Joseph Muscat, Mosta
Opera from the ruins of cities
When time is opportune one can hear certain people boasting about our capital city, that it is a city built by gentlemen for gentlemen, about the beauty of this city, its magnificent auberges and palaces, its beautiful places that overlook our harbours. It's all true, but these same people left the entrance of this city in shambles, for more than 60 years, and because of this we will have to pay the price.
Our present Administration is realising now what an ugly site we have at the entrance to this city; the ruins of the old opera house - shame. And they are ready to spend €80 million to build not an opera house but a House of Parliament - another shame. Peter Fenech told us that it would be a grave sin to spend that much money on the 700 opera lovers. If that number is correct, how much bigger a sin would it be to spend that amount to house 65 Members of Parliament?
If the government is adamant to give Parliament a new house, in my opinion the best place is Auberge de Baviere. Not even St Elmo is suitable. St Elmo should be left as it is, a fort, and should be made suitable for tourists to visit.
I do not agree with Astrid Vella when she said that the people are not asking for an opera house but for a national theatre. I beg to differ. We already have a national theatre, which is the Manoel. This place is a gem too, but small. In my opinion MCC is neither an opera house nor a theatre; it should be left for conferences.
It is best to have an Opera House at the ruined site, which could be used for other forms of art and culture, ballet, concerts and so on. I am sure if this place is managed correctly the audience will grow.
But the best advice opera lovers got, came from Lou Bondì when he told them that if they wanted to attend an opera they should board a plane and go to Europe, as he did, when he wanted to see somebody who was to perform abroad. Kenneth Zammit Tabona answered him correctly some days later, and there is nothing else left to tell him , except two things.
Not all of the local opera lovers perhaps have the talent Mr Bondì has to make it possible, and, secondly, our opera lovers know that every city in Europe took care to rebuild from the ruins of their cities the opera house first, because they always had responsible and civilised administrations.
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Jessica DeBattista
May 23rd 2009, 14:06
@Astrid Vella:
Although I agree with you that shifting Parliament to the Mediterranean Conference Centre would be the ideal place for the various reasons that you mention, I also think that the MCC has an aura of nobility and evokes a certain stability, which I find would add prestige to Parliament.
However, you seem to disregard my claim that the new structure to replace the old Opera House could be used to house a modern and contemporary art museum. I understand that both of us are not being totally objective about the matter since human nature has a tendency to take over when passion for a particular form of art overrules.
Passion aside, I have experienced the easy accessibility from St. John’s Cathedral to the Fine Arts Museum when I took my Sixth Form students for on-site lectures, and I would look forward to a Modern/Contemporary Art Museum within easy reach to be able to have a whole morning of art appreciation, without undue waste of time having to go all the way down to St. Elmo.
Jessica DeBattista
Paul Borg
May 23rd 2009, 04:51
Parliament to Manoel Island with centre on Fort Manoel. Plenty of space for support services (including parking ) for Parliament and even enough space for all the relocation of all government departments.
Astrid Vella
May 22nd 2009, 20:20
Jessica,that's EXACTLY why we need Parliament to move out of the already overcrowded commercial upper half of Valletta where it is going to paralyse the area by having to close off the main arteries whenever a high-level delegation requires heightened security. Not only does Valletta stop at Palace Square,but piu giu del Palazzo e l'Africa.Lower Valletta has been abandoned for over a century which is a great injustice to both its architecture and its residents .Wonderful things are now being planned for lower Valletta,but it will take a 'grande geste' to pull them off.What private investor will be prepared to build a 5-star hotel at Evans if the surroundings are so slummy?Shifting Parliament to MedConfCentre or Auberge de Baviere would justify an upmarket hotel for visiting dignitaries,and also solve the problem of parking and security.An arts centre across the road and an international institute/university dept at the St Elmo examination hall would draw both youths and conferences to the area. When we're abroad we're all ready to walk far more than from the Palace to St Elmo!We have to break out of this Maltese dread of walking,while an electric transport system can go a long way to overcoming this problem.
Jessica DeBattista
May 22nd 2009, 17:00
It is heartening to know that a locality to serve as a Modern Art Museum is envisaged, however, “some of the large spaces that will become available at St. Elmo” are not exactly crowd pullers. It is too far away from where the action is and by “action” I mean the limited area where the average visitor to Valletta would normally haunt. One of my pet saying is that “Valletta stops at the Palace Square”. Anything beyond that is too far away by the Maltese mentality, and the aim of a modern and contemporary art museum is to be within reach to the general public who do not necessarily have their own car but who commute to Valletta by bus. Hence St Elmo would be too far away for a large spectrum which would include art students who need to study the works of art. Teachers who take their classes to give an on-site lecture (something that I used to do with my Sixth Form students when we visited St John’s Cathedral and the Fine Arts Museum), would have to rule out a visit to the Modern and Contemporary Art Museum if St Elmo is the envisaged site. Pity!!!
Astrid Vella
May 22nd 2009, 15:12
@ Jessica Debattista - FAA is not only in favour of dedicating space to a modern and contemporary art museum and decent location for a national library, but we are already making enquiries for these with the authorities.
As it has been made clear by several semi-official mouthpieces that a new theatre is not going to be rebuilt on the Royal Opera House site, we need to look elsewhere for these purposes, and I'm happy to tell you that some locations show great promise.
Like Parliament, a library can be housed in one of our vacant palaces, and an modern art museum in some of the large spaces that will become available at St Elmo. On the other hand there is no other location that can accommodate a national theatre, the lack of which is a great loss not only to our cultural life, but also to our touristic future.
Jessica DeBattista
May 22nd 2009, 13:50
@ Astrid Vella:
Does visual art qualify to be included in your ““other forms of art and culture, ballet, concerts and so on” including modern musicals and singers.” I don’t suppose it does since you specifically mention that it should serve “as a badly needed performance space.” And, let’s face it there is not enough space to please us all.
Pity! So the visual art lovers will just have to find another alternative site which could serve as a Modern and Contemporary Art Museum.
To think that I had dared to hope!!!
Jessica DeBattista
laurence schembri
May 22nd 2009, 13:14
I lived in Nurnberg for quite a time and I visit quite often, Nurnberg is by comparison one of the smallest cities in Bavaria, yet it houses one Opern Haus, plus two huge Messehalle that cater for all type of entertainment, from the Berlin Philarmonic to Pink Floyd. Always packed.
Culture is appreciated by all, in all type and form, and all round the globe.
Astrid Vella
May 22nd 2009, 10:46
Excellent suggestions with ideas which are shared by many. As for the 'National Theatre' bit, what's in a name? Whether its called a national theatre or an opera house, the main thing is that it serves as a badly-needed performance space for "other forms of art and culture, ballet, concerts and so on" including modern musicals and singers.