Start Up at the New Met: The Metropolitan Opera Broadcasts 1966-1976

When the first two books of Jackson's groundbreaking chronicle were published, critics hailed them as "historical gold" (Denver Post), "a thorough and thoroughly entertaining history" (Boston Globe), and "an opera-lover's dream" (Opera News).

In this new work, Paul Jackson expands his survey of the broadcasts by examining the decade that saw the move from the old house uptown to the technological marvel at Lincoln Center. There Rudolf Bing's final six years give way to four seasons of management turmoil until 1976, when James Levine was named music director and took hold of the Met's artistic future. 140 performances, beginning with the controversial opening night premiere of Barber's Antony and Cleopatra, are vividly recaptured by Jackson, a musicologist with an ability to combine narrative history with musical analysis and criticism. The legendary creations of Tebaldi and Corelli, Sutherland and Tucker, of Caballé, Crespin, Price, Bergonzi, Gedda and others are explored in depth. Conductor luminaries like Bernstein, Böhm, Krips and Karajan spell the efforts of more mortal colleagues. And Domingo and Pavarotti enter upon the scene that they will dominate for decades to come. Featuring 100 photos (the majority courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera Archives), this book will delight both seasoned devotees of the broadcasts and new listeners alike.

Paul Jackson is Professor in the History of Radicalism and Extremism at the University of Northampton, UK.