Madam, - Might I suggest introducing a ban on coughing at classical music concerts, along the lines of the smoking ban?
Those privileged enough to hear Maxim Vengerov and Evgenia Startseva on Thursday night should not be led to believe that paying the exorbitant ticket prices at the National Concert Hall gives them the right to misbehave by chatting, unwrapping and eating sweets noisily and coughing loudly during and between movements. It was not unlike a night at the circus.
These outstanding musicians deserve respect. There are some artists who, rather than smiling, as Vengerov did, would probably have stormed off in disgust. One of them is Alfred Brendel, who will feature in one of the upcoming Celebrity Concerts. - Yours, etc.,
BRIAN COOPER, Department of Spanish, UCD, Dublin 4.