Editing Metropolitan Opera (section)

===Rudolf Bing===

Succeeding Johnson in 1950 was the Austrian-born [[Rudolf Bing]] who had most recently created and served as director of the [[Edinburgh International Festival|Edinburgh Festival]]. Serving from 1950 to 1972, Bing became one of the Met's most influential and reformist leaders. Bing modernized the administration of the company, ended{{how|date=October 2018}} an archaic{{how|date=October 2018}} ticket sales system, and brought an end to the company's Tuesday night performances in Philadelphia.<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 9, 2017|title=On This Day – How Rudolf Bing Transformed the Metropolitan Opera Forever|url=https://operawire.com/on-this-day-how-rudolf-bing-transformed-the-metropolitan-opera-forever/|access-date=September 28, 2021|website=Opera Wire|language=en-US}}</ref> He presided over an era of fine singing and glittering new productions, while guiding the company's move to a new home in Lincoln Center. While many outstanding singers debuted at the Met under Bing's guiding hand, music critics complained of a lack of great conducting during his regime,{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} even though such eminent conductors as [[Fritz Stiedry]], [[Dimitri Mitropoulos]], [[Erich Leinsdorf]], [[Fritz Reiner]], and [[Karl Böhm]] appeared frequently in the 1950s and '60s.

Among the most significant achievements of Bing's tenure was the opening of the Met's artistic roster to include singers of color.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Brathwaite|first=Peter|date=May 12, 2021|title=This man made opera history. Why did I not know him?|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/may/12/robert-mcferrin-baritone-metropolitan-opera-peter-brathwaite|access-date=September 28, 2021|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref> [[Marian Anderson]]'s historic 1955 debut was followed by the introduction of a gifted generation of African American artists led by [[Leontyne Price]] (who inaugurated the new house at Lincoln Center), [[Reri Grist]], [[Grace Bumbry]], [[Shirley Verrett]], [[Martina Arroyo]], [[George Shirley]], [[Robert McFerrin]], and many others. Other celebrated singers who debuted at the Met during Bing's tenure include: [[Roberta Peters]], [[Victoria de los Ángeles]], [[Renata Tebaldi]], [[Maria Callas]], who had a bitter falling out with Bing over repertoire,{{citation needed|date=July 2015}}, [[Birgit Nilsson]], [[Joan Sutherland]], [[Régine Crespin]], [[Mirella Freni]], [[Renata Scotto]], [[Montserrat Caballé]], [[Elisabeth Schwarzkopf]], [[Anna Moffo]], [[James McCracken]], [[Carlo Bergonzi (tenor)|Carlo Bergonzi]], [[Franco Corelli]], [[Alfredo Kraus]], [[Plácido Domingo]], [[Nicolai Gedda]], [[Luciano Pavarotti]], [[Jon Vickers]], [[Tito Gobbi]], [[Sherrill Milnes]], and [[Cesare Siepi]].

The Met's 1961 production of ''[[Turandot]]'', with [[Leopold Stokowski]] conducting, [[Birgit Nilsson]] in the title role, and [[Franco Corelli]] as Calàf,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archives.metopera.org/MetOperaSearch/record.jsp?dockey=0371922|access-date=January 12, 2024|title=Met Performance CID:187250 ''Turandot'' (28)|date=February 24, 1961|publisher=Metropolitan Opera Archives}}</ref> was called the Met's "biggest hit in 10 years".<ref>{{cite magazine| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=qE8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA53| title= Biggest Opera Hit in 10 years| magazine= [[Life (magazine)|Life]]| date= May 5, 1961| access-date= July 4, 2015| archive-date= January 23, 2021| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210123205421/https://books.google.com/books?id=qE8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA53| url-status= live}}</ref> For the 1962/1963 season, [[Renata Tebaldi]], popular with Met audiences, convinced a reluctant Bing to stage a revival of ''[[Adriana Lecouvreur]]'', an opera last presented at the Met in 1907.

In 1963, Anthony Bliss, a prominent New York lawyer and president of the Metropolitan Opera Association (MOA), convinced the MOA to create the [[Metropolitan Opera National Company]] (MONC); a second touring company that would present operas nationally with young operatic talent.<ref name="ON">{{cite news|url=https://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2006/8/Features/The_Not-So-Grand_Tour.html|title=The Not-So-Grand Tour|author=Martin Bernheimer|work=[[Opera News]]|date=August 2006|volume=71|issue=2|pages=40–45|access-date=March 20, 2021|archive-date=May 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504040708/https://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2006/8/Features/The_Not-So-Grand_Tour.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Supported by President [[John F. Kennedy]] and funded largely by donations given by philanthropist and publisher [[Lila Acheson Wallace]], the company presented two seasons of operas in 1965–1966 and 1966–1967 in which hundreds of performances were given in hundreds of cities throughout the United States.<ref name="ON" /> Bing publicly supported the organization, but privately detested the idea and actively worked to dismantle the company which he ultimately achieved in a vote of the board in December 1966.<ref name="ON" /> The MONC's directors were mezzo-soprano [[Risë Stevens]] and [[Michael Manuel]], a long time stage manager and director at the Met.<ref name="ON" /> Several well known opera singers performed with the MONC, including sopranos [[Clarice Carson]], [[Maralin Niska]], [[Mary Beth Peil]], [[Francesca Roberto]], and [[Marilyn Zschau]]; mezzo-sopranos [[Joy Davidson]], Sylvia Friederich, Dorothy Krebill, and [[Huguette Tourangeau]]; tenors [[Enrico Di Giuseppe]], Chris Lachona, Nicholas di Virgilio, and [[Harry Theyard]]; baritones [[Ron Bottcher]], [[John Fiorito]], [[Thomas Jamerson]], [[Julian Patrick]], and Vern Shinall; bass-baritones [[Andrij Dobriansky]], Ronald Hedlund, and [[Arnold Voketaitis]]; and bass [[Paul Plishka]].<ref name="ON" />

During Bing's tenure, the officers of the Met joined forces with the officers of the [[New York Philharmonic]] to build the [[Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts]], where the new [[Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center)|Metropolitan Opera House]] building opened in 1966.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wqxr.org/story/remembering-old-metropolitan-opera-house/|title=Remembering the Old Metropolitan Opera House|department=Operavore|website=[[WQXR-FM|WQXR]]|date=September 26, 2016 |access-date=May 10, 2019|archive-date=May 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510151210/https://www.wqxr.org/story/remembering-old-metropolitan-opera-house/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Met's first season at Lincoln Center featured nine new productions, including the world premiere of [[Marvin David Levy]]'s ''[[Mourning Becomes Electra (opera)|Mourning Becomes Electra]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metopera.org/season/on-demand/opera/?upc=811357018330 |title=Highlights of the 1966–67 Season |website=The Metropolitan Opera |access-date=December 31, 2020 |archive-date=January 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127103548/http://www.metopera.org/season/on-demand/opera/?upc=811357018330 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, the company would not premiere any new operas for decades afterwards, until 1991's ''[[The Ghosts of Versailles]]'' by [[John Corigliano]]. One critic described the period as "a quarter-century in which the notion of commissioned work reminded Met administrators of the emblematic failure of [[Samuel Barber]]'s ''[[Antony and Cleopatra (1966 opera)|Antony and Cleopatra]]'' and the lukewarm reception of Marvin David Levy's ''Mourning Becomes Electra''."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/13/arts/critic-s-notebook-why-met-s-ghosts-will-be-disembodied-until-1994-95-season.html |title=Critic's Notebook; Why Met's 'Ghosts' Will Be Disembodied Until 1994–95 Season |date=January 13, 1992 |access-date=December 31, 2020 |first=Allan |last=Kozinn |author-link=Allan Kozinn |work=The New York Times |page=C11 |archive-date=January 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115100129/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/13/arts/critic-s-notebook-why-met-s-ghosts-will-be-disembodied-until-1994-95-season.html |url-status=live }}</ref>