Personal Proms
Sir: Low marks for homework on the Proms to Peter Phillips (Music, 26 July), who says they have 'no guiding themes'. The strong Italian element has not only been pointed up repeatedly by the BCC but is also, surely, self-evident. As to whether this series has 'the personal stamp' — which he says it does not — I can only refer him to my successor's generous state- ment in the Proms handbook. John Drum- mond says that the programmes are 'almost entirely' my work. I agree: only a handful of them were completed after I left the BBC.
It is odd, incidentally, that Mr Phillips, having spotted that there is little major Beethoven — a good deal less than ever before — does not pursue the implications of that fact.
Robert Ponsonby
Flat 4, 11 St Cuthbert's Road, London NW2
Previous page
