The name is Juliette, by the way

Mark Swed’s review of Charles Gounod’s “Romeo et Juliette” did a great disservice to the Los Angeles Opera company and to opera lovers throughout Southern California [“Romeo and ... What’s Her Name,” Jan. 31]. The audience did indeed, as he pointed out, rise to its feet at the conclusion, because we had just been mesmerized and enthralled by a beautifully acted and passionately sung performance by both principal singers, in an excellent production whose director was appropriately cheered as well by both audience and cast.

The chemistry between the hero and heroine was vibrant and intense. The opera company should have been lauded for creating such a memorable production, rather than being denigrated as Swed chose to do.

*

Leonard M. Lipman

Santa Monica

*

The buzz after the show was unusually consistent: We had witnessed something magical in the combination of Rolando Villazon and Anna Netrebko, appearing here together for the first time.

As Romeo and Juliette, they were not only beautiful young lovers, but believable -- something rare in a world where disbelief is often suspended in favor of magnificent voices. Here, we had it all.

That the characters perform so well and so believably owes much to Ian Judge’s carefully nuanced direction. That we were able to partake of such a memorable event was a privilege.

*

Patricia Ward Kelly

Los Angeles