Classical Music, Attire

In reply to the letter by Matthew Hetz on classical music and contemporary dress (May 26):

Concert musicians wear formal attire to signalize their reverence for an art form. The need is not for them to debase their calling but for the audience to realize that not everything in life exists to feed its prejudices at the expense of truth about the past, or to feed its appetite for mindless sensations. They already have Madonna.

Economics is already forcing serious music to compromise itself for the sake of concert attendance. The musicians have to make a living. But an audience that does not bring to the hall a desire for growth, learning and self-development is not going to tolerate difficulty of any kind.

DON THOMPSON

Rancho Palos Verdes