What a load of condescending twaddle from the current chairman of the Manoel Theatre regarding opera!

I am a staunch and regular supporter of the Manoel and have been ever since moving here to live. I am also a great lover of what was once known as "Grand Opera" - which is precisely why I will not go to see opera at the Manoel anymore, and did not go to this year's performances.

I had attended the festival for the past three years and decided not to go any more to witness productions which, apart from the orchestra, would be more suited to a school hall.

I gather that this year's Magic Flute fell into the same category, as a friend who did go said, like the reference to swallows and summer, "One Palm tree doth not Egypt make". Operas continue to become more like concert performances, lacking in good presentation of sets and costumes. Good voices are not enough on their own; the whole event should be a spectacle on the ear and the eye.

As to lack of support, it should hardly be surprising that such a work as Riders To The Sea failed to gain a large attendance - why don't they try Carmen, Traviata, Cav & Pag, Samson and Delilah, Fleidermaus, etc? They would give a much better chance of getting bums on seats.

As for a new performance venue, of course Malta needs one, with a stage size and facilities to host decent productions. The Manoel is superb for small- scale performances but the stage is too narrow and deep for the excellent Philharmonic Orchestra, where the sounds from the rear half get swallowed up into the roof of the stage, as do choirs at the back. I love the building with a passion, but short of the stalls, most of the rest of the seating is very uncomfortable. But that could be suffered even through an entire opera if it was of a high quality. Meanwhile, isn't it strange that boatloads of opera buffs will continue, like me and lots of my friends, to travel to Gozo to witness good productions, mounted with panache and flair - perhaps the answer is to give the Manoel over to become a band club?

I hope we opera fanatics who "don't know what we are talking about", including Joseph Callleja, will not have to suffer such a tirade of condescending twaddle, but will see a change of production approach in the future. Like many theatre managers at the moment, Mr Fenech should perhaps realise that the theatre is there mainly to entertain, not educate.