Sir Rudolf Bing: the man behind the Met

From: The Boston Globe (Boston, MA) | Date: September 5, 1997| Author: | Copyright information

Sir Rudolf Bing, who died Tuesday at the age of 95, was a man both loved and depised, as anyone who ran an institution as complicated and volatile as the Metropolitan Opera was bound to be. Singers to whom he gave the moon wanted the stars too, and everyone else wanted to sing three times a week, in new productions of operas of choice, and a guarantee of the broadcast Saturday.

There can be no doubt that as its general manager Bing brought the Met forward; there can be equally no doubt that he held it back. In his 22-year tenure Bing improved standards of orchestral, choral, and, especially, ...

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