The Pyongyang Concert

In the case of communist China, ping-pong diplomacy ultimately nudged open the door to a reclusive society. The New York Philharmonic under conductor Lorin Maazel hopes to do the same with North Korea through music, travelling north of the demilitarized zone at the invitation of the hard-line regime in February 2008 to present a concert before a select audience, including many party functionaries, at the Grand Theatre in Pyongyang. The Pyongyang Concert features pieces by Wagner, Gershwin, Bizet, and Bernstein, as well as Dvorak's New World Symphony, with Maazel gamely attempting a greeting in Korean, and offering introductions to the pieces in English. Musically, the most telling moments are at the beginning, when the Philharmonic presents both Korea's and America's national anthems side by side, and at the close, when a rendition of a traditional Korean melody brings the audience to its feet in a prolonged standing ovation. Boasting fine sound on the standard DVD (with DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo options) and excellent camerawork, and looking and sounding even better on the Blu-ray release (with PCM 5.1 and stereo options), this concert is quite enjoyable. An excellent added bonus is the inclusion of filmmaker Ayelet Heller's hour-shy documentary “Americans in Pyongyang” (chronicling the orchestra's experiences, while also including footage of master classes the musicians led with local students), which puts the performance into proper historical and enlightening personal perspective. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)