Musicians found that they could not move freely during war, especially if they were in active service. It is not unusual for replacements to be found at short notice.

Musicians found that they could not move freely during war, especially if they were in active service. It is not unusual for replacements to be found at short notice, however the whole performance has been changed which is unusual. By playing the allied countries anthems and in this case one of Russia's most well known opera's, they were helping to show their support for the allies.