'THE MOON AND SIXPENCE'
SIR,—The melodic phrase Mr. Colin Mason refers to at length in his article on The Moon and Sixpence does not, as he so dogmatically states, occur for the first time at the end of Act H, Scene 2. In fact, it is announced in the prelude to Act I and is a constantly recurring leittnotiv throughout the whole opera.
Mr. Mason argues that he would have been in a much more receptive state of mind if he had been allowed to attend the dress rehearsal. His article certainly drives that point home!—Yours faithfully, JOHN GARDNER PATRICK TERRY Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, WC2 [Colin Mason writes : 'I am sorry not to have noticed Mr. Gardner's theme until it appeared in association with a grotesque line of the text. This might be interpreted as a reflection on the theme as well as on me, but giving the theme the benefit of the doubt I accept the blame and wholeheartedly apologise to the authors. If in making the mistake I have unwittingly driven home the point about the rehearsal, it has at least been a useful one.'—Editor, Spectator.]
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