A REALLY BIG SHOW the New York Philharmonic’S Fantasia in North Korea by Suki Kim
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(61-70)Kim Final2 10/23/08 1:46 PM Page 61 LETTER FROM PYONGYANG A REALLY BIG SHOW The New York Philharmonic’s fantasia in North Korea By Suki Kim By noon on February 25, 2008, of carry-on bags, the musicians were juxtaposed with recent shots of the mae- seventy-five journalists were crowding joined by an entourage of twenty-five stro wielding a baton. the Asiana Airlines gate at Beijing wealthy patrons who had paid $50,000 “What is being offered to you is a Capital Interna- privilege,” I was tional Airport. told by the Phil- Many had their harmonic’s P.R. di- laptops open, since rector, Eric Latzky, this would be their before my depar- last chance to use ture from New the Internet for the York. Apparently, next forty-eight the privilege didn’t hours. Some were include the chance pacing the floor to speak freely to with cell phones any of the Philhar- pressed tightly to monic’s musicians, their ears, knowing including the eight they would soon who are of Korean have to part with origin, a point them, along with made clear when their passports. The Latzky insisted that correspondents had I speak to the musi- come from around cians only with his the world for the permission and as- chance to travel to sured me he would the forbidden des- arrange interviews. tination whose name was gleaming per person to accompany the Philhar- During the tour I got tired of waiting, from the flat-screen monitors: monic into North Korea. and I loitered in hotel lobbies in the PYONGYANG. Most of those gathered For almost a week, I had been fol- hope of chatting up a passing violinist had never been there, and some had lowing the orchestra on its Asian tour. or a cellist. Whatever was behind tried and failed repeatedly to gain ac- Beijing, the final stop before Pyongyang, Latzky’s stalling, he needn’t have wor- cess. Suddenly, cameras began clicking was a giant construction site. The ried; when I asked the musicians about furiously as the 110 members of the Olympics were less than six months the planned concert in Pyongyang, New York Philharmonic approached away, and China’s capital city was con- their answers were the same: the gate. Hauling instruments instead sumed by last-minute preparations. The “This is about music, not politics.” streets were plastered with BEIJING 2008 “We’re bringing music to people Suki Kim is the author of a novel, The In- posters, as well as black-and-white pho- who have no music.” terpreter, and is traveling to South Korea as tographs of Lorin Maazel, the Philhar- “It’s an historic moment, and we’re a Fulbright Research Scholar. monic’s music director, in his youth, happy to play a role in it.” Illustration by John Ritter LETTER FROM PYONGYANG 61 (rev 62)Kim Final2 Rev2 10/28/08 9:05 AM Page 62 Their firm belief in their roles as sets. And then there is the regime’s chestra, and the amount of good- cultural ambassadors echoed that of reputation for going back on its word. will and good food going around their maestro, who had made similar So why do it? He answered, his voice prompted Ambassador Randt to declarations in a Wall Street Journal betraying nothing but relaxed earnest- joke, “I hope you enjoy this dinner op-ed: “Artists . have a broader role ness, “World peace.” because it will be better than what to play in the public arena. But it must Latzky had offered me a more you’ll get in Pyongyang!” Paul be totally apolitical, nonpartisan and elaborate story during our interview Guenther, the Philharmonic’s chair- free of issue-specific agendas. It is a in his office at New York’s Avery man and the former president of the role of the highest possible order.” Jon Fisher Hall. “Zarin had flown to PaineWebber Group, quipped, “I’m Deak, a double bass player with the Stockholm to work with Alan bringing my protein bar.” The for- Philharmonic for thirty-nine years, ex- Gilbert”—the conductor scheduled mer U.S. ambassador to Hungary, plained it this way: “Lenny would’ve to succeed Lorin Maazel for the Donald Blinken, chimed in, “I’m done it”—“Lenny” being the late 2009 season—“and I flew to Venice ready for anything. I’ve got my long Leonard Bernstein, the music direc- to see the Biennale before heading underwear with me.” The party was tor who took the orchestra to the to the south of France, Switzerland, getting jolly. Soviet Union in 1959 and to Berlin and London. I was on a vaporetto In the middle of the room was when the wall came down surrounded by a boatful of German Benjamin M. Rosen, an elderly man in 1989. and American and British tourists, with a cheeky smile who introduced all these people with I LOVE VENICE himself as a blogger for the Huffing- “It’s a new frontier,” said Zarin T-shirts and cameras around their ton Post (though he is better known Mehta, the Philharmonic’s Bombay- necks, and my cell phone rings, and as the former chairman of Compaq born president (and brother of its it’s this man I had never spoken to, Computer), in a quandary over how longest-serving music director, Zubin and he introduces himself as an offi- many bottles of whiskey to purchase Mehta), when asked about staging a cial from the DPRK Permanent Mis- for his minders. Someone told him concert in Pyongyang, the city he sion to the United Nations.” Latzky two or three, after which he walked called “a nice Orwellian fantasy.” paused briefly to offer me a violet- around asking, “Which brand do you While we were in Beijing, Mehta, colored candy, which he said could think North Koreans would prefer?” whom Latzky had described as “the be found only at a particular confec- Pulling me aside, Sungeun Han- old world Anglo-Indian gentleman,” tionery in Vienna. “I kind of stood Andersen, the coifed young Korean told me that it all began in August up straight, and he’s calling to con- wife of an investment banker, whis- 2007, when an unnamed California- firm that we had received the invi- pered, “My parents are from North based mediator faxed an invitation tation. I had two friends with me, Korea, but I wouldn’t dare look for from the North Korean culture min- one of whom has a diplomatic back- my relatives. I’ve heard that they istry that Mehta then brought to the ground, and he’s in stitches laugh- blackmail you. You know that’s what attention of Christopher Hill, the as- ing. It was noisy on the boat, and I these people live on.” Accompany- sistant secretary of state for East Asian am having this really loud, formal, ing one of the concert’s producers and Pacific affairs. “Believe me,” Mehta diplomatic cell-phone conversation was a young man named Christopher said, “this was approved at the highest with the North Korean man. That who had once worked as an assistant levels in the White House.” (Accord- was the first contact.” Latzky con- to a celebrity photographer in Man- ing to reports in the South Korean tinued, shrugging once to add, “By hattan but was between jobs. He had press, the concert was first proposed virtue of who the New York Phil- come along to “experience a back- in July 2007, during bilateral talks in harmonic is, and the fact that we ward country.” “Beijing isn’t back- Berlin, when the North Korean travel around the world, we have ward enough,” he said. “Shanghai vice–foreign minister, Kim Kye Gwan, diplomatic contacts on a regular ba- was better because that was a bit presented Hill with the idea of invit- sis.” He pointed to a wall of pho- more backward, but everyone knows ing the orchestra for a cultural ex- tographs. “That picture right there, that the real backward spot these change.) I expressed some surprise that that’s in Tokyo, that’s the empress days is Pyongyang.” the North Koreans had been so oblig- of Japan attending one of our con- Holding court in a corner was a ing. “Is it the country or is it the people certs. We regularly have heads of seventy-five-year-old Japanese woman I was dealing with? I can’t answer that,” states attending our concerts. So the reputed to have a $190 million for- Mehta acknowledged. “If I had to re- realm is not so unusual to us. We are tune that was inherited from her late strict my view of the country based on a noted cultural ambassador of the husband, Count Ceschina of Venice. the people I dealt with, I would say United States.” The countess was greeting everyone that they were clever, engaging, and Latzky had invited me to a pri- with “Yoko—no, not that Yoko.” A cooperative, but you know that the vate reception in Beijing for the frequent contributor to Prince country isn’t like that from what you’ve Philharmonic’s patrons, which was Charles’s charities and a former read.” North Korea had promised that hosted by U.S. Ambassador Clark harpist, Yoko Nagae Ceschina was un- the concert would be broadcast live T. Randt Jr. at his residence. The derwriting most of the cost of the Py- on state-run radio and TV. But elec- event included a chamber concert ongyang concert and seemed elated tricity is scarce there, as are television featuring three stars from the or- about the next stop on the tour.