Post 482. THE PROMS.

A GREAT START

ON TELEVISION.
The BBC Proms 2023 season fulfilled much of my wish list in its first two television broadcasts. On the first night Clive Myrie introduced a programme of Nordic music that opened with (1) Jean Sibelius's Finlandia, featured (2) Edvard Greig's Piano Concerto (a splendid performance by Paul Lewis), and (3) concluded with Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (presumably on the grounds that a young Nord or two would be watching it). The BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus was charismatically managed by Finnish conductor Dalia Stasevska. Three off my list in one night. The second broadcast ticked another two wishes off the list.
(1) It was introduced by Katie Derham, and (2) Finland's Pekka Kuusisto was back.
Pekka conducted Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. The programme consisted of Andrea Tarrodi's composition Birds of Paradise, Beethoven's Symphony No.! and, with Pekka on violin (in company with Ale Carr), Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. The evening was an enormous success. Oh, the encore was verbatim the one given by Pekka at a similar function in Sweden a while back (see YouTube). But why not? Pull in the audience and you've got a good encore.

Pekka Kuusisto (for the benefit of any unapprised reader) is a truly great entertainer.
ALSO ON TELEVISION.

I have watched two mini series on BBC: The Sixth Commandment, and Body On The Beach: What Happened to Annie? Both are based on true events. The sordid side of real life does not appeal to me, but Sixth has a wonderful cast, and Annie a spooky fascination. I think they can still be watched so I shall say no more about them now. Just go carefully, friend. It's a weird world