By Jon Herskovitz
PYONGYANG (Reuters) - The oldest U.S. orchestra on Tuesdaygave an unprecedented concert in hermit North Korea that bothsides say they hope will bring a little harmony to relationsbetween the Cold War foes.
The concert, which includes works by Richard Wagner,Antonin Dvorak and George Gershwin, comes as North Korea dragsits feet over demands to hold to its side of an internationaldisarmament deal and own up to everything it has been doingover the years to develop nuclear weapons.
"We feel this opportunity will deepen a betterunderstanding and trust between the two countries," Pak Su-mi,a guide, told foreign visitors to the Great People's StudyHouse, where North Koreans are allowed a highly restrictedglimpse of the Internet using outdated computers.
Pak, speaking in English, was in traditional Korean dressand wore a badge -- as do most North Korean adults -- with aportrait of Kim Il-sung, the isolated state's founding leaderand who became its president for eternity after his death in1994.
Executive director of the New York Philharmonic, ZarinMehta, echoed her comments, saying officials from both sideshoped the biggest U.S. group to visit since the 1950-53 KoreanWar would help normalise relations between the long-time foes.
"We have received the same message from the DPRK (NorthKorean) side that they wish to establish good relations," Mehtatold reporters in the first news conference ever to bebroadcast live outside the secretive state.
Mehta said six North Korean musicians had been invited toplay one piece with the orchestra during the concert, which wasshown live on North Korea's only television channel.
Discussions for the concert first emerged last year assignificant progress was made in six-way nuclear negotiationsamong the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the UnitedStates.
Analysts say Washington sees this visit as akin to culturalovertures it made to other Cold War foes decades ago and whicheventually helped to ease tension.
DIPLOMATIC COUP
During this visit, North Korea has opened its normallytightly shut doors to scores of foreign journalists, allowingthem Internet access and almost completely unrestrictedinternational phone lines -- unheard of in a country thatimprisons people for unauthorised contact with the outsideworld.
Analysts said that North Korea sees the arrival or theorchestra, at its invitation, as a diplomatic coup.
Its propaganda machine will almost certainly spin the visitas a mission from the United States -- officially, NorthKorea's darkest enemy -- to pay tribute to its leader KimJong-il, head of the world's first communist dynasty.
The two countries have no diplomatic ties, are technicallystill at war and have troops staring each other down across theheavily fortified border that has divided North and South Koreafor more than half a century.
But there was no sign of the enigmatic leader Kim among therapt audience.
The concert opened with the national anthems of the twocountries -- North Korea's first -- to an audience made up ofthe up of top cadres and generals who dominate the tightly-runstate.
The flags of both countries were on the stage.
The music selection for the New York Philharmonic's concertis steeped in irony.
Gershwin's "An American in Paris", the famed piece about aforeigner discovering the "the city of lights", was beingplayed in an impoverished country that does not produce enoughelectricity to light its homes at night.
Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 "From the New World", highlights animmigrant's discovery of America's music. The theme mayresonate strangely in a country that forbids most of itscitizens from leaving and reportedly executes many of thosecaught escaping.
At night, energy-starved North Korea lit the streets ofPyongyang for the motorcade of buses carrying some 350 peoplefrom the orchestra, its entourage and media covering the event.
As the buses pulled away, a few street lights went outbehind them and through the rear-view mirror. One sign couldstill be seen, which read: "Crush the American imperialistaggressors".
(Editing by Jonathan Thatcher and Alex Richardson)
(Take a look at the Reuters Global News Blog for more onthe NY Philharmonic's visit:http://blogs.reuters.com/global/)
