Customer Reviews

Molto Agitato: The Mayhem Behind the Music at the Metropolitan Opera

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3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Back when I used to spend more summer days on the beach than at work, this book would have been considered a perfect "beach book." Anyone interested in opera in general or the Metropolitan Opera specifically, will want to read what goes into the day-to-day workings of this city within a city.

MOLTO AGITATO's subtitle says it all: "The Mayhem Behind the Music at the Metropolitan Opera." Fiedler is a witty, clever writer who keeps the pace going and although she has some obvious likes and dislikes among the stars and the office and backstage workers, she seemingly keeps her opinions on the back burner and tries, often successfully, to tell the facts. But, let's face it: the Met is a performing arts organization and, therefore every civilian who watches or listens to even one opera from the Met, becomes a financial and artistic critic.

Conductor James Levine, one of the Met's treasures, and, in fact, one of the world's musical treasures, gets the lion's share of attention and adoration, but Fielder is "relatively fair" to more famous names like Marian Anderson and Placido Domingo, Cecilia Bartoli and Beverly Sills, Maria Callas and Enrico Caruso, et al. For snide laughs, start with the gossip surrounding the firing of Kathleen Battle; for grim adventure, there is the real murder of violinist Helen Hagnes; if you believe that the Met, to survive, has got to hire more experimental directors, read about John Dexter and his defeat at Lincoln Center; if you believe that the Met, to survive, must continue to hire more lavish directors, read about Franco Zeffirelli and his opera-as-spectacle policy; if you, like most, get your only opera experience from The Three Tenors, there are pieces on all three of them and an extra long chapter on the, arguably, most famous singer of all time, Luciano Pavarotti.

Johanna Fiedler knows opera inside and out and she provides us with the inside scoop on what goes on behind the scenes at the Met, or that is, what went on throughout most of the administration of Rudolf Bing, Anthony Bliss and Joseph Volpe. She's the press representative for the Metropolitan Opera and the daughter of Arhtur Fiedler, the long time conductor of the Boston Pops, now deceased. Yes, this book has been attacked as trashy tabloid yellow journalism material, but at least it's true and raw, not pretending to be something it's not. It's full of juicy gossip but it's written in an insightful, intelligent, human and mannered way so that it is not vulgar or meaingless. In fact, my eyes were open to the myths I had about opera and the artists of the field. She gives proper credit to all her sources. This extensive book should delight the most hardcore of opera fanatics but beware to discover truths behind any illusions you might have. Opera is a dirty business.

Here's an inside look at life at the Met, the power struggles, the artists and their issues and every single high and low that happened through the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. Opera is the Hollywood of the arts and never is this more true than in this book that captures the temperament of everyone involved in the world of opera- from agents, to conductors, to singers to producers and artistic directors. I was very surprised to discover that my favorite tenor Placido Domingo genuinely envied Luciano Pavoratti and were actually rivals at one point, long before they made it as The Three Tenors when Jose Carreras came into the picture. Carrerras, too, like Domingo and Pavoratti cheated on his wife at one time with his co-artist Katia Ricciarelli (what is it with the Three Tenors and sex ?) While I still love Domingo, it is a bit shattering to discover the fallible nature of tenors! Domingo was and always will be the more intelligent and consummate artist but it was a bit sad to hear that he was unfaithful to his wife and that he was nearly crazy with jealous of the Pavoratti phenomenon. It's like Salieri being jealous of Mozart. Pavoratti has the big voice and the presence but Domingo was the better actor. Pavoratti, too, had issues, also cheating on his own wife and being very lazy, selfish, spotlight hogging and hypocritical. Sopranos too have their issues and this book lavishes us with all the diva antics. Kathleen Battle, unlike the more exemplary African American singers- Leontyne Price, Grace Bumbry, Shirley Verrett and Jessye Norman, behaved unprofessionally, showing up late to rehearsals, being rude to costumers and co-artists. She was fired from the Met in 1994, after an incident in which she even lashed out at esteemed and experienced mezzo soprano Rosalind Elias. The incident with Carol Vanness is also noteworthy. Another diva was Renata Scotto, who didn't always have the perfect voice and ruined herself trying to emulate Maria Callas. Conductors/directors and their clashes with singers who have their own ideas is also a big part of this book. Rudolf Bing dared to fire Maria Callas and did not allow Beverly Sills to debut at the Met until late in her career because he had considered her singing beneath the standard of the Met. In 1980, violinist Helen Hagnes was brutally murdered and raped during an intermission and the investigation of the crime revealed that some folks were using the back wings and hidden rooms of the Opera for sex and drug use. Performances of Verdi's Macbeth are never staged at the Met because it is "cursed". In two seperate incidents, tragedy and horror erupted, at one time even a man committed suicide.

While there is too much to dish out in a summary, let me say that Miss Fiedler is very accurate, suffusing her work with integrity and vivid, life-like narrative. Plus, there are a number of black and white photos of the forces behind the Met like Rudolf Bing, James Levine, Franco Zefferelli and James Levine. The Met opened its doors for the first time in 1883 with a production of Faust. Since then the Met has been an opera within itself, full of colorful, dramatic characters. They're all here, more human than operatic- Maria Callas (she's a character) Beverly Sills (who struggled hard to get where she is now, as Chairman and other big positions at the Met though now she is really retired) Joan Sutherland and her husband conductor Richard Bonynge, Roberto Alagan and Angela Gheorghiu who are opera's sexiest couple and look like Bonnie and Clyde to some. Birgit Nilsson had a sense of humor and was once a simple farm girl and all the other forces that brought opera to the Met for a long time. Things are probably less scandalous now though now and then something comes up- recently, mezzo Debora Voight was denied a role because she was "too fat" for the Twiggy-super model version of Ariadne of Naxos. Go figure. We love soap operas and opera is one.

My girlfriend and I discussed this book and she sent me this interesting review of hers. The book is filled with ancedotes and gossip, but I wished the author, would depict the "characters" objectively, instead there is a strong judgmental undertone, and this is very unprofessional. At least for the large part, this book seems to be intended as a documental account on the Met History and developments, but Ms. Fiedler does not treat it so. She describes people strictly as "good" or "bad" girls and boys. Pavarotti, for example is a "good boy" all the way, he just could not do anything wrong, and if there was a negative feature mentioned, it was always followed by "but"...while Domingo is made really bad, and if something good was said about him, it was also followed by "but". Among many other things, he is said to be not as graceful as Corelli, he cannot act(!?) and he is a "King of just a B flat" as opposed to Pavarotti. It seems Ms. Fiedler just could not help herself to mention this-how small!To be fair, she could have said that Pavarotti, on the other hand, cannot do justice in singing Otello, Parcifal, or even Idomeneo-Where Domingo excells. Pavarotti voice is more lyrical and that is why it is more natural for him to have a better high C. Putting down Domingo consistently is simply peculiar.
Renata Tebaldi, a legendary star in our opera world is not even discussed, although she was an important part of our Met culture. The author felt very secure
, however, in coming down in full force on Kathleen Battle. Perhaps Ms. Fiedler felt that such juciest gossip would make her book more valuable.
There is merit to this book. The historical facts are valuable and the author can write well so this could be a good book for opera buffs to own, however,it would serve the author to be more objective in reporting facts rather than being so subjective. Kay Birula of Kernersville, N.C.

When folks sit around and discuss the toughest job in the U.S., you will never hear General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera mentioned. After you read this book, that job will make your short list. Author Johanna Fiedler (daughter of legendary conductor Arthur Fiedler) is well-positioned to write this book, having spent 15 years of her career at the Met.

This book has a lot to offer the opera lover. Fiedler gives us an interesting history of the Met; told not only in terms of dates and events, but in terms of political, social, and economic struggle. All of the power struggles are here, and there are plenty of them. These struggles are between warring factions of Met patrons as well as within the Met administration. If you think that life and death office politics are absent from an artistic institution, think again.

But the real guilty pleasure is all of the backstage stories. Fiedler's style makes you feel as though you are a part of it. Other reviewers noted that, if you live in NYC and keep up with the Met, there is realy nothing new here. But if you're like me and living outside NYC, the stories are very entertaining. The rise and fall of Kathleen Battle was well documented in the media, but reading the whole story from an insider was fascinating and horrifying at the same time. The Met sent a clear message: just because you are fantastically talented, boorish behavior will not be excused. And, not all of the stories are negative. Fiedler paints portraits of some kind, wonderful people that just happen to be elite singers.

Amazon's price for this book is a steal. Highly recommended!

There have been quite a few great books on the Metropolitan Opera over the years which is only natural since the Met has so many stories to tell. Two interesting books I have enjoyed include Patrick Smith's A YEAR AT THE MET and THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE coauthored by a number of people. Many of the great performers of the Met have included stories about this famed opera house and of course, there are Sir Rudolph Bing's accounts of his years at the house, but there have been very few recent titles that have included modern anecdotes about what is arguably the world's greatest opera house. This makes Johanna Fiedler's MOLTO AGITATO such a welcome addition.

Fiedler has long been associated with the Met, and people who listen to the Saturday afternoon broadcasts will be familiar with her name since she is often a quiz panelist. Her name should be familiar to anyone who knows music since she is the daughter of Arthur Fielder, the late legendary conductor of the Boston Pops. Her volume contains many stories about the great legends of yesteryear including Enrico Caruso, Nellie Melba, Kirsten Flagstad, Lauritz Melchior to name a few, as well as the tales of Rudolph Bing, his altercations with Maria Callas, the antics of Kathleen Battle, Renata Scotto, and Luciano Pavarotti. This volume also has quiet a bit about James Levine which any story of the Met would have to include.

Ms. Fiedler has a great mind for detail and rather than giving a chronological history, she tells a story with great historical events. She can be both humorous and catty, but this adds to the overall flavor of the book. She also has a great understanding of the people involved, perhaps due to the fact that she was exposed to great musical personalities most of her life.

The paperback version has one great advantage over the hardcover. It includes a chapter that tells of the effect of September 11th on the company as well as current events up until 2003.

I know a lot about the history of the Met, and any journalist with access to a library card could have checked name spellings, debut and farewell dates and roles sung at the Met. The innacuracies in this book exceed my ability to list them all! The author has Joan Sutherland retiring in 1984 (it was 1989). They have her cancelling a production of SEMIRAMIDE, which in fact was taken away from her when she cancelled ABDUCTION, giving them over a year's notice. They list singers singing roles they never gave at the Met. The date inaccuracies are legion. If you want half warmed-over gossip with no relation to actual reality, this is the book for you.

Ms. Fiedler is a good story-teller. Like most good story-tellers, she makes her material her own and, for the most part, can make us forget that we have heard most of these tales before. In her preface, Ms. Fiedler tells us that this is "the study of the politics of an institution...and the three main forces that propel it: the artistic, the financial, and the social." Writing a book that balances those three elements is problematical. Ms. Fiedler does not always rise to the challenge, although it is interesting to watch her try.

Unfortunately, the book seems to be strong on anecdote and gossip (often masquerading under the guise of politics) and weak on the day-to-day business operations of a multi-million dollar business. Ms. Fiedler may have assumed that most opera lovers find too much financial and business information boring; probably she was right. But if that were the case, might she not have done better to write to a less diverse audience and with a sharper focus? At times, Ms. Fiedler appears to be the ultimate opera junky. "Have you heard the one about...?" At other times, she appears to have a personal axe to grind, e.g., who else in the opera world has ever accused Dame Joan Sutherland of being "cool and testy"? Ms. Fiedler's rather ungracious telling of the debacle that left New York audiences without Dame Joan for upwards of three years leaves one rather irritated with Ms. Fiedler. After all, Dame Joan gave us years of pleasure; Ms. Fiedler has given us a mediocre book.

For, ultimately, that is what this is, a mediocre rehash of anecdotes that have traveled the music circuit over the last few decades. The stories are repackaged nicely and the book is a good read, but eventually, it does leave one wondering why someone on the inside for fifteen years couldn't tell us something we didn't already know.

Check it out of the library; you don't need this book in your permanent collection.

I really loved this book. Most books about opera are somewhat staid and intellectual. Not this one. It gives you all the dirt behind the goings on at the Met. Particularly juicy are the tales about tempermental singers, most notably Kathleen Battle. The author was a press representative for the Met and her insider's knowledge is quite evident. The main flaw of the book is the first part, when the author tells some of the stories about the Met up until the Bing years. After that it is very intersting. It's like you're reading The National Enguirer, only instead of pop stars and movie celebrities, the subject is opera. I know it's not intellectual, but it's a lot of fun and very entertaining.

Well, well, well. I just skimmed thru some of the reader-reviews -- very mixed indeed, just like reviews of opera recordings. As for me, I read the entire book in two days. I was AMAZED at how interesting it was. Say whatever you want about the accuracy of Johanna Fiedler's research, but there is just no denying that the woman writes beautifully -- I just couldn't put this book down! Not a single boring page. I've always been an opera buff, so almost all of the names were familiar to me, but I hadn't ever heard of the majority of the stories that some readers complained of being common knowledge. And stories that I had heard of, were full of details that I didn't know about.

I learned so much about the Met's history and about the world inside (and outside) the opera house. This book is a great accomplishment, an absolute must-read for any opera-lover. It was obvious that Ms. Fiedler colored some of the anecdotes with her own personal take. So what!! It's her book. Probably did make it "juicier." Those 1-star reviews: underserved.

One of the very best books about music I've ever read. BRAVA, Ms. Fiedler!!

"Molto Agitato" is a perfunctory, reasonably entertaining chronicle of the Metropolitan Opera's history. A bit cut and dry, the book manages to hold your attention without sparking much excitement. There's not much gossip here -- and what there is seems warmed-over (probably culled from other sources) and is presented in a leaden, flat-footed manner. There's none of the juice and (more importantly) the wit of Manuela Hoelterhoff's delicious "Cinderella & Co." Your time might be better spent re-reading that (or, better yet, discovering it for the first time) than slogging through "Molto Agitato." The main problem is Fiedler's poor writing skills. Some examples:

- While discussing German artists fired during World War I she states that artists such as "...Melanie Kurt, Margaret Ober [and others were replaced by] the French conductor Pierre Monteux and Roberto Moranzoni, an Italian conductor." Huh? Female singers were replaced by French and Italian conductors?

- Fiedler states that "In the fall of 1968, two extraordinary singers made their Metropolitan Opera debuts, only weeks apart. No one could have known then that Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti would go on to define opera for the next quarter-century." Only two pages later she writes "...two singers joined the Met roster in 1968 who, thirty years later, would still be singing and selling out the theater...Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo..." Sloppy, unnecessary repetition.

- She refers on one page to "Cosi fan Tutte" (on the assumption that her readers are familiar with the piece) and then on the next to Mozart's "Cosi fan Tutte" (as if they've never heard of it!) Again, inexcusable sloppiness.

And the examples go on and on. What's up here? This is a major, not inexpensive Doubleday publication. Where were Fiedler's editors? Whole chapters -- like the one entitled "Star Power" -- come out of nowhere and lead nowhere, seemingly just plopped into place without the slightest forethought.

All in all, there is a rushed, routine feel to "Molto Agitato" that prevents it from being the truly valuable history that I'm sure Fiedler thought she was writing.