WCSU music professor joins historic performance in North Korea
Saxophonist Dan Goble plays with N.Y. Philharmonic in Pyongyang concert
DANBURY, CONN. — Several times a year, Dr. Dan Goble takes a break from the classroom at Western Connecticut State University to perform on the saxophone with the New York Philharmonic — but none of those appearances could match his Feb. 26 visit with the world-class orchestra to play in a history-making performance in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.
With the Philharmonic’s principal saxophonist Albert Regni and fellow guest performer Lawrence Feldman, Goble knew from the opening notes of U.S. composer George Gershwin’s “American in Paris” that they had brought a special gift to their audience at the East Pyongyang Grand Theater, and millions more who heard the concert on state-run North Korean radio and television broadcasts.
“It’s no accident we were there with the orchestra to play this piece,” he observed, given the strong influence of the American-rooted jazz genre in Gershwin’s composition. “The majority of the people in this audience had never even heard a saxophone, so the use of the saxophone in this piece was very, very evocative. It was a way for the orchestra to portray the jazz genre in the best way they could in this setting.”
The New York Philharmonic’s visit to Pyongyang marked the first breakthrough in a gradual opening of American cultural exchange with the closed society of communist North Korea following a cautious return to diplomatic engagement between the U.S. and North Korean governments. The Philharmonic reached agreement in December on terms for a three-day visit in late February that also included master classes offered by orchestra members and Korean music and dance performances for the visiting Americans.
Goble, chairperson of WestConn’s department of music, embraced the opportunity at Regni’s invitation to become part of the first visit by an American orchestra to North Korea since the Korean War. “The phone rings and they say, ‘We have this tour — would you like to come?’ It was that simple,” he said.
Goble and other musicians specially contracted for the Pyongyang performance traveled to Beijing to join the orchestra, then nearing the end of a three-week Asian tour, for the short flight to Pyongyang. Briefed in advance on conditions in North Korea by a Swedish diplomat stationed in Pyongyang, orchestra members were prepared for the tight security and harsh economic conditions they observed upon their arrival. But they also discovered a wealth of cultural talent and appreciation among the North Korean people, Goble noted. Philharmonic members witnessed Korean performers’ technical and artistic sophistication as guests for a concert of traditional music and dance, as well as a special presentation by about 150 elementary and middle school students.
“We went to a school during our stay and saw an amazing performance by these students,” he said. “It was fantastic, and these were not simple children’s songs and dances — these were very difficult and sophisticated pieces.”
With a large international press contingent accompanying the Philharmonic during its Pyongyang visit, he said, “it provided a chance for the world to see that North Koreans are really committed to culture and art. That’s why cultural exchanges like ours are so important. When we get beyond the politics and the governments, what is left is what is most important to humanity — the arts and literature.”
The Feb. 26 concert provided a rare opportunity for the Philharmonic conducted by music director Lorin Maazel to introduce their North Korean hosts to music inspired by American culture and rooted firmly in the orchestra’s history. Both “American in Paris” and Antonin Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” feature distinctive American musical influences and were premiered by the New York Philharmonic, and the encore performance of the overture to Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide” paid tribute to the orchestra’s legendary former music director.
The Philharmonic’s emotion-charged performance also provided a memorable testament to the extraordinary professionalism of an orchestra whose members had toured the breadth of the Chinese mainland and Taiwan over the previous three weeks, Goble observed.
“The music we played in Pyongyang was an entirely different program and had not been rehearsed before. We played it through once before the concert, and that was it,” he said. “That speaks to the quality of the amazing musicians in the Philharmonic, which is truly one of the great orchestras of the world. It’s a thrill being in the same room with them.”
One of Goble’s most powerful impressions from the landmark concert came at the conclusion of the Philharmonic’s moving presentation of “Arirang,” a Korean folk song played as an encore in an orchestral tribute to their hosts. Standing backstage as the audience rose to give the orchestra an ovation lasting five minutes, “you could feel the pure energy and emotions right through the walls,” he said.
The moving experience was shared by members of the Philharmonic, veterans of many international tours who still “said this was one of the most memorable experiences of their lives,” he recalled. “It’s the kind of experience that is still going through your mind long after you’ve left.”
The historic significance of the Philharmonic’s concert in Pyongyang is still emerging, but Goble has no doubt that it will play an important role in breaking down cultural barriers.
“The significance is pretty evident when you are there and interacting with the people,” he said. “You can feel what you are doing is important — and there are very few moments in your life when you actually feel that.”
