The New York Philharmonic Live from North Korea

This is an enjoyable recording of a performance in Feb 2008 by the NYP under conductor Lorin Maazel, in Pyongyang, Korea. It was the first time a Western orchestra had played in the country, and billed as a "rapprochement" between the 2 class-based capitalist countries the US and North Korea – and I suspect most of the intense audience was there with politics not music foremost in their minds. I bet those 1960's-style seats throughout the auditorium hurt (by) the end! The venue was pretty stark although easy on the eye, and the playing by the Orch was lush and certainly easy on the ear.

Highlights of the night (to me) were the extracts from Dvorak's New World Symphony - how fitting to play that in Pyongyang, the tribute to Bernstein with a rudderless Overture to Candide, but especially Arirang. It's a rather beautiful Korean folksong at the best of times, but their wordless rendition here make it ultra-dignified and even more layered and ravishing than usual. Those used only to 3 minute warbles by Korean folk singers have a surprise coming! Also helping was that the rapport between Maazel (who will retire in 2009 after 7 years with the NYP) and Orch seemed perfect.

Symbolic events such as these will not bring about reconciliation of the US and North Korea or other capitalist units, but music on its own merit can bring ordinary people together if allowed to by our Betters. Get this "historic" DVD for a few brief hours with one of the worlds most polished orchestras at the top of their game, and their sublime version of Arirang to at least help bring about the rapprochement of your senses.