I expected more of an architectural documentary, but this was really more about opera. The best parts were the comments by Leontyne Price, who sang at the opening of the new Met Opera at Lincoln Center.
The movie started with the old opera house, classic red and gold, but cramped, and technically flawed. It was interesting to see how in those days (the 50’s, not so long ago), opera was an event, and popular across class lines. An interesting and key character in the story was Rudolf Bing, general manager of the opera from 1950-72. He was originally from Vienna, and retained the accent, but seemed to be an impeccable and knowledgeable director.
The new Lincoln Center took up 3 full city blocks. The old tenement neighborhoods were torn down in the late 50’s under the leadership of Robert Moses, New York’s Baron Haussman. There were some interviews with people who had grown up in the neighborhood, but they didn’t seem too bitter. It was interesting to see how the final design of the Met Opera was considerably scaled back from the original architectural designs, due of course to cost.
The local interest is that the Hopkins Center was designed by the same architect: Wallace Harrison. It is easy to see how its modern design with 5 tall arches is echoed in the Met Opera that came shortly after.
