Horns blast. Bells toll. Cannons explode. Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture is one the loudest pieces of classical music ever composed. A triumphant celebration of sound, played at major events and, without fail, every US Independence Day celebration.

But on Friday, they are turning down the volume at St David's Hall, Cardiff. The Philharmonic Orchestra has cancelled a performance of the Russian's work, saying it would be "inappropriate at this time". Critics call the decision daft, pointless and absurd.

It is the latest move in the boycott of Russian culture in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Film, art and music festivals have revised lineups, cutting out work that may be seen as supporting Russia. Conductor Valery Gergiev and soprano Anna Netrebko have pulled out of future performances after refusing to condemn Putin. On Saturday, Strictly stars Katya Jones and Luba Mushtuk have been urged to speak out against Putin or risk being fired.

Tchaikovsky's overture was written in 1880 to commemorate the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte's 1812 invasion of Russia. The live cannon represents the Battle of BorodinoThe first major battle to use artillery left at least 68,000 dead and wounded., the bloodiest day in history until 1914. The church bells and national anthem celebrate Russia's final victory.

As the Russia-Ukraine war continues, Cardiff's director Martin May decided this "military-themed" piece struck the wrong note. But Tchaikovsky's music is loved and admired internationally. So is this a step too far?

Some argue it is a symbolic act that does nothing to weaken Putin or help Ukraine. At worst, it stirs up Russophobia and supports Putin's narrative that the West hates Russian people and their culture.

The cellist Julian Lloyd Webber says we must let the music play. He remembers the "extraordinary intensity" of Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich performing in 1968 after Soviet tanks crushed the Prague SpringAn uprising in the former Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. It was violently suppressed by the Soviet army.. Playing music by Czech composer Antonin Dvorak, "the tears visibly pouring down his cheeks... spoke more than any number of words".

The orchestra stands by its decision. The director said they must respect a member with ties to Ukraine. 

Tchaikovsky himself may have welcomed this news. He loathed the overture, describing it as "very loud and noisy and completely without artistic merit". He admired Ukrainian music and resented composing a nationalistic anthem.

Curiously, the overture features another politically sensitive song: La Marseillaise. It represents the French, but it is anachronistic because Napoleon banned it.

This is not the first time current events have stopped the music. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, US radio blocked 165 songs considered "lyrically questionable". These included tunes about planes and explosions, but also upbeat numbers like What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong.

Silent concert halls are unlikely to change Putin's mind in Moscow. But the debate does reveal what we think music is for and makes us ask whether we can separate art from politics.

Yes: This is tone-deaf barbarism. Like all great art, music is a universal language that unites us and promotes peace and cultural understanding. Culture should not be a casualty of war.

No: Art is always political. Nations use culture to wield soft power in the world. By refusing to play the 1812 Overture, musicians reject the militaristic worldview of Putin's regime.

Or... We need to separate the debate about a boycott from calls for cultural sensitivity. It is possible to oppose a ban on Russian culture and see why now is not the time for cannon fire in concert halls.