Dear Mr. Gelb, I cant say that I understand all aspects of this labor crisis except to say that I, along with thousands of others are terrified of losing an institution that is historically and emotionally significant to us. The Metropolitan Opera has been part of my life since I was in utero. I was raised on the Met broadcasts as a child and from those meager beginnings my love for the art form grew. As a child sitting on daddys lap waiting for Mimi to die, or waiting for Cho Cho Sans dagger to fall, Saturday afternoons were sacred in my house. My parents had season tickets in the late 30s and 40s and early 1950s. From those days, I have accumulated a large collection of very old libretti with the casts from the performances pasted in them each time they would see that opera. As I look through them and see the likes of Martinelli, Lily Pons, Licia Albanese, John Brownlee, Melchior, Friedrich Schorr, Flagstad, Rose Bampton. Salome with Ljuba Welitsch, her debut 2/4/49 - yes - they saw that performance. My mother even saved Virgil Thompsons review, which was glowing with praise. It is interesting to see the future stars at the Met who played the part of the Third Jew - Alessio De Paolis; the Fourth Jew - Paul Franke; The First soldier - Jerome Hines - even the role of a Cappadocian was played by none other than Osie Hawkins that day. I woulkd have no opera at all if it was not for the Live in HD broadcasts. The Met itself is long gone for me but I keep it alive with Sirius XM and the hopes of the HD Broadcasts. It is this glorious tradition that is threatened by this labor dispute. I know I speak for many when I beg you to please avoid this disaster which is in its final hours. Respectfully, Linda S. Breuning
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 00:57:42 +0000
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