Transitions Online runs a profile titled, “Super Conductor” on Valery Gergiev and his great strides with St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky. His inhuman devotion is bewildering to all, quoting that he conducts nearly 300 concerts a year: “A popular joke has him conducting morning rehearsals in Britain, afternoon rehearsals in Germany, and an evening performance in St. Petersburg.” Personally, we liked the part about his May Opera Bastille performances the best:
“In May, the maestro was due to conduct two performances in the Opera Bastille. For the first performance, he arrived at the hall almost 40 minutes late, blaming travel delays. The management grumbled but swallowed its irritation. When the same thing happened for the second performance, a few days later, upon arrival the Russian maestro found another conductor already leading the orchestra.”
O RLY? That's not really how the story goes, but we kinda like this version better.