Pyongyang, August 8 (KCNA) -- Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un sent a letter of congratulations to the creative workers and artistes of the National Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, its 80th founding anniversary.
The full text of his letter is as follows:
I, in the name of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, extend warm congratulations and greetings of encouragement to the creative workers and artistes of the National Symphony Orchestra on greeting its 80th founding anniversary with a sense of honour and pride in having glorified its brilliant history together with our beloved motherland.
Quite extraordinary are the remembrances of the history of the meaningful Moranbong Theatre and of the National Symphony Orchestra that have aroused emotions among the people with the solemn and characteristic sounds of the works of mixed orchestra of our own style.
Having proclaimed its birth as the first orchestra of a new Korea on August 8, 1946 with the playing of "Song of General Kim Il Sung", it powerfully demonstrated the ideological will and strong aspiration of all the people to achieve civilization and prosperity with a soaring spirit and mettle for nation building; it has injected renewed vitality and vigour into social progress with model masterpieces of the times. These are etched in the pages of our history.
In the days when the country was experiencing harsh trials, the creative workers and artistes of the orchestra willingly followed the arduous road and rendered support to the revolution with the musical instruments as a weapon of struggle. In the decades that seethed with creation and construction, they proudly sang of the worthwhile life of the people who were shaping a rosy future with affection for their socialist country. In this way, they offered great encouragement to the progress of our cause. These feats of theirs are never trifling.
From the first days of its founding, it has portrayed the songs of praise of our Party and socialism as orchestral works and symphonic suites and medleys, thus presenting them as monumental masterpieces. Its creative activities constitute patriotic feats that recorded in history by dint of solemn and fresh sounds the victorious course our glorious Republic has traversed.
The general title of the works the orchestra has portrayed and put on stage over the past 80 years, sharing the history of our people's struggle to accomplish the gigantic social transformations under the leadership of the Party, should be called "Symphony of Socialism" on its own terms.
In the stirring decade when an era of overall efflorescence of Juche-oriented art was being ushered in, it re-presented such masterpieces as "A Bumper Harvest in the Chongsan Plain", "The Dear Home in My Native Village", "The Girl on the Swing" and "Arirang", pioneering a new realm of symphony of our own style and bringing home to the people the unusual might of music that leads them to share the destiny of their country and promotes its development. Our people still remember vividly these creative activities of the orchestra.
It can be said that every work represents the language of faith and conscience and the melody of love and passion, which can be expressed only by the musicians of Korea who regard our Party's ideas on aesthetics and musical theories as the only ideology and banner for their creation and by true artistes who treasure everything beautiful on this land and are determined to sing of it to the last moment of their lives.
Comrades Ho Jae Bok, Kim Pyong Hwa, Choe Ki Hyok and other talented conductors and instrumentalists of the orchestra made a contribution to cultivating the rich flower garden of the Juche-oriented art with unflagging passion. Their images still remain implanted in the eyes of our people, and serve as a model of worthwhile life of the revolutionary men of art and literature who sang of their motherland throughout their lives.
The ennobling aspirations and painstaking efforts of the creative workers and artistes of the orchestra to add lustre to its fine history and traditions with innovative achievements can be clearly seen in the fact that they are demonstrating the might of the Juche-oriented symphony in the present era of transformation by arranging famous musical works, loved by the people, to suit the works' emotional contents and modern aesthetic tastes.
In recent years alone, they have created a large number of refined works and gave splendid concerts in celebration of major national holidays, boosting the ennobling feelings of patriotism cherished deeply in the hearts of our people and giving a strong impetus to their spiritual and cultural growth. Their performing activities have left an indelible impression on the people for their peculiar features and moods.
The orchestra has always preserved its competent creative guidance forces and skilled instrumentalists and kept creating symphonies of various themes while successfully re-presenting historical works. These add more to the proud history of the authoritative orchestra.
I think this is an expression and outcome of their true and devoted attitude and outlook on life to support the Party and the country with performing activities, not out of mere sense of duty or with artistic skills, but out of a desire to remain faithful to their jobs assigned by their country without expecting any reward or honour.
Such an excellent spiritual world, with which they are invariably and faithfully fulfilling their duty and steadily writing the history of the orchestra by dint of ennobling consciousness and pure conscience, is the most precious one beyond compare.
Over the past eight decades the orchestra has faithfully preserved its original features of patriotic enthusiasm and sincere artistic creation in their pure forms, exalting its prestige and honour as befitting a national-level art institution that carries on the history of development of Juche-oriented music. It is a precious treasure of our state and a source of great pride for our Party and our people.
Throughout those long years, the creative workers and artistes of the orchestra have remained loyal to its initial aim and basic mission, thereby enjoying the affection and trust of their country and fellow people, and strove to maintain their proud reputation and traditions with constant renovations and progress. For this, I highly appreciate all of them.
Creative workers and artistes of the National Symphony Orchestra,
The art of music has been a powerful engine for the development of our state, and it will be so, in the future, too.
Our Party's consistent principle in musical creation is to ensure high ideological and artistic qualities, sustain the characteristics of the times and apply a people-oriented approach to the letter.
You should, just as you have done so far, accept the Party's policies on art and literature as absolute and work only as intended by the Party; firmly united in ideology and purpose and also in feeling and emotion, you should work hard to usher in a golden age of the art of music in the new era.
Melodies have a peculiar attraction of greatly stirring up a person's ideological feelings and drawing them into an emotional world that is inexpressibly rich and profound.
As creative workers and instrumentalists of the orchestra, which is in effect a national icon, you ought to excel in artistic insight and skills, and also stand in the vanguard in creating masterpieces that are representative of our era.
Our Party hopes that you will steadily improve your abilities to create and stage any work in a flawless and perfect way, thus continuing to add brilliance to your orchestra's prestige and honour befitting the best music group in our country that boasts a long history and traditions.
Today, when we are advancing towards greater transformation, enthusiastically singing revolutionary songs and other musical works as a march for our struggle and creation, a masterpiece pulsating with the spirit of the times will serve as an invaluable spiritual sustenance.
I firmly believe that all of you, creative workers and artistes of the orchestra, always mindful of the Party's and people's trust and expectations, will continue to write the pages of honourable history of Juche-oriented symphony by improving your practical abilities and conducting proactive and enterprising activities for artistic creation.
I pay tribute to the National Symphony Orchestra's glorious 80-year-long history. -0
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