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Soft power and a rapturous ovation
Feb 28th 2008 | PYONGYANG
From The Economist print edition

Classical diplomacy

◆(1)Orchestras have long acted as goodwill ambassadors during political stand-offs. In 1956 the Boston Symphony Orchestra became the first prominent American ensemble to play in the Soviet Union. The Philharmonic itself, then under Bernstein, followed three years later. In 1973 the Philadelphia Orchestra performed in Beijing, an event that symbolised a sea change in America's relations with China following President Nixon's visit there a year earlier. "Our small symphony is a giant leap," said Mr Mehta when he announced the Pyongyang visit last December. "What follows from that is up to the diplomats to deal with. All we can do is show the way that music can unite people."

◆(2)Fortunately for the Philharmonic the North Koreans did not say what music they wanted. In official propaganda, Kim Jong Il is portrayed (flatteringly of course) as a musical micro-manager. He set out his principles in a speech to musicians in 1968 at the age of 26. Music must serve the revolution, he said. It must not be based on "uproarious Western music". The great leader (his father), he said, liked "lively and militant marches". Mr Kim said he had initially thought that the song "Kim Il Sung is our Sun" sounded good in D major. But his father had advised E major as better for expressing emotions richly.

◆(3)Choosing what to play in Pyongyang proved the easy part. Finding a suitable venue and getting the orchestra and instruments there were more difficult. The seat of the State Symphony Orchestra, the Moranbong Theatre (recently refurbished under Kim Jong Il's guidance-"no details escaped him," gushed the state news agency), was rejected as too small. The East Pyongyang Grand Theatre, though bigger, needed modifications to bring its acoustic qualities up to the Philharmonic's standards (the North Koreans obligingly made the alterations, including building an "acoustic shell", at their own expense).

◆(4)Pyongyang's harsh winter and shattered economy were obstacles too. Organisers worried that the instruments would be damaged by temperature variations as they were transported into and around the city. The chandelier-decked foyer of the venue itself was freezing. Mr Mehta held talks at the foreign ministry with an official wearing a thick overcoat in his office. Pyongyang's heating has been so bad this winter that residents complain they cannot remember the last time they were able to have a shower, says a diplomat.

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