical episode: after a quick review of the new West Side Story movie, Chris and Sridhar chat about the politics of music as it pertains to Putin's invasion of Ukraine. They discuss the cancellation of Russian music and musicians in wartime, music as propaganda, musicians who enable and benefit from Putin, and much more.

Join the discussion:

Tweet us @shreggz and @chris_arkin

Episode clips on Instagram @impolitemedia

Useful links:

West Side Story 1961 Opening

West Side Story 2021 Opening

Neil Gaiman - A View from the Cheap Seats

Ansel Elgort - Thief

Erik Hoel - CGI did, in fact, ruin movies

Subscribe to Erik Hoel's (free!) newsletter, The Intrinsic Perspective

Borys Lyatoshynsky - Symphony no. 3 in B Minor, "Peace Will Defeat War"

Borys Lyatoshynsky - wikipedia

Alexander Malofeev - wikipedia

NPR article on Malofeev's cancelled concerts

Malofeev plays Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3

Malofeev plays Rachmaninoff: Lilacs

Valery Gergiev - wikipedia

Summary of Navalny's report on Gergiev's illegal activities

Putin's War Conductor - Navalny's report in Russian on Gergiev

Navalny singles out Gergiev for sanctions - Reuters

Life in a Day - Valery Gergiev

Gergiev checks the Chelsea score

Anna Netrebko - wikipedia

Alex Ross - Listening to Russian Music in Putin's Shadow

Zachary Woolfe - Putin's Maestro, and the Limits of Cultural Exchange in Wartime

Netrebko posing with flag of Novorossiya

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plays the piano

Zelenskyy plays Hava Nagila