LAST summer, the New York Philharmonic was invited by the government of North Korea to play a concert in Pyongyang. The Philharmonic accepted; the concert will take place on February 26. And we confront a burning question: Were they right to accept?
In a public statement, Zarin Mehta, the orchestra's president and executive director--and brother of the renowned conductor Zubin, incidentally--said, "As you might imagine, we approached [North Korea's invitation] with caution and ...