Letter: Listening to opera from the gallery

Sir: Bayan Northcott ('The pictures are better', 13 November) has touched upon a controversial subject with regard to opera: do we listen to the music only, or do we also need to see the drama on the stage? There is no final answer to this: everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. Yet there is something that needs clearing up.

From the age 15 to 24 (1928-37), I lived in Vienna, and with the exception of the two-months' holidays, when the opera was closed, I was a regular visitor for at least five performances every week: a grand total of almost 2,000 performances in all.

We had to queue for our tickets - standing room on the fourth gallery - but on the whole we managed quite well. Once on the top we - and I am speaking of us music students - never bothered to get into the front row so as to get a clear view of the stage.

On the contrary: we made our way to the farthest end of the horseshoe, left and right, so as to be closest to the sound of the orchestra and the singers. From that position we were not even able to see the stage, except for a small corner on the top. Most of the time we were sitting on the stairs below one of the dim lights near the exit doors following the musical score.

The Italians, when asked what they considered the three most essential attributes for opera, would say: voce, voce e voce. We were of the same opinion except that, for us, the musical score was of greater importance. Besides, what did we lose? To see a 16-stone, middle-aged Rodolfo trying desperately to embrace an equally well-fed Mimi did nothing to enhance the tender phrases Puccini had in mind for them. On the other hand, we might have adopted this attitude because we never could afford a seat in the stalls, anyway.

But there was an occasion when I was given a complimentary seat in the stalls for the premiere of Weinberger's Schwanda, the Bagpiper. I sat through the first act fidgeting until, thankfully, the interval came and I could sneak up to my usual corner on the fourth gallery.

Yours sincerely,

L. HORENSTEIN

London, W5

14 November

(Photograph omitted)