No right to Opera

Lou Bondì (May 14) claims that my reasoning regarding opera is abysmally shoddy and that he "gently" suggests my re-reading his original bloomer of an opinion piece which I have several times. My opinion about what he wrote remains unchanged.

Like a bull in a china shop he rushed in to a province about which, clearly, he knows little or nothing.

Had he even a basic knowledge of opera he would never have written as he did. I have been reviewing music and opera since I was 17, a very long time, and I have also been on the committees for Muzikafest, Maltafest and the Manoel Theatre, organising, among other things, very successful opera. Such experience has taught me a thing or two about it.

In other EU countries opera is flourishing so there is no reason why we should not enjoy this renaissance here too. I have no hidden agenda and for many years I have always maintained that Malta cannot afford an opera house which caters exclusively for the genre but a multipurpose festival hall designed on the lines of the Jean Nouvel iconic Kunst und Kongresshaus on Lake Luzern that can cope with opera, ballet, orchestral and chamber music and yes, Mr Bondì, Led Zeppelin too. This is what should be created by Renzo Piano on the opera house site and ex-Freedom Square.

So please, before we accuse each other of misreading, misunderstanding and misrepresenting each other's arguments, let us first ensure that we do have a common aim, which should be to provide quality cultural entertainment for all.