"N.Y. SENDS GERSHWIN TO SECRETIVE COMMUNISTS," said CNN's main page earlier today. It feels like 1956 again. There are, needless to say, divergent opinions about the New York Philharmonic's forty-eight-hour tour of North Korea, now underway. Norman Lebrecht has issued a flat-out denunciation, as has Terry Teachout. Matthew Guerrieri is skeptical, but at a softer dynamic. Greg Sandow believes the trip can do good. Jens Laurson and George Pieler think it might have done good if the program had been different. Condoleezza Rice weighs in: "I don't think we should get carried away with what listening to Dvořák is going to do in North Korea." Dan Wakin is providing reports on the Times arts blog; Steve Smith is also along for the ride. Kate Julian of the New Yorker talks to Lorin Maazel. Anne Midgette looks at North Korea's classical scene. Pete Matthews live-blogs the broadcast. I'll comment later on.
