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On April 22, 1972, Sir Rudolf Bing's tenure as general manager of the Metropolitan Opera came to a close with a gala concert featuring many of the foremost operatic voices of the day. Photographer Louis Melançon's famous full-stage photo captures the assembled Company during the evening's final ovation (above). The stage setting for the concert's closing segment was from Act II of the classic Robert O'Hearn-designed production of DER ROSENKAVALIER which was recently seen for the final time on the Met stage.
I had attended the final complete opera performance of the Bing régime on the afternoon of April 22nd: a stellar DON CARLO featuring Montserrat Caballe, Grace Bumbry, Franco Corelli, Sherrill Milnes, Cesare Siepi and John Macurdy, with deluxe casting in the smaller roles: Lucine Amara as the Celestial Voice, Frederica von Stade as Tebaldo, and Paul Plishka as the Friar. I tried desperately to wrangle a ticket for the evening's gala, but there were none to be begged, borrowed or stolen.