'DER ROSENKAVALIER'
SIR,—I can understand anyone who actively dislikes Der .Rosenkavalier, or who finds that it's not quite so good as, say, Falstaff or Gotterdiimmerung. But I cannot understand that anyone should find that at heart this masterpiece is essentially mediocre. Any- way, mediocrity at the heart is better than turpitude, prejudice, arrogance and invincible ignorance, quali- ties which are unfortunately characteristic of many music critics.
Incidentally, some years ago I knew a medical student called David Cairns. He was tone deaf, and about 1945 borrowed from me a pair of brown suede shoes, size 9i, which he never returned. If your critic is he, I would be obliged if he would let me have them back.—Yours faithfully, [David Cairns denies that he has .ever been a medical student, borrowed brown suede shoes, or been ton e 'deaf e-ri-Ed it or, Spectator.]
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