The world watched, listened and pondered the impact of the New York Philharmonic's visit to Pyongyang, North Korea. The orchestra and its conductor, Lorin Maazel displayed enormous musicality, diplomacy and sensitivity at this historic concert. The international telecast of the program with the journalists' comments and footage of the city was quite informative and telling to the viewing public. The playing of the North Korean and American national anthems set the tone of mutual respect for one another; the final encore, the elegiac Korean folk tune "Arirang" that both the North and South could relate to, appropriately concluded this significant event.
I agree with New York Times columnist, Anthony Tommasini that the orchestra should have chosen a piece by a living American composer. In reviewing the Boston Symphony's monumental appearance in the Soviet Union from September 5 - 10, 1956, I noted that the opening program in Leningrad consisted of Ludwig van Beethoven's Third Symphony, Walter Piston's Sixth Symphony and Maurice Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe Suite #2. Piston was a contemporary New England composer and professor of music at Harvard. Surely the Philharmonic could have programmed a 21st century artist like John Corigliano, Aaron Jay Kernis or Lowell Lieberman.
I want to share the comments by Henry B. Cabot, president of the Boston Symphony's trustees, in the July 24, 1955 New York Times.
"We welcome the President's suggestions to help remove the Iron Curtain by a cultural and intellectual exchange with the Soviet Union. The Boston Symphony Orchestra is ready and eager, if the President wishes, to be the first American orchestra to play in Moscow." What I find fascinating in reading this account are the number of famous Russian musicians who greeted the musicians backstage including Dmitri Kabalevsky, Davis Oistrakh, Igor Oistrakh, and Aram Khatchaturian. Let's hope that the Philharmonic's act will lead to a peaceful dialogue between the two nations.