New, expanded edition of “5000 Nights at the Opera” by Rudolf Bing
Austrian-born naturalized Brit, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera from 1950 to 1972, Rudolf Bing guided the MET from the old-fashioned theater practice into the modern theater business taking full advantage of the 20th century technology. Eloquent, witty, competent, an incomparable manager, he brought the first African Americans onto the stage. He moved the MET to the new location in Lincoln Center (1966), revolutionizing the organization of work and principles of cooperation with artists. In times when there were no e-mails or cell phones, he had to write letters: to everyone and about everything. Prof. Ewa Łętowska
Bing’s book was published in the USA in 1972 (in Poland in 1982 by the National Publishing Institute), and has been out of print for many years. The titular nights symbolically summarize the time Rudolf Bing spent at the Met. His 22-year career included 4,170 performances and 79 opera productions. In his memoirs, the impresario shows the opera “from the inside”, from the perspective of its director – the manager of the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
The book, edited by Jacek Marczyński, is supplemented with the dramatic story of the last years of Sir Rudolf’s life and enriched with stories relating to Polish presence in the history of the Metropolitan Opera.
Theater STUDIO in Warsaw launches the book on May 27 at 7.00 p.m. The premiere will feature talk with Jacek Marczyński, Roman Osadnik, Tomasz Pasternak and prof. Ewa Łętowska. Katarzyna Sanocka will moderate the discussion. The program of the evening includes a chamber concert by the Opera Academy of the Polish National Opera (with baritone Szymon Raczkowski, soprano Justyna Khil and Rozalia Kierc on the piano). Admission is free. The book costs PLN 69 and is available at www.teatrstudio.pl. During the premiere, it will be available at the discounted price of PLN 59.