BURNT ORANGE

Enough, already!

Martin Bernheimer’s reviews of recent events at the newly opened Orange County Performing Arts Center are in the spirit of one who is looking for dust under the rug. The paint is barely dry and he has found fault with the acoustics, the celebratory spirit of opening night, Leontyne Price’s rendition of the National Anthem; the orchestral pit seating isn’t up to his standards and he finds us deluded for daring to make a recording of a symphony.

On top of all this, he delights in exposing our lack of “aesthetic sophistication” because of the applause between symphonic movements and the bands in the street afterwards, a part of the opening ceremonies. He comes across like Scrooge!

This is all a big deal to us, Mr. Bernheimer.

Pardon us if everything isn’t polished up to your usual standards in the first week of our being. It is OK to have fun, isn’t it? Things will get better.

In the meantime, it might help if criticism were directed in a more constructive attitude. Even though we are unwashed barbarians down here, I suspect our sophistication will improve with time. Last night there was applause after the first movement, but not after the second. See how fast we can learn?

ROBERT SACKETT

Mission Viejo