♪ [THEME MUSIC] ♪
>> I AM JIM ZIRIN, WELCOME BACK
TO MORE CONVERSATIONS.
JOINING US AGAIN IS PETER GELB,
GENERAL MANAGER OF THE
METROPOLITAN OPERA.
HE RECENTLY PRODUCED A
FASCINATING DOCUMENTARY ENTITLED
"THE OPERA HOUSE."
COMING SOON TO YOUR LOCAL
PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION.
"THE OPERA HOUSE" THE FILM,
IS ABOUT A 50 YEAR SAGA WITH
WHERE METROPOLITAN OPERA
TRANSITIONED FROM THE LEGENDARY
-- ALTHOUGH TECHNICALLY
DEFICIENT OLD BUILDING AT
BROADWAY AND 39TH STREET -- TO
THE STATE-OF-THE-ART OPERA
HOUSE AT LINCOLN CENTER WE
ALL KNOW TODAY.
THE OLD MET DEMOLISHED IN 1967
GAVE ITS LAST PERFORMANCE
IN APRIL 1966.
THE PRESENT OPERA HOUSE OPENED
IN SEPTEMBER 1966 WITH PRICE IN
THE TITLE ROLE OF "ANTONY AND
CLEOPATRA."
AND THE TRANSITION WAS ANYTHING
BUT SEAMLESS.
PLEASED TO WELCOME YOU BACK
TO THE PROGRAM.
HOW DID YOU GET INTERESTED IN A
REVIEW OF HISTORY OF THE NEW MET
AND THE DEMOLITION OF THE OLD?
PETER: I BECAME INTERESTED IN IT
BECAUSE OF THE ANNIVERSARY, LAST
YEAR.
THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NEW
MET.
WE EMBARKED UPON A SERIES OF
CELEBRATIONS AND EXPLORATIONS.
AND DRAWING ON MY
BACKGROUND AS A DOCUMENTARY
FILMMAKER, I CALLED MY OLD
FILMMAKING PARTNER WITH WHOM I
PRODUCED AND CODIRECTED MANY
FILMS RANGING FROM FILMS ABOUT
THE LIFE AND ART OF HORWITZ TO
ROSTROPOVICH GOING BACK TO
RUSSIA -- WE WORKED ON MANY
FILMS TOGETHER.
SUSAN HAS MADE MANY FILMS ABOUT
THE MET ALREADY. SHE MADE
"WAGNER'S DREAM". SHE ALSO
MADE A WONDERFUL FILM
CALLED "THE AUDITION" WHICH IS
ABOUT THE THOUSANDS OF OPERA
HOPEFULS THAT COMPETE ACROSS THE
COUNTRY AND HOPE TO WIN A PLACE
ON THE STAGE OF THE MET.
IT SEEMS LIKE THE RIGHT MOMENT
TO GO BACK IN TIME AND LOOK AT
THE RICH HISTORY OF THE MET.
AND IT WAS REMARKABLE.
SUSAN, AS THE DIRECTOR, DID MOST
OF THE WORK.
BUT I WAS WITH HER IN THE
EDITING ROOM AND HELPING ALONG
THE WAY, INCLUDING GETTING
LEONTYNE PRICE, PERHAPS THE
MOST CELEBRATED SINGER,
DURING THIS TRANSITIONAL TIME,
AND ONE OF THE GREATEST
SINGERS IN THE HISTORY OF
AMERICA IN THE WORLD,
TO GIVE A RARE INTERVIEW
JUST SHY OF HER 90TH BIRTHDAY.
AND LEONTYNE IS OF COURSE
SMART AS A WHIP AND TERRIBLY
CLEVER AND FUNNY AND VERY
EMOTIONAL AND
SHE GAVE THE FILM A HUMAN
ELEMENT THAT MADE THE FILM COME
ALIVE STRONGLY FOR THE AUDIENCE.
JIM: IS IT MORE NATURAL FOR YOU
IN LIGHT OF YOUR EXPERIENCE TO
DO A DOCUMENTARY MOVIE ABOUT IT
RATHER THAN A BOOK OR AN
ARTICLE?
PETER: I AM ALL IN FAVOR
OF BOOKS AND ARTICLES AND THERE
HAVE BEEN ARTICLES WRITTEN ABOUT
THE METS HISTORY.
BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY FOR AUDIENCES TO SEE
-- NEVER BEFORE HAS SO MUCH RICH
ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE BEEN BROUGHT
TOGETHER.
AND THAT IS REALLY THE BACKBONE
OF THE FILM.
TO SEE-
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN'T
BE ENJOYED IN AN ARTICLE OR A
BOOK.
IT INCLUDED ARCHIVE FOOTAGE OF
ABC, BBC, PBS -- INCLUDING A
REMARKABLE FILM CALLED
"COUNTDOWN TO CURTAIN"
WHICH WAS A BELL TELEPHONE
HOUR SPECIAL AT THE TIME TO
COINCIDED WITH THE OPENING OF
THE NEW MET AND IT REALLY HAD AN
EXCELLENT BIRDSEYE VIEW INSIDE
THE OPERA HOUSE AS THE LAST
MINUTE HISTRIONICS OF GETTING
THIS OPERA HOUSE TOOK PLACE.
THERE WAS A POSSIBLE STRIKE OF
THE MUSICIANS AND THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT THREATENED TO CLOSE
THEM DOWN BEFORE IT OPENED.
THINGS HAD TO BE CLEARED UP
BEFORE THE OPENING NIGHT
COULD TAKE PLACE.
THERE WERE TECHNICAL FAILURES.
TURN TABLE DISASTERS.
GREAT DIRECTOR ZEFFIRELLI
WHO DIRECTED THE OPENING NIGHT
PRODUCTION OF "ANTONY AND
CLEOPATRA" AND HIS DEALINGS WITH
THE NEW TECHNICAL INFASTRUCTURE
OF THE OPERA HOUSE,
WHICH AT THE TIME WAS CONSIDERED
TO BE ONE OF THE NEW WONDERS OF
THE WORLD IN TERMS OF THEATRICAL
ABILITY BUT IT WASN'T CLEARED UP
PRIOR TO THE OPENING SO THERE
WERE LOTS OF ISSUES AND PROBLEMS
THAT HAD TO BE OVERCOME.
JIM: YOU TOOK OVER AS GENERAL
MANAGER IN 2006.
YOU HAVE BEEN AT IT FOR A
LITTLE MORE THAN A DECADE.
DID YOU EVER HEAR AN OPERA AT
THE OLD MET?
PETER: NO.
BUT MY YOUTHFUL EXPERIENCES
INCLUDED BEING AT THE NEW MET
SHORTLY AFTER IT OPENED.
WHEN I WAS 13 I WAS INVITED TO
JOIN MY PARENTS -- MY FATHER WAS
THEN THE CITY EDITOR OF THE
TIMES AND HE AND MY MOM WERE
INVITED TO JOIN RUDOLF BING
WHO WAS THEN THE GENERAL
MANAGER WHO PLAYS A BIG ROLE
IN THIS FILM,
TO SIT IN HIS BOX AND I WAS
BROUGHT ALONG.
AND IT WAS A WONDERFUL
EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN THIS
OPERA HOUSE, SITTING IN BING'S
BOX AND WATCHING NOT
ONLY THE SPECTACLE ON STAGE
WHICH WAS A NEW PRODUCTION OF
"CARMEN," AND WATCHING BING
IN ACTION. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
PERFORMANCE SEVERAL OF THE
ATTENDEES BEGAN BOOING AND HE
LEAPT FROM HIS SEAT AND RAN OUT
AND CONFRONTED THE BOOERS
AND TOLD THEM TO SHUT UP.
JIM: HAVE YOU EVER DONE ANYTHING
LIKE THAT AS A GENERAL MANAGER?
PETER: NO.
I HAVE HEARD BOOING.
JIM: DOES IT ENRAGE YOU?
PETER: IT CERTAINLY ISN'T NICE
TO HEAR BOOING.
BUT I UNDERSTAND IT IS A RITE OF
PASSAGE.
SOMETIMES IT IS PRODUCTION STYLE
AND THEY THINK IT WILL BE
DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS.
JIM: TELL US MORE ABOUT BING.
HE WAS A LEGENDARY FIGURE IN
THE HISTORY OF THE METROPOLITIAN
OPERA AND CERTAINLY WAS A
GUIDING SPIRIT IN THE MOVE
FROM THE OLD OPERA HOUSE TO
THE NEW.
PETER: HE WAS A MAGNETIC
PERSONALITY.
HE, AS YOU SAID, CAME TO THE MET
-- AND THIS IS IN THE FILM -- HE
TRANSFORMED THE MET INTO A
REAL THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE.
HE WASN'T CONTENT TO HAVE
SINGERS STAND AND SING.
HE WANTED TO BRING IN DIRECTORS
FROM BROADWAY.
MANY OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE
TRIED TO DO IN MY OWN TIME.
TO ENRICH THE OPERA EXPERIENCE
AND REFRESH IT.
HE WAS VERY AWARE OF THE
LIMITATIONS OF THE OLD OPERA
HOUSE, WHICH WAS BUILT
PRIMARILY FOR THE AUDIENCES
COMFORT IN TERMS OF THE BOXES.
THE HISTORY GOES BACK TO
THE LATE 1800S WHEN THE
NOUVEAU RICHE OF
SOCIETY WERE UNHAPPY THAT THEY
HAVE BEEN SHUTOUT OF THE GOOD
SEATS IN THE OTHER OPERA HOUSE
THAT EXISTED SO THEY DECIDED TO
FORM THEIR OWN OPERA HOUSE.
THEY HIRED AN ARCHITECT TO
DESIGN IT FOR MAXIMUM COMFORT
FOR THEM, IN WHAT'S KNOWN AS
THE DIAMOND HORSESHOE, THEY SAT
IN LUXURY BUT UNFORTUNATELY
THERE WAS VERY LITTLE ATTENTION
PAID TO THE DEMANDS OF THE
STAGE. SO THERE WAS NO
BACKSTAGE SPACE,
THE SCENERY HAD TO BE STORED IN
THE STREETS ON 7TH AVENUE.
JIM: I REMEMBER THE ELEPHANTS
HAD TO BE LED OUT ACROSS 7TH
AVENUE INTO A TRUCK WHERE THEY
WERE TRANSPORTED?
PETER: I WASN'T THERE BUT IT WAS
VERY CRAMPED AND
UNSATISFYING WAY OF WORKING
IF YOU WANTED TO PRESENT OPERA
AS THEATER.
AND OPERA, WHEN IT WORKS, IS THE
MOST MAGICAL OF THEATRICAL
FORMS.
HUNDREDS OF PERFORMERS, MORE
ARTISTIC FORCES THAN ANY OTHER
ART FORMS THAT'S PERFORMED
ON A REGULAR NIGHTLY BASIS.
SO RUDOLF BING KNEW THAT
IT WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH.
HE WAS DETERMINED TO FIND BETTER
QUARTERS.
JIM: HE WAS A PIONEER IN OTHER
RESPECTS BECAUSE HE INTRODUCED
SINGERS OF COLOR TO THE OPERA.
MARIAN ANDERSON, LEONTYNE
PRICE, GRACE BUMBRY,
SHIRLEY VERRETT,
THIS WAS A BREAKTHROUGH AT THE
TIME?
PETER: HIS POLICY WAS TO PRESENT
THE BEST SINGERS REGARDLESS OF
COLOR OR ANY OTHER
CONSIDERATION.
AND THAT CASTING POLICY DOES
CONTINUE TODAY.
MY CONCERN AT THE MET IS TO GET
THE BEST SINGERS IN THE WORLD.
WE HAVE NO QUOTA SYSTEMS.
WE DO NOT FAVOR AMERICAN SINGERS
OVER EUROPEAN SINGERS.
YOU JUST LOOK FOR THE BEST
SINGERS.
JIM: WHO WERE THE MAJOR
PLAYERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
THE NEW OPERA HOUSE?
PETER: JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER THE
THIRD WHO LET THE FUNDRAISING
EFFORT FOR LINCOLN CENTER.
JIM: HOW MUCH MONEY WAS
NECESSARY?
PETER: IT WAS -- BY TODAY'S
STANDARDS, A PALTRY SUM.
UNDER $100 MILLION.
A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY AT THE
TIME.
THIS FILM IS VERY MUCH ABOUT
ARCHITECTURE OF THE TIME.
WALLACE HARRISON AND THE
OTHER ARCHITECTS WHO
WERE INVOLVED IN BUILDING,
THE DESIGNS OF OTHER BUILDINGS
OF LINCOLN CENTER.
AND IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE
THE METS ARRIVAL AT LINCOLN
CENTER WAS A
SERENDIPITOUS AFFAIR.
EVEN BEFORE BING THE
MET HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR
A NEW HOME FOR DECADES.
JIM: IT WAS THOUGHT TO PUT IN A
SKYSCRAPER AT ROCKEFELLER
CENTER?
PETER: ROCKEFELLER CENTER
WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED
AS METROPOLITAN SQUARE WITH
METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE
TO BE THE CENTER OF IT.
THOSE PLANS WERE FOILED BY THE
GREAT DEPRESSION.
IT WAS A COMBINATION OF THE
METS NEED FOR A NEW HOME,
THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC'S
NEED FOR A NEW HOME BECAUSE
THEY WERE WANTING TO EXIT
CARNEGIE HALL, AND ROBERT MOSES'
UNQUENCHABLE THIRST FOR
DEVELOPMENT OF THE UPPER WEST
SIDE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE
LINCOLN CENTER AND THE
OPERA HOUSE BEING BUILT.
JIM: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE
ARCHITECTURAL AND TECHNICAL
FEATURES OF THE NEW OPERA
HOUSE WITH REGARD TO
OPENING NIGHT.
EVERYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH THE
HUGE MURALS THAT WELCOME YOU
INTO THE OPERA HOUSE.
ANOTHER FEATURE ARE THE
TEARDROPS CHANDELIERS, DROPPING
FROM THE CEILING AS THE
PRODUCTION IS ABOUT TO BEGIN.
PETER: THE SPUTNIK'S.
JIM: THERE IS QUITE A STORY
ABOUT THAT?
LET'S GO TO THE VIDEOTAPE AND
HEAR A CLIP FROM THE MOVIE, "THE
OPERA HOUSE," AS THE DAUGHTER OF
ONE OF THE ARCHITECTS TELLS THE
STORY OF THE TEARDROPS
CHANDELIERS.
>> ONE DAY, MY FATHER
CHARACTERISTICALLY, MAKES A
SKETCH, GRABBING ANYTHING IN
FRONT OF HIM NOT ONLY
CONCEIVING OF A DESIGN BUT
QUICKLY VISUALIZING IT.
HE IS DRAWING IT TO COMMUNICATE
FOR OTHERS IN A MEETING.
AND IN THE PROCESS OF ADDING
FINISHING TOUCHES WITH PAINT, A
SPLAT HAPPENED AND THERE WAS NO
TIME TO START OVER AGAIN
BECAUSE IT WAS JUST BEFORE
A MEETING.
>> THERE IS A REASON WHY
EVERYBODY WENT-
EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD OTHER
INTENTIONS-
MY FATHER'S INTENTION WAS NOT TO
SPLASH ACROSS THE PAGE.
HARRISON'S INTENTION WAS TO
RESPECT ROCKEFELLER'S INTENTION
WHICH WAS TO DO A TRADITIONAL
CHANDELIER.
THEY ALL GASPED AND THERE WAS
SOMETHING THAT WAS SHARED IN THE
AIR.
AND SUDDENLY IT STARTED TO
ASSERT ITSELF AS NOT JUST AN
ACCIDENT BUT AS SOMETHING THAT
COULD BE THE BEGINNING AND
GENESIS OF THE DESIGN.
JIM: ACCIDENTS HAPPEN AND
SOMETIMES IT IS FOR THE BEST.
I GUESS THAT WAS THE CASE WITH
THE CHANDELIERS.
BUT THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT WITH
THE TURNTABLE AS WELL?
AND THE DIRECTOR OF "ANTONY AND
CLEOPATRA" WAS ANOTHER LEGEND, A
MAN WHO BECAME IMPATIENT IF
THINGS DIDN'T GO RIGHT.
LET'S SEE HIS REACTION WHEN THE
TURNTABLE ON THE STAGE AT THE
METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE DIDN'T
WORK.
>> THE CENTER PIECE OF THE NEW
MET STAGE IS A TURNTABLE.
AROUND WHICH ZEFFIRELLI HAS
DESIGNED HIS PRODUCTION. ON IT
HE INTENDS TO CHANGE SCENES,
ROTATE HUGE PROPS AND WHEEL
ARMIES INTO VIEW READY FOR
BATTLE.
>> I'M STANDING IN THE
AUDITORIUM AND THEY PUTS AN
ARMY ON THE STAGE
AND THEY DON'T MARCH BECAUSE THE
TURNTABLE BREAKS.
I SAID MY GOD, WHAT'S THIS
ABOUT?
>> IT WON'T START.
YOU COULD GET IT GOING AND GET
ON IT?
>> I GO UP THERE AND SOMEBODY
GETS TO LOOK UNDERNEATH AND
THE STEEL BENT-
I SAID, HOW IN THE WORLD
COULD THAT HAPPEN?
I RAN UP TO MY OFFICE AND I SAW
WHAT IS SAID AND I CALLED UP THE
ENGINEER AND SAID, WE'VE MADE A
MISTAKE.
I SAID, I TOLD YOU CLEARLY WHAT
I NEEDED.
I NEEDED A TURNTABLE THAT COULD
HANDLE AN AUTOMOBILE OR AN
ELEPHANT STANDING ON ONE FOOT.
WE WENT OVER ALL OF THIS.
>> THIS IS THE FIRST INSTANCE IN
THE LONG LIFE OF THE NEW MET
WHERE YOU HAVE 200 PEOPLE ON
THE TURNTABLE THAT WON'T MOVE.
WE CAN'T USE IT.
NO USE FOR ANYBODY.
JIM: THAT WASN'T THE ONLY
TECHNICAL DEFICIENCY
THERE WAS A STORY ABOUT
THE SCENE SHIFT FROM THE
PYRAMID'S TO THE STREETS OF ROME
AND POOR LEONTYNE PRICE,
DURING THE TECH REHEARSAL,
BEING TRAPPED IN THE PYRAMID?
PETER: OF COURSE.
IT IS INTERESTING IN THE FILM
LEONTYNE REFLECTS UPON THE
STORY TODAY, OR WHEN WE
INTERVIEWED HER AND WE
MEMORY WAS QUITE FAULTLESS.
IT WAS A TRAUMATIC MOMENT
IN HER LIFE
BECAUSE SHE WAS VERY EXCITED
ABOUT SINGING AND OPENING THE
NEW MET AND EVERYTHING THAT
COULD GO WRONG DID GO
WRONG INCLUDING GETTING
TRAPPED INSIDE THE PYRAMID THAT
WAS SUPPOSED TO MOVE OFF THE
STAGE AND THEY HAD TO RESCUE HER
FROM THAT.
JIM: DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT SHE
SAID WHEN SHE WAS ASKED WHAT WAS
GOING THROUGH HER MIND?
PETER: SHE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT
WHETHER SHE WOULD GET OUT OF
THERE ALIVE.
JIM: SHE IS A CHARACTER.
LET'S MEET LEONTYNE PRICE IN
YOUR FILM "THE OPERA HOUSE".
SHE HAS QUITE A FEW THINGS TO
SAY ABOUT THAT OPENING NIGHT.
ROLL IT.
>> THE WHOLE POINT WAS IT FOR IT
TO BE ALL AMERICAN OCCASION.
THAT WHOLE YEAR I DEDICATED
MYSELF TO LIVING LIKE A NUN.
I DID NOTHING THAT WOULD
POSSIBLY INTERFERE WITH MY BEING
AT MY TOTAL COMPLETE BEST.
I WAS SO DETERMINED THAT I WAS
GOING TO DO MY COUNTRY PROUD.
JIM: WE HAD AN AMERICAN COMPOSER
AND AN AMERICAN SINGER THAT
BING SELECTED FOR OPENING
NIGHT.
YOU DON'T PERFORM "ANTONY AND
CLEOPATRA" NOWADAYS DO YOU?
PETER: IT WAS NOT A GREAT
SUCCESS.
HE WAS A WONDERFUL COMPOSER BUT
THAT WAS NOT HIS GREATEST WORK.
IN THAT SENSE IT WAS AN
ANTICLIMAX.
THE EVENT ITSELF WAS
REMARKABLE.
IT WAS AN OPENING NIGHT THAT
WAS ATTENDED BY DIGNITARIES AND
CULTURAL FIGURES FROM ALL OVER
THE WORLD.
IT RESULTED IN A BANNER HEADLINE
IN THE NEW YORK TIMES THE NEXT
DAY.
IT WAS A GREAT MOMENT IN
CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE
20TH CENTURY AND YET THE
WORK WAS NOT A GREAT SUCCESS.
JIM: TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
LEONTYNE PRICE.
TELL US ABOUT HER BACKGROUND?
PETER: SHE WAS FROM A SMALL
TOWN.
IN HER EARLY YEARS, GROWING UP,
SHE WAS VERY PROUD OF HER PAST.
HER PARENTS WERE AT THE OPENING
NIGHT OF THE MET AND HER MOTHER,
SHE SAYS IN THE FILM, SINGS
BETTER THAN SHE COULD.
JUST WHILE HANGING LAUNDRY ON
THE LINE.
AND THAT WAS REALLY WHAT
INSPIRED HER TO BECOME AN OPERA
SINGER.
SHE WENT TO JUILLIARD.
WHICH IS WHERE SHE MET SAMUEL
BARBER.
HE WROTE BEAUTIFUL SONG CYCLES,
AND HE CHOSE HER WHILE SHE WAS A
STUDENT AT JUILLIARD TO SING.
THAT BECAME A SIGNATURE WORK AND
ONE OF HER SIGNATURE WORKS AS
WELL.
AND THEN SHE WENT ON AND GAINED
EXPERIENCE IN EUROPE.
AND IT WAS BING WHO DISCOVERED
HER AND FRANCO CORELLI WHO
ALSO PLAYS A PART IN THIS FILM,
WHO WAS THE MATINEE IDOL TENOR
OF THE DAY, HE DISCOVERED
THE TWO OF THEM AT THE
ARENA DI VERONA PERFORMING
AND ACCORDING TO HER,
IMMEDIATELY MADE AN OFFER
THEY COULDN'T REFUSE TO COME
TO THE MET.
THE FIRST SEASON SHE SANG AT THE
MET, SHE SANG SEVEN ROLES IN ONE
SEASON. IN THOSE DAYS THE BIG
OPERA STARS WOULD COME TO
NEW YORK AND SPEND THE ENTIRE
SEASON AT THE MET.
SHE BECAME A HUGE
INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL STAR.
HAVING A BIG CAREER AT THE MET
GUARANTEED HER OPERATIC STARDOM.
JIM: TODAY A STAR LIKE ANNA
NETREBKO COMES IN, DOES AN
OPERA AND GOES BACK TO
EUROPE SOMEWHERE.
PETER: IT'S DIFFERENT BECAUSE
SINGERS DO FLY AROUND THE WORLD.
WITH THE METS TRANSMISSION INTO
MOVIE THEATERS, WE TRANSMIT OUR
SATURDAY MATINEE ON OCCASION
INTO MOVIE THEATERS AROUND
THE WORLD, SINGERS STILL WANT
TO BE AT THE MET MORE
PROBABLY THAN ANY OTHER
OPERA HOUSE BECAUSE WE
KNOW THAT WE OFFER THEM
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION.
SO WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR HAVING
HER TWO TIMES YEAR.
GETTING ANNA NETREBKO TO
SING TWICE A SEASON IS
PROBABLY A BIGGER COMMITMENT
THEN SHE GIVES TO ANY OTHER
OPERA HOUSE.
JIM: DID YOU EVER HEAR LEONTYNE
PRICE SING?
PETER: SEVERAL TIMES.
I HAD MY FIRST PART-TIME JOB IN
HIGH SCHOOL AS AN USHER AT
THE MET AND I WAS IN CHARGE
OF THE STANDING ROOM AT THE
FAMILY CIRCLE.
I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SEEING
AIDA AND IT MADE ME WANT TO
PURSUE A CAREER IN THE ARTS.
IT MADE ME THINK THAT IT IS
WORKING IN PERFORMING ARTS
WAS THE MOST EXCITING AND
ROMANTIC PROFESSION THAT ONE
COULD PURSUE.
JIM: WHEN SHE MADE HER DEBUT,
BING DIDN'T WANT HER TO BE
IN AIDA BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT
HER INTRODUCED AS A SLAVE?
PETER: I DO KNOW THAT SHE DID
SOMETHING THAT FEW SINGERS COULD
DO TODAY, SHE REALLY
COMMANDED THE DRAMATIC
REPERTOIRE AND SINGERS IN HER
PERIOD WERE PROBABLY MORE
VERSATILE THAN SINGERS ARE TODAY
WITH EXCEPTIONS, OF COURSE.
LEONTYNE, NO MATTER WHAT
ROLE SHE TOOK, IT WAS SOMETHING
ALWAYS SPECIAL FOR THE AUDIENCE.
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FILM
WE SAW A LITTLE BIT OF HER
FAREWELL PERFORMANCE
IN 1985 WHEN SHE HOLDS A NOTE IN
THE FIRST ACT ARIA IN AIDA FOR
WHAT SEEMS LIKE AN IMPOSSIBLE
AMOUNT OF TIME AND THE
AUDIENCE, ALTHOUGH WE DON'T
SHOW THE AUDIENCE'S REACTION
FOR MORE THAN A FEW SECONDS,
ACTUALLY SHE HAD AN
OVATION THAT WENT ON FOR 10-15
MINUTES IN THE MIDDLE OF AN
OPERA WHICH IS UNHEARD OF.
JIM: I THINK PLACIDO DOMINGO
SAID SHE WAS THE MOST
BEAUTIFUL SOPRANO HE HAD EVER
HEARD.
AND THAT WAS LEONTYNE PRICE.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
WAS IT EASIER TO CLOSE THE OLD
MET WITH THE COMMUNITY PROTEST
ABOUT IT OR WAS IT EASIER TO
OPEN THE NEW MET?
PETER: BOTH WERE VERY DIFFICULT
FOR RUDOLPH BING WHO WAS
AT THE POINT OF LEADING BOTH
THE CLOSING OF THE OLD MET
AND THE OPENING OF THE NEW MET.
BUT I THINK THE EXCITEMENT AND
ADRENALINE OF OPENING A NEW
THEATER IS SOMETHING THAT
OVERCOMES ADVERSITY.
THERE IS A VERY TOUCHING MOMENT
IN THE FILM ABOUT THE CLOSING OF
THE OLD MET, THE GALA, WHICH WAS
THE EMOTIONAL OUTPOURING FOR
PERFORMERS AND THE AUDIENCE.
JIM: PETER GELB, THANK YOU FOR
COMING BY.
AND THANK YOU FOR COMING BY.
TUNE IN NEXT WEEK FOR MORE
CONVERSATIONS.
I AM JIM ZIRIN.
TAKE CARE AND ALL THE BEST.
♪ [THEME MUSIC] ♪
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