HOMEGROWN MUSIC

At last, someone in authority at the Los Angeles Philharmonic has awakened to the simple reality of 20th century orchestral compositions: that the most compelling and memorable music has been written right here in Hollywood for films (“Conductor in a Candy Store,” by Mark Swed, Oct. 20).

And if Esa-Pekka Salonen sees no “ideological problem” in playing film music on a symphonic program, then it’s a major step forward for the Phil and an overdue recognition of Los Angeles’ cultural identity.

It’s always been a mystery to me that orchestras will program film music by Copland, Walton and Vaughan Williams but ignore equally dramatic and well-written music by the likes of Waxman, Herrmann, Rozsa, Raksin, Goldsmith, Williams and Bernstein--all of whom were classically trained and demonstrated their ability to write in many different forms and styles, from grandly romantic to sharply dissonant, in American movies.

JON BURLINGAME

Burbank

*

I was very surprised to read about Gypsy, Jewish and Islamic minority groups in Finland with no reference whatsoever to the Swedish population in Finland, which is the largest “minority” in Finland. The Swedish population consists of 7% of the population of Finland but remarkably stands for approximately 70% of the GNP of the country.

Finland used to belong to Sweden and most of the great castles, strongholds and fabulous old architecture that Finland has was developed by the Swedes of Finland. The great composer Sibelius, for example, was a Swede in Finland.

CHRISTER DAHLSTEN

Los Angeles