Frans Said, St Paul's Bay
A trust to run the opera house (1)
Peter Apap Bologna (The Sunday Times, January 11), by his own admission, is looking at the arts from a financial angle. Accounting and the arts are miles apart. One is materialistic and about profits, the other is spiritual and broadens the mind.
Like others, he prefers to ignore my argument that the theatre could be rebuilt without causing a drain on public funds. It is clear that many have no idea how theatres function all over the world. It is only in Malta, where we expect the government to do everything for us, that we miss the beauty and pleasure of doing something purely for art's sake.
While some seem to be keen on the Barry design, others have fallen into the 'Emperor's new clothes' syndrome and think that anything by Renzo Piano must be avant-garde, even if it is an abstract absurdity and monstrosity.
Readers have to wake up and find out who will gain from a Piano project. This is not political dogma. This is the wrong advice to the Prime Minister. The theatre design is irrelevant; its use is important. Placing Parliament at the city's entrance will hasten the demise of Valletta.
Regarding the housing of Parliament, the only logical place is the Main Guard. Who bothers to take a good look at the back of that one-storey building? Parliament should be in the centre of the city. Mr Apap Bologna also mentions the grand houses of Valletta. I agree with him and Madeleine Gera. A detailed inventory should be drawn up and, if need be, these should become the property of the state. Seeing a grand house in ruins and lying derelict just because the front door is being used as a retail outlet shows how low we have stooped.
With the establishment of a trust, the theatre could be rebuilt and kept running without any money from taxation. The €80 million saved could be diverted to the Main Guard and other grand houses.
3 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Peter Aquilina
Jan 25th 2009, 20:02
Mr J. Martinelli
How can you highly classify the former "theatres" / "cinemas" of the former 50's and 60's( Radio City, Hollywood theatre, Trianon and Odeon) that you mentioned, with that of the former Royal Opera House ?
People's concern of the ROH is mainly due to its historical aspect .
Opting to rent DVDs is completely irrelevant.
J Martinelli
Jan 25th 2009, 13:15
Can Mr. Said explain how one can rebuild the Opera House and run it without any taxpayers' money and divert the 80 million to erecting Parliament building at the Main Guard? I am curious.
If I am not mistaken around and behind the Main Guard there are businesses and residences which have to be purchased from the owners and which will eat most of the 80 million. Besides, it will take years to assemble the properties and by the time the last piece of the puzzle is acquired, Malta's priorities may very well change.
What everyone is missing is the fact that the Opera House of the late 19th century was the island's focus of entertainment mostly enjoyed by the upper middle class and well patronized.
We are now living in the 21st century and we are flush with entertainment alternatives. Just think of the recent past when cities and towns had their own cinemas and in some cases, several. What happened to those cinemas? They all disappeared because for a fraction of the price of a ticket, one can rent a DVD.
In the 50-60s Hamrun had Radio City, Hollywood Theatre, Trianon and Odeon, where are they now?
Charles Sammut
Jan 25th 2009, 11:14
Another voice of reason.
Those arguing that an opera house cannot be justified are simply confirming how the eduction/cultural system has failed dismally. A whole generation (or two) has grown up thinking only of materialistic things. Rich in body and poor in mind.
Man does not live by bread alone.