What is opera for?

Susan Nickalls' review of the recent concert performance of Idomeneo at the Usher Hall (23 August) raises interesting questions.

Should opera, essentially a theatrical art form, be experienced on stage, or should we stay in our comfort zones, and listen to nice music without having to think about the nature of the work, the relationship between the characters and the psychological questions the work is asking, and indeed its relevance to today? There is a case for concert performances, such as La Fanciulla del West (we are never likely to see a staged performance of this in Scotland). But one could easily make out a case for a Festival playreading of Hamlet. Or why bother at all about Brett Dean's new opera, Bliss; why not just read Peter Carey's novel?

ALAN RASER

Holme Close

Scotby, Carlisle