A night at the opera

SIR – The comments from director Stefan Herheim (Features, January 9) make me weary. He says opera is not supposed to be entertaining or about having a good time and instead wants to make us “confront our most pressing and dreadful problems”.

This sums up what is wrong about such controversial reinterpretations, including his current tinkering with The Queen of Spades. Opera provides an unrivalled and sublime combination of drama, music and vocals. Good opera makes us live the story’s highs and lows like no other art form achieves. I go to opera absolutely to enjoy myself. Directors should remember this. Andrew Wall

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire