NY Philharmonic Plays Concert in NKorea

[underpants]

Source: AP

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — The New York Philharmonic brought musical diplomacy to the heart of communist North Korea in a historic concert Tuesday before the communist nation's elite, playing a program highlighting American music in the nuclear-armed country that considers the U.S. its mortal enemy.

The Philharmonic is the first major American cultural group to perform in the country and the largest delegation from the United States to visit its longtime foe. The visit grew out of a period of warming relations between the nations that remain locked in negotiations over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programs.

The Philharmonic began the concert with "Patriotic Song" — North Korea's national anthem — followed by the U.S. anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner." The audience stood for both songs and applauded after.

That included two pieces that premiered with the Philharmonic: Antonin Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 — popularly known as the "New World Symphony," written while the Czech composer lived in the United States and inspired by native American themes — and George Gershwin's "An American in Paris."


Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hm1GSRjoD5t21ykOYXDwz_PV6v_wD8V1TQV02

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What a treat this morning. I get to the gym to run on the treadmill and turn on the TV and see this LIVE on CNN International. I did 3.5 miles to Gershwin and the rest.


A monumental moment in our time.

[bigworld]

1. Here's a link to the anthems performance

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/02/26/vo.nkorea.ny.philharmonic.concert.ap

[DiverDave]

2. This can only help.

Cultural exchange is a powerful tool for diplomacy.

[Robb]

3. Bingo

The piece on NPR this morning had a great comment from (IIRC) one of the organizers or performers, that the influence of music will stick around for generations, and outlast anyone in government.

[bamademo]

4. That remark brought me to tears

I wish we could try that in other countries.