Hall of song: The 'Met,' 1883-1966; 1950 Through 1951

The following program was produced by national educational radio under a grant from the National Home Library Foundation by W. B U R Boston. Boston University radio presents Hall of song the story of the Metropolitan Opera from 1893 to 1966. The world. War. To get. Your hosts our Miles cast and Dick use a critic of The New York World for viewers. And no don't cross.

The rumor and uncertainty that preceded the opening of the 1950 season at the Metropolitan was probably the most trying aspect of the transition from the Johnson management to the big regime. Even before Johnson's final season had ended a lot of your own Helen trial though had disputes with the new impresario which attracted a great deal of attention both inside and outside the Opera House. Now that you're finally announced that he would not perform at the Metropolitan the game and trouble remained on the roster only after certain adjustments had been made in her contract. As time went on rumors swell like a Rossini crescendo being wasn't going to give anything but German operators Bane was going to give everything except German operas then was going to dismiss all American saying is and so it went. Gradually the new general manager began to make official statements to the press. But this didn't always have the effect of putting all minds at ease when for example he announced that the Sing is must put the Mets interest first. Some

took this to mean that being intended to do away with the star system. What he meant of course was simply that the stars want to be at the disposal of the Metropolitan and not the other way round. By the time Johnson's last season was over being was well on his way toward reorganizing the Metropolitan to suit his goals changes were noticeable in the administrative staff as Lewis retired and Frank St. Leger was asked to leave new names which rose to prominence in the being administration where Max Rudolf and John Gottman acting as advisors in artistic matters and Francis Robinson who was placed in charge of ticket sales in May. Being had the face in what was to be a long series of encounters with the labor unions. Among the most important results of the negotiation was a decision to set aside $100000 to underwrite Social Security and unemployment benefits and a few compromises on the part of the new manager. With respect to re hiring certain artists he had intended to dismiss

the repertoire for the 150 season was designed to run for 18 weeks but with fewer productions then had been usual so that there could be more rehearsal time being quickly demonstrated a unique facility for dealing with the Metropolitan's financial problems. One of his first decisions involved the opening night performance. Having observed a great attraction this event held for New York's wealthy cafe society. He announced at the prices for seats in the best locations would be doubled in the next devised a plan by which there would be three opening nights. The actual opening was to be grouped with the first performances of two other operas being given new productions that season tickets for all three occasions were sold at premium prices. The impresario gave evidence of an almost unending faith in the ability of the New York audience to pay when he suggested that the subscribers should be asked about a 20 percent contribution to the cost of their tickets for the season. Despite considerable skepticism both of these

unconventional measures were successful. The three opening nights grossed more than ninety five thousand dollars and the voluntary donations from the subscribers amounted to one hundred and twenty five thousand dollars. Moving ahead still further being decided to establish a regular Tuesday night series of performances and then announce that the prices for Saturday nights would be raised to the same level as those for any other evening. Up till now this series had been offered at popular prices when the new impresario had finished with these business administrative matters. He then turned his attention to the artistic chorus he had charted for the Metropolitan in many ways. This phase of beings influence on the manner in which the company would be run in the future had caused the most speculation and uncertainty among New York's music lovers. At the very outset he had made it quite clear that he considered the visual elements of operatic production to be of great importance and that he considered the Metropolitan's recent efforts in this direction to be wholly inadequate. All this was a part of his feeling that the finished

production should be the result of a thoroughly integrated ensemble no longer with the starring singers appear in glamorous costumes created by internationally known designers. While the chorus and supernumeraries had to make do with hand me downs from several seasons past things plans for his first season's repertory included the complete Ring new productions of The Flying Dutchman and Don Carlo and the new English version of deflated mouse. The audition to play them out of the repertory was one of the first manager's decisions to attract unfavorable comment. The work hadn't been given at the Metropolitan since the days of Heinrich Khan read and many felt that it was strictly speaking an operetta and should be confined to light musical theatres. When Edward Johnston learned to play the mouse was not only the pre-produced of the Metropolitan but it was to have more than 20 performances in a single season. He quipped that it might be appropriate to rename the work for later mice.

Soon however all attention turned to the opening night the opera chosen for the occasion was there it is Don Carlo which had had its last metropolitan production in one thousand twenty two. The stage setting was to be designed by Rob here OD and the director was Margaret Webster. Both of whom had come to the metropolitan the Bings invitation as the night of November 4th Dounia anticipation mounted as all waited to see and hear just what would be served up by the new general manager. When the evening was over everybody agreed that it had been well worth waiting for. Actually that was a night for a number of firsts. One of them being the debut of CFB in the role of King Philip. The events leading up to the performance were all rather hectic and confused as can easily be imagined. Let's hear all about this now as Mr. c.a.p discusses his years at the Old Met with our producer Richard Calhoun necessary when you made you a better holiday

viewer it was only. Opening night performance in 1950 and it was. Something of a brand new situation all around in that it was your first appearance at the Met a couple of your colleagues were making their debuts and of course there was also the very first season that Mr. Bing it was here as general manager to this overall situation of Morley's everyone being new to the Metropolitan and New York creating special problems. Yes as a matter of fact I was starting at the Metropolitan in a very exceptional condition such as as you said such as the new production and new management. Many new artist my deputy in this country and as a matter of fact even without these particularities don't Carlo had been performed in the United States or at the Metropolitan Opera. Maybe 30 years to the five years before it was practically a new revival received not a new opera

revival of Carlo. Since then. Many other new productions took place and I was a part of many of them. But still don't Carlo remains. My would call a good dear wrote to me because it started me in this country there are a signs of Mr being being as nervous as the new artists in this first venture of his career at the Met. I'm sure he must have been terribly nervous and excited I was so worried about myself I can see anybody else's problems and worries colleagues too. Making their debut who some appeared for the first time of the Metropolitan some others took to roles in that opera for the first time he was practically an absolute deputy. And I'm quite sure that Mr being must have had. Nose quiet. Tense in that night.

I really couldn't judge how much your career had developed quite a bit in Europe before you came to the Metropolitan. Yes I was singing in La Scala since the rick opening of the theater when he was rebuilt after some bombing that took place in 1940 for I believe. In other words I I've been singing for the first night. I open today open I was in the opening night in La Scala in 1946 with Nabucco which was a tremendous role I still consider it one of the hardest role for bass and. And then ever since forty six and up to 150 I steadily son. Sang in in La Scala although I had opportunities to sing or in major theatres of Italy and some theatres in a foreign country. But with the exception of one season in Mexico. The Metropolitan Opera New York

was a governor that defies the biggest theater that I ever took after Scala and some comedy not open enrollment so far. Who is responsible for your coming to the MET where you were discovery of Mr. Banger or had Mr. Johnson heard you and planned to bring it on anyway. No Mr being I would say I met Mr. Johnson a few years before. But there was nothing nothing going on about the world there were no plans whatsoever. Mr. being was touring Europe in 1950 you believe in 1950 and I had the opportunity of meeting him with a late school used to be one of their president vice presidents of Colombia concerts and still it was sort of undecided negotiation. Then it happened that

for the opening night of Don Carlo. My presence was required and right on the short notice I would call it I came here how short I was while I would say probably three weeks really that that's right. How did the rehearsal situation work out that's notorious for short rehearsal time wherein we on all of this is not exactly the truth you know. The Metropolitan Opera has a right of theirs if you compare it with a rehearsal time of all theater musical comedy as well as drama then every opera house short of a house of song probably with the exception of some little festival like a line born and so forth because they make money houses and performances and but the Metropolitan rehearses played it well when there is a new production going on. It is a minimal required of three weeks. When I was when I first season you did dumbass Helio in the Barber of Seville and Mephistopheles in Faust at least rolls all the ones you had done before also. Right right and many many other

I believe I did more than that. Three or four hours yes I don't remember exactly what I did maybe I didn't but see if I was to be you said your step believe I did the opposite. So then of course years after I had opportunities of doing wonderful new productions to one of the last real successful one is a day Eugene Birman staging production and the hook up staging of Don Giovanni which is practically nine or ten years old and it still holds pretty well to the point that the entire settings probably freshen up a little bit will be moved to Lincoln Center. But as Don Giovanni has become one of your greatest roles. Actually I oh I took the role of oh don't join me as well as the role of Figaro which is I mean Mozart in general because it wasn't actually my my you my

hidden ambition it was almost a push from Fritz Reiner the late it's right. He practically convinced me in the sweetly forced me to give a look to this Marriage of Figaro as a matter of fact that I did figure before then Johnny. And after Figaro and well and. It could be clear that I was able to manage vocally also this sort of lightness in the spring a singing which has of course nothing to do with with the attitude and characters that often recurring in varies like a bottle of something else and so then I got of course he was infected by this music which of course I knew before but hardly had the opportunity with the exception of a few concept audio so I didn't have the opportunity of doing it and staging a stage in a performance in a before and an up attic full of attic reforms. And ever since I

wasn't so lucky to do Don Giovanni Orvis in great theatres with great directors and great conductors and. After that full insist after of course I did don't you want to be for the reduction in 53 I believe I did it on Johnny he had a med that was my first one I think my absolute Dabir in that opera and it was in oversetting but still the worst bits around are conducting and still there was have a grab direct in the performance. Then after that I was chosen by the sounds book festival with for Bangla conducting and this this is what really made me in this row of course I have the tendency of reducing and my repertory in order to to politician a Republican really polished rollers. One can have a repertory of 85 operas but necessarily they must be small roles or very little song roles. Prefer and it happens that at this stage of my at this stage of my of my

career I find myself practically engaged throughout the world with the same seven eight nine operas and more than that and I don't resent that at all I don't mean I don't think for a second that they may be typecast or something but I just I'm very happy if after all the roles I sing great roles around I cannot complain about degraded by the size of the pot. So I'm just very happy to keep doing the same thing seven eight nine ten rolls no more than that. Besides my concerts and cleaning them up there are it's endless The study just begins. I believe after 20 years career. Unfortunately you haven't got there. The cars of 20 years before. You know you you know that jumpy anymore about the film keeps in good condition vocally as well as physically. Well the roles that you do sing though I have a considerable amount of variety to them and thinking now of when you did Boris Godunov in 1953 you haven't done that too

much since then have your dad was not a metropolitan debut as a matter of fact I sang boyish good enough only in English Believe it or not I never sang at any time in the middle and nowhere else I only sing good enough in United States. And I love it very much is not done as often as as Don Giovanni and I'm certainly looking forward to do it. A little more often in the future whether in English or any time you know when I'm sure that I will never make it in Russian. It's a little too tough for me I don't have this sort of story sees I'm getting involved in the singing and opera with such a difficult language such as Russian. I could do something in German because somehow I managed to order my my menu in German but you know Russian I really don't know. Speaking about a German performance as I remember one big surprise I had at least a few years ago in going to a Fidelio performance and seeing you on the program was done for

Rondo. Rising to not because it was only German but in that it's rather a smaller part than the ones you usually. Yes but that was you know it seems we were talking about anecdotes and so far this is not an anecdote but it was sort of a friendly at bat that Betty just a challenge said between being and myself. He said if I was able to sing a German role they said yes you of course he had in mind the role of Fernandez he convinced me telling me that. Great bases in Austria the Vienna Staatsoper traditionally sang this part of the it was a small part but it contains a beautiful line beautiful singing even promised me a new costume. And I got that too. And what really convinced me to do it was that besides the beauty of the music I just sang one performance you know the first one I must have been a winery I was a baby and then a second before moving into it and nothing I can even account of the schedule of other roles other performances I had to do during the week weeks to go.

And it was a terrific at terrific experience for me because at 7:30 I was having the restaurant and. The opera was already on. You know usually come to my long rolls and have a make up and so forth. I'm in that theater already at 5:30 quarter or six because the performance starts at 8 and my kids are watching in the last 10 minutes. So I showed up at the theater at 10 o'clock and I felt like a man on a strange occasion you know havin dinner you know a restaurant where I saw people getting up you know Hari to go to see if you did you know they left before I did and I was singing it might have been unique. Well one of the probably most exciting and most publicized events of your career was the opening night 1956 when you did all of these over with enormous. With Maria Carlos and of course this immediately leads one to ask if she was

as difficult to work with as all the stories would have you believe. While Mr. Home is a matter of fact I never had any difficulty with anybody I believe that that some people make personal little quarrels become public not public knowledge because it becomes it turns out to be a mutual advertising whether one is the villain and the other is not both they get to get a fantastic advantage out of the publicity especially with big names like big traditional sort of temper that Alice became famous with. I don't. Remember any any particular feud that ever took place. To me with one artist or with another as various colors is

concerned. I can remember that we started practically. Together in many new roles and Dep. need to leave. And as a matter of fact colors and myself made their debut in the same opera together. I believe that if that was Florence she sang and her first Norman I sang my first four ways or what it was Florence or Ohm I don't remember exactly. So when we sang Norma here which was her debut at the Met and my first Norma at the mat. There was and it was a pleasure to to see each other after a few years of absence. I mean not absence but after a few years of not seeing a girl working together. I personally am fine colleagues in general a very flat friendly with me because I am friendly with the others. If there is somebody that you dislike then you just don't have to make a big scene or create a feud

unless you wanted to. How did the Norma go that I think was quite successful then but it hasn't been back. I don't think since that season has a I don't believe so. Maybe a year after I was done I don't know why I brought it Yamato I I don't recall I don't recall Norma as a beautiful part or so forth but I'm really not looking to do Norma every week I mean I may be definitely much more interested in doing some feast or some from King Philip or some figure some don't run again. Also in that you worked with Mario Monaco who was one of the great you know there are this is an added area we did together. Yes 1946 we sang for the first time he did not a mass of course and I did around trees or just big names that you're mentioning there were they were probably my senior or not but they were beginning in their roles when I

was already singing as a matter of fact as a singer I mean Also as far as Kerry is concerned because I had my dad been 1041. So you know that I'm already being a singer for 25 years. There are some great great names who. Became great after 20 years career which is already really big even 15 years career so that they had that used me very often and it I had that view myself with them. So then Monaco for us is another old friend and colleague who did a few things for the first time with me and that wasn't Aida Aida was the very first time maybe we did some things to get it maybe a fourth of the list you know something was done to get it to another of the less frequently heard operas that you performed in was the 1960 opening night of the book Oh and it was a much I cry out I'm one of the really great basso roles and this is a very very difficult part because of course some plants are caught you

know if you are one with seeing the uncut version as I did years ago. In several theaters it's a real difficult tough spot because it has extension it has a lot to have a PC has jumped only jumps very very difficult it has a continuously uke. Projection of sound is quite tiring in the beginning especially it's very it's very tough. There is a couple of Daria and a couple at that with have shops or something like that and low notes too. It requires a couple of octaves but used all the time. And then as I say I gelati and jumps and power. Do you have any idea why that didn't succeed to well hear. It. Everyone expected it to be you know a pretty great success. Yes I don't know you know and not every new production can be a great hit you can have the ingredients for a great hit and still it doesn't it doesn't crystallize I don't know how

to call it the same thing happens in a brotherhood I experienced producer a great directors they believe up to the last minute in the job they have been in the world they have been doing and the performance flops up after three days. So you ask yourself how this and this and this famous name with 25 years experience they are. They know anything about Eddie nor do tricks or that he had it out can they be sucked in in such in such a flop and still it happens you know and the same thing is with us sometimes. Of course the Metropolitan is the house of pets you hardly unless you are some new upper new upper about what is the flop in an opera. The meth as in any other theater is the production is the staging or the designs of some bad singer who had a bad night. Because there is no question about that in the book. The book itself is not is there is a masterpiece but is a minor a minor work of the composer as well as you can see Billy need there is always a monk composer a

greater a greater upper than another and the same thing goes for production. If you would always hit hit it big big big the standards would go up sky high so much that you should establish a new a new way of measurement measuring measuring the quality of success. But since you started talking about Broadway I guess we should mention something about when you took a year off from the Metropolitan to do a Broadway musical. How did that go. Well actually it wasn't a year it was part of one season as a matter of fact that didn't feel to be with the Met even in that year so I was right you did. SO MY RECORD KEEP get interrupted. Anyway I don't believe that we should talk about something at the Metropolitan in a situation like this we should really dedicate everything to this nice old house that after years and years of service goes off and will immediately be reborn

a few blocks uptown. And what is our hope is that we will be able to enjoy a less dusty place. This is a fact that our that's why I'm not really so nostalgic about losing those in the south in 10 20 25 years everybody will be in love our next generation will be so affectionate to their own liquids Lincoln Center you know sand you know everything that has to start and everything has to finish what counts is that we must try and we will succeed in maintaining. A even greater level or standard of forming or producing and seeing. That was just to c.a.p the leading Bassam of the Metropolitan who made his debut on the opening night of Rudolf Mings first season as general manager. Next week we learn more about what went on during the 1050 season and we'll also be hearing from another artist who made his debut then the German battle Hans

hotter. For now this is no time cross on behalf of Myles Kasten Deek hoping you'll be able to join us then. Boston University Radio has presented Hall of songs the story of the Metropolitan Opera from 1883 to 966 the series is created and produced by Richard Calhoun a grant from the National Home Library Foundation has made possible the production of these programs for national educational radio. This is the national educational radio network.