Examine the diagnosis

I enjoy Mark Swed’s reviews, but his attempt to diagnose the health of American symphony orchestras by reviewing three East Coast institutions was a clear case of malpractice (“How Sound Is the Symphony?” Jan. 30).

The health of classical music in America has nothing to do with the quality of the orchestras’ playing or the integrity of the pre-show lectures or the extent to which the architecture makes us feel good about music.

Symphony orchestras are in trouble because their audiences are aging and young people don’t want to buy tickets.

Healthy orchestras need healthy audiences; one cannot live without the other. Unfortunately, Dr. Swed examined the wrong patient. I think we need a second opinion.

Trevor O’Donnell

Los Angeles