Esa-Pekka Salonen - A Conductor with a Great Sense of Humour

Salonen - conductor with a good sense of humour

"Finns place great value on words, which is reflected in the tendency to say little and avoid 'unnecessary' small talk. They are better at listening than at talking."

From "The Guide to Finnish Customs and Manners" by professor Olli Alho


Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen confirms what the professor wrote:

It is OK to take your time. Being a Finnish person, things can be quite slow so it took me seven years to talk to my wife for the first time. We've been married for 22 years now, so it was worth the wait.

:-)

The quote is from the BBC page "Esa-Pekka Salonen: 10 tips to becoming a conductor".

Salonen could have added one more tip: A good sense of humour (which he always has displayed)

Cartoons a hundred years ago

On a gray and rainy Scandinavian winter day like today, I found myself looking at cartoons from a bygone era. A hundred years or so ago the humour was rather innocent compared to what we see today, but it still is rather amusing. And the cartoonists were often excellent artists.

Here is a small selection of old Swedish cartoons for you to enjoy:

"Professor, have you ever thought about marriage?
Well, to marry - - - to marry - - - it could be - - - but to have a strange woman in the house ..."

"So you and Ellen are married and happy?
Yes, that is -- she is happy and I am married".

"No, my dear P.-B. (Swedish composer Wilhelm Peterson-Berger), a real artist is always modest - there are moments when I doubt that I am the greatest singer of our time."

.

"Mrs Blomkvist: And I thought that you were deeply mourning your husband ...
Mrs. Grönkvist: Oh yes, my dear, you should have seen me yesterday!"

"Is it really true Baron that you have broken your engagement?
Yes my fiancée became much to sentimental - she began to speak about marriage!"

"What was it that made you propose to that girl, love or her money?
Love, of her money".

"They say that that the marriage of those two artists is not a happy one.
-- Yes, he has become a cubist and now he is beating here because she is round".

"Professor, could you tell me what philosophy is?
-- To be near you and not lose one´s composure".
(This cartoon is from 1943)

"Could I borrow that sword to cut this steak with?"

Victor Borge and Anton Kontra perform Monti´s czardas

Victor Borge, the great Danish comedian, conductor and pianist, was a wondeful entertainer. I never saw him perform live, but I have many fond memories of his television performances. Fortunately, many of his best acts are still available on DVD. Here he plays the famous Czardas by Monti together with the superb violonist Anton Kontra.