Tchaikovsky's Google doodle shows music matters more than politics

Thank goodness for the hung parliament. One welcome, unforeseen consequence of our collective lack of decisiveness is that Google has proved what we all know to be true: music matters more than politics. The search engine replaced its 10 Downing Street doodle this morning, when it became obvious that no-one had won a majority, with the balletic fantasy of dancers throwing some Google-ish swan shapes. They're commemorating – of course – Tchaikovsky's 170th birthday.

I think this is their best composerly commemoration yet, more artful than their Stravinsky-sketch, less obvious than their Vivaldi-violins. And here's Yuri Temirkanov and the orchestra of La Scala with an impassioned performance of Pyotr Ilyich's Pathétique symphony to remind you that the dramas of real life are still happening, despite the pathetic, grubby comedy of politics and power going on at Westminster.