Instead, for the next half-century, the fragile armistice was constantly threatened by the rampingup of military armament levels and the gradual intrusion of nuclear weapons into the equation. When, in October 2006, North Korea conducted its first nuclear test, prospects for a resolution of the North-South conflict seemed more remote than ever.
And yet behind the scenes a series of covert orchestral manoeuvres was happening. ‘We have just very recently received an inquiry about the possibility of the New York Philharmonic performing in Pyongyang,’ announced a spokesman for the orchestra in August 2007. The communication, though routed through an ‘independent representative’, came from the North Korean Ministry of Culture. ‘We will explore the possibility of this as we would any other invitation,’ the spokesman dryly noted.
Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av BBC Music Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av BBC Music Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
A way with words
Great operas are inextricably linked with their composer but, asks Jessica Duchen, how often do we acknowledge the important role of the librettist?
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN Pick a theme... and name your seven favourite examples
Conductor Domingo Hindoyan nominates the best musical depictions of anger and frustration
A glittering beacon
Until its destruction in the fire of 1936, the Crystal Palace was one of the world's most exciting music venues, and its legacy still lives on today, writes Tom Service.
Christoph Willibald Gluck
Paul Riley traces the wandering existence of a cosmopolitan composer who made it his life's work and ambition to rip up opera's rulebook
The Awards are upon us once more!
Time to vote for the best recordings of the last 12 months
LEADING FROM THE FRONT
From running efficient rehearsals to learning to speak to orchestras with clarity and empathy, an array of exciting courses for conductors has bloomed in recent years, finds Clare Stevens
Kindred spirits
As their second opera takes to the stage, composer Gregory Spears and librettist Tracy K Smith talk to Charlotte Smith about their special partnership
The censors' refusal to play ball drives Verdi to despair
In the early months of 1857, Verdi had Shakespeare on his mind, and specifically King Lear.
11 Bed-Hopping Composers
Jeremy Pound lifts the covers off those notorious notesmiths who found the thrill of playing away simply too hard to resist
André Rieu Violinist, Conductor
King of the Waltz, Dutch musical impresario André Rieu has taken the world by storm with his Johann Strauss Orchestra.
