Evoking the Concert

How delightful to read the reviews of concerts by Timothy Mangan, both of concerts I have also attended and ones I have not (but wish I had). Mangan has a wonderful use of words that describe the artist’s performance in a way that is visual (“A Glorious Stern Recital,” Feb. 1).

It’s refreshing to read such a colorful review that does not rely on only “sour” notes!

FLEURETTE HERSHMAN, Sherman Oaks

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I guess Mangan goes to recitals for different reasons than I, as he enjoyed hearing a violinist he described as follows: “The faults in his playing were obvious. His tone is small, wiry, and, occasionally, whiny. His intonation is sometimes off, at times considerably.”

If I go to hear a violinist or a singer and that person cannot play or sing in tune and has a poor tone quality, I ask for a refund. I don’t applaud artists who stay too long at the fair.

ARTIE KANE, Los Angeles