FILMED OPERA SIR,—In his two final sentences last week, David
Cairns summed up precisely the relationship that
might exist between cinema techniques and opera. It is indeed possible to imagine The Ring, Aida, Car- men and Faust filmed to enormous effect in some- thing like Cinerama or Todd-AO, but only if the director understands both the new medium and the opera well enough to fuse them imaginatively. Otto Preminger's Porgy and Bess, not yet shown in Lon- don, fails almost as dismally as Rosenkayalier, and with less reason: it need not have been confined for most of its length to one multiple set.
Mr. Cairns was more hopeful about the use of cinema techniques in the opera house. Something vaguely in this direction was seen in June during the Covent Garden Erwartung, and I once saw some pretty awful filmed Valkyries in Paris. Still, Mr. Cairns is right: there are enormous possibilities, and I would very much like to hear from any profes- sionals in the theatre, cinema or associated fields who would be interested in discussing whether such ideas are imaginatively or economically practicable.
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