Fox keeps moving right

Fox keeps moving right

Jon Stewart’s likening Bill O’Reilly to the “thinnest kid at fat camp” for his attempts at appearing moderate alongside Glenn Beck hits the nail squarely on the head. [“At No One’s Beck & Call,” March 21.]

That Fox can continue to find people even further on the rabid right to tell its listeners what to think is no surprise.

Fox remains the station for people who want to listen only to commentators who provide support for their own conspiratorial, half-baked views on American political issues, and to whom any hint of moderation or compromise is just one step away from Godless Communism.

Gordon J. Louttit

O’Reilly is no moderate

Bill O’Reilly a moderate? That would be a welcomed statement if there were any truth to it.

The hubris contained in his words belies his “moderate” point of view. This is a man who claims the power to destroy lives, encourages the buffoonery of Glenn Beck just so he can avoid scrutiny and in his dotage feels little need to pay attention to public opinion.

Why wouldn’t Beck play foil to the man who has shown him the unseemly way to acquire vast wealth? O’Reilly hasn’t changed, and why should he? Ten million dollars says he doesn’t have to.

Rodney K. Boswell

‘Ring’ better as a concert

Having seen the first three installments of the Los Angeles Opera’s production of Wagner’s “Ring” and ticketed for the fourth [“What Goes in an Expensive Ring,” March 21], I must comment that given the garish visual outcome of this extraordinary expenditure, perhaps the company would have been wiser to mount Wagner’s operas in concert format. It would serve the music and save, by my calculation, $17.6 million for a production -- the optimistic thinking notwithstanding -- that likely will never be seen again.

Jay Soloway

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While I found the article to be well researched and insightful, Mr. Boehm’s comment about what the “lowliest chorus member” earns perpetuates an irritating misperception about the role and value of the artists who make up the chorus of a world class opera company.

The competition for positions in the Los Angeles Opera Chorus is incredibly keen and the demands of the job in terms of vocal strength, musicianship and stagecraft are intense. These singers, most of whom have active solo careers as well, have worked hard to create an ensemble that is second to none, and they are highly valued by the company and audience.

Grant Gershon

Gershon is associate conductor/chorus master of the Los Angeles Opera.

Chapman a boon to L.A.’s arts

In response to Prem Kishore’s letter [“Feedback,” March 21] and as a KUSC supporter, I must defend Alan Chapman’s service to our arts community.

I appreciate Alan’s program “Modern Times” as it often features recent compositions rarely heard anywhere else and his live pre-concert lectures are a vital contribution to our city’s cultural life.

Lang Lang’s only service to music is the chance that some of his fans discover other, truly gifted musicians concerned with supporting the music rather than their “dazzling” image. One discovery could be recordings by the recently deceased Earl Wild, who once described Lang Lang as “the J-Lo of classical pianists.”

Regarding Alan’s assessment of Lang Lang, I can only say we are all entitled to our opinion even when it is an educated one.

Marc Melocchi