Opera industry must come before House

I have followed the various, often contradictory, letters in The Times concerning opera and the Opera House in Malta, and from a professional perspective of 40 years in opera as a music director, I would like to offer a few observations.

It is imperative that before a new Opera House is commissioned, a modest and well-judged financial contribution is made toward building a company or team of Maltese opera performers. In establishing a compact Malta-based opera industry one must not be apprehensive about asking for pro bono assistance from other international opera bodies. One might be surprised at the support received, especially from the body Europera.

A regular and high standard local opera presence will bring forth the real opera audience that exists in Malta. Audiences are always present for high standard opera. Around the world opera audience figures are growing and I believe that the figures quoted thus far of Malta's own audience members are well below the possible eventual numbers.

Then and only then should the proposal for a new Opera House be considered. Without an existing local industry in place, all that will result from the construction of a new House will be an underutilised theatre with an expensive administrative staff.

The site of the Victorian period Opera House in Freedom Square should be immediately discounted and for the following reasons. There is simply too little ground space on the proposed site to accommodate the stage areas, wing space, soloist, chorus and orchestra dressing rooms, orchestra pit, front of house, administrative offices and the minimum of 1,500 seats required to make an opera venue financially viable.

Clearly another site needs to be chosen for a possible new Opera House. In addition I would caution against the solution of a multi-purpose concert hall/opera-ballet venue as the success rate of this sort of complex is not good, particularly in the areas of acoustics and staging facilities.

It would prove to be a company that would supplement the working schedule and income of the National Orchestra.

And before this, as in Gozo, a voluntary association of Friends of the Opera would need to be established, who by their pro bono activity and support would really facilitate the growth of a viable and Malta based opera industry.

I hope that some of these observations may be of some assistance.