Two Maestros - One World

Many of you may have read about the NY Philharmonic's Asian tour - including their concert in North Korea. Thankfully, this was taped for broadcast on PBS.

The concert hall was sparse in design, very functional, but actually quite pleasing to the eye. My guess is that the acoustics were about as good as anyone can get.

What a thrill it was to hear the NY Phil, conducted by Loren Maazel (one of my all-time favorites) play the Gershwin "American in Paris!" As the camera panned around the audience, most of those in attendance sat with a look of total absorption. Some were smiling. Some were moving their heads with the music. Very few sat stoically. The orchestra was giving its all, and this was evident not only in their playing, but in their energy levels, which even came through on the tape!

Ah, but the conclusion. Tradition has it that when an American orchestra tours abroad, there are at least three encores. The second encore was the "Overture to Candide" by Leonard Bernstein, who had been their conductor for years and was a friend to many of the veteran players sitting on that stage. Since this would be the year "Lenny" would have turned 90, Maestro Maazel paid him the ultimate tribute. He announced the overture and left the stage. This greater than 100-piece philharmonic played the overture without a conductor on the podium! To those of you who know this piece, it is rhythmically complex, and there are entrances that are too easy to miss. It's far to easy for an ensemble to lose its rhythmic togetherness. Not so here. The concert master (first violin, first chair) Glen Dichterow, gave the first two beats - and they started. It was perfection from note one to the final cord. Everyone played together. 100 people playing as tightly as a well-rehearsed string quartet. And there was the empty podium. But it was not empty. Lenny's spirit was very much there.

The final encore was a Korean folk song, which had been exquisitely orchestrated. Respect will not allow me to even try to write the name because I simply can't spell it! The orchestra played it with great love and respect, and the audience accepted this as a gift.

Music - the language that knows no boundaries, that bridges gaps between worlds.