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U.S. symphony plays a historic concert in the capital of North Korea
February 27, 2008
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PYONGYANG ― In a rare show of respect to a longtime enemy, hundreds of North Koreans stood and listened to “The Star Spangled Banner,” then gave the New York Philharmonic a five-minute standing ovation at the end of a historic concert last night. The New York Philharmonic, the oldest symphony orchestra in the United States, opened its concert in the reclusive country by playing the national anthem of North Korea in the packed 1,500-seat East Pyongyang Grand Theatre. The audience, mostly North Korean men dressed in dark suits and women in colorful hanbok, rose for the playing of their anthem and remained standing for the U.S. national anthem. National flags of the United States and North Korea hung on each side of the stage. The groundbreaking concert, aimed at improving ties between the two countries, came amid a deadlock in international efforts to end the North’s nuclear arms programs. On the same day, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, visiting Beijing, urged China to maximize its influence over Pyongyang to quicken its nuclear disarmament. The concert was broadcast live around the isolated communist country by the state-run TV and radio networks, as well as in South Korea and other parts of the world. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il did not attend, but other North Korean dignitaries and foreign guests witnessed the 90-minute event, dubbed “orchestra diplomacy.” Yang Hyong-sop, vice president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, sat next to James Lilley, a former U.S. ambassador to China. Ahead of the concert, conductor Lorin Maazel told journalists the New York Philharmonic has been a force for change in the past, noting its 1959 performance in the Soviet Union. “The Soviets didn’t realize that it was a two-edged sword, because by doing so they allowed people from outside the country to interact with their own people, and to have an influence,” he said. “It was so long lasting that eventually the people in power found themselves out of power.” While showing concerns that to “draw a parallel would be doing a disservice to the people who live here,” Maazel said, “We are very humble. We are here to make music.” It remains to be seen if the music by Americans in Pyongyang touched the hearts of North Koreans, but the performance in Pyongyang was undeniably a political event. Kim Jong-il’s decision to invite the orchestra from the country his citizens are taught to despise signals a willingness to open up the country and establish diplomatic relations with Washington, North Korea watchers said. Experts noted that the performance is similar to the Philadelphia Orchestra’s historic 1973 tour of China, which broke the ice for the normalization of U.S.-China relations. In addition to ping-pong diplomacy, music diplomacy was a turning point in opening China’s Bamboo Curtain. “The North allowed what it called the imperialist U.S. orchestra to perform in Pyongyang,” said Chon Hyun-joon, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification. “This alone indicates that the North hopes to tie a diplomatic knot with the United States and is willing to do so. The message is conveyed by allowing the New York Philharmonic to play “The Star Spangled Banner” in Pyongyang.” It was the first performance in North Korea by a U.S. orchestra, but not the first time the U.S. national anthem has been played in the communist country. The Unification Ministry of South Korea said the U.S. national anthem was played in Pyongyang in 2005 at an international boxing match. It is, however, the first time the Star Spangled Banner has been broadcast live across North Korea. Under the direction of Maazel, the orchestra performed three more pieces after the national anthems. “My colleagues of the New York Philharmonic and I are pleased to play in this fine hall today,” Maazel said before kicking off Antonin Dvorak’s “New World” symphony. He closed his brief English remarks by saying “Please, have a good time,” in Korean.
Three encores, including the traditional Korean tune “Arirang,” were also played. Earlier in the day, the Philharmonic had a dress rehearsal with 1,200 residents of Pyongyang attending, many of them hearing foreign melodies for the first time. “This is strange music,” said Kim Joon-ho, a 48-year-old athletics teacher of Kumsong School, as he shook his head. Most of the audience for the rehearsal were teachers at schools in Pyongyang. “Music outside Eastern Europe is rare, but I managed to find recordings by the Vienna Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic and listened to them many times,” a classical music fan said after his rare opportunity to see the rehearsal. Experts noted that music has been a main tool for Kim to maintain his rule over the country. “The key of musical politics is using the power of music to promote the ideology of revolution, unify the people and resolve obstacles on the way to a successful revolution,” said Professor Kim Yong-hyun of the North Korean Studies Department at Dongguk University, talking about music in North Korea. The North’s Korea Central News Agency also reported on Feb. 20 that “the Korean revolution, which began with a song and marched with a song, will win a victory with grand ‘musical politics.’” As a part of the personality cult, North Korea’s media praises Kim as “a leader who catches a musician’s mistake of missing even a half-beat.” By Kim Ho-joung JoongAng Ilbo/ Ser Myo-ja Staff Reporter [myoja@joongang.co.kr] |
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