ROGER DOYLE,
Sir, - I wish to respond to the issue of funding for opera in this country (Michael Dervan, April 22nd).
Arts Council funding for opera currently eats up more than half of its entire budget for music. Opera is stuck in a unique position in that, due to the conservative tastes of its audience, it dare not produce anything other than the standard fare of a rotating repertoire of 10 or so "favourites" forever and ever and ever.
And where are the Irish artists in all this? Can you imagine the Abbey Theatre putting on a rotating repertoire of Shakespeare and non-Irish 18th and 19th century plays, year in and year out, and getting huge grants? Opera's expensive production costs ultimately limit funding for practically every other music activity in this country, where innovation and above all "change" occurs.
The Arts Council's Arts Plan 2002-2006 states that among its objectives are "to make an arts career a realistic ambition for excellent and innovative artists", and to: "extend the international impact and success of Irish arts and artists". It is unfair to Ireland's (especially the young generation) fine creative composers and musicians coming on stream now in all genres to have their careers somewhat curtailed because somewhere along the line some opera written long ago in a far-off land is costing and continues to cost so much to produce here. Contemporary music being made by living Irish artists is very badly underfunded. Recent plans to set up a full-time contemporary music ensemble by the Arts Council have been scrapped.
Among stated plans in the Arts Plan 2002-2006 is "Making Irish Opera viable". One plan is to "facilitate performances overseas of successful work by Irish composers".
In its wisdom Opera Ireland recently commissioned the English composer Turnage to write an opera based on O'Casey's play The Silver Tassie much to the astonishment of Irish composers.
Further plans published by The Arts Council for opera are "to increase the number of commissions to Irish artists and more performances of their work at home and abroad" and provide more opportunities for audiences to experience the entire opera repertoire, including contemporary work. These are good guidelines and they must be met now. - Yours, etc.,
ROGER DOYLE, Bray, Co Wicklow.