A Knight at the Opera

by Rudolf Bing

Book Overview

1981, 1st ptg,Putnam's,photos VG/VG DJ $6.00;other copy,same,x-lib VG in VG DJ $5.00 This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399126538
• ISBN13: 9780399126536
• Release Date: January 1981
• Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
• Length: 287 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Choreographing the mayhem of the Met

Rudolph Bing managed the Metropolitan Opera Company for over 25 years, working with Renata Tabaldi, Maria Callas, Arturo Toscanini, Richard Tucker, Rise Stevens, Patrice Munsel, Robert Merrill, Beverly Sills and more. His feuds with Callas and Sills made headlines (all greatly overpublicized, he says).In KNIGHT AT THE OPERA, Bing describes the problems and surprises he encountered in running the Met. His recollections are surprising and fascinating as he portrays the personalities and the organization from a unique perspective. Successes and disasters, performers and critics, composers and conductors -- all are seen there through Bing's sometimes passionate, always interesting and always biased point of view.Bing was instrumental in persuading artist Marc Chagall (who painted the mural on the ceiling of the Paris Opera) to design the sets and costumes for Mozart's "Magic Flute," one of the first operas performed when the Met opened its new house. Chagall accepted the challenge and helped create an unforgettable production of Mozart's last opera.The history of the Metropolitan Opera under Bing is like the performances produced on its stage: comedy is so light, tragedy so dark, and everything seems to happen at once. This book is an absorbing look at the staging of an era -- full of egos and personalities and stories that could only be told by the man who scored it all.