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Summary: I Love Gossip
Review: 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.
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Summary: Molto Bene
Review: I received this book a couple of days ago, sat down, and read it in one sitting. A fascinating account of the inner workings of what is, at times, the greatest opera company in the world. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
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Summary: Wonderful reading
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Very entertaining! You can't go wrong with this one.
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Summary: Fun But Could Have Used More History
Review: Johanne Fiedler, in Molto Agitato, tells the behind the scenes history of the Metropolitan Opera, from its earliest origins until the very recent years. The first half of the book is the most fascinating as the stories of the first eighty or so years are not as familiar. Perhaps too much of the remainder of the book is on the Volpe/Levine years which, though very important and interesting on their terms, will be familiar to many readers. Also the story from the management side, both artistic and business, gets mixed in with the story of many of the later stars singing at the Met as the book progesses, beyond those stories strictly set at the Met, whereas in the beginning the book is much more focused. Still, it is a thoroughly entertaining read.
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Summary: A good read, but not exactly original
Review: 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.
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Summary: Molto Agitato
Review: 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.
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Summary: Paging Manuela Hoelterhoff
Review: The subtitle "The Mayhem Behind the Music at the Metropolitan Opera" says it all. Johanna Fiedler, the daughter of the Boston Pop's Arthur Fiedler, brings an insider's eye to the New York Metropolitan Opera. Beginning with the attempts to provide society with a place to be seen, and perhaps also enjoy opera, the Met has been a showplace of great talent and ego. On both sides of the curtain, and stagelights for that matter. To keep such an artictic company running it has taken mant talents from the management talent of Rudolf Bing to the mecurial brillance of Kathleen Battle. This well written tome brings it to the reader, warts and all. This is an engaging read for any lover of the Saturday broadcasts , as well as any lover of theatre and opera.
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Summary: The drama is behind the scenes!!
Review: The subtitle "The Mayhem Behind the Music at the Metropolitan Opera" says it all. Johanna Fiedler, the daughter of the Boston Pop's Arthur Fiedler, brings an insider's eye to the New York Metropolitan Opera. Beginning with the attempts to provide society with a place to be seen, and perhaps also enjoy opera, the Met has been a showplace of great talent and ego. On both sides of the curtain, and stagelights for that matter. To keep such an artictic company running it has taken mant talents from the management talent of Rudolf Bing to the mecurial brillance of Kathleen Battle. This well written tome brings it to the reader, warts and all. This is an engaging read for any lover of the Saturday broadcasts , as well as any lover of theatre and opera.
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Summary: A Great Current History of the Met
Review: 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.
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Summary: Petty, Mindless Drivel
Review: This author resorts to petty, unproved attacks against others for no apparent reason other than to provoke interest in a book undeserving of serious attention. Witness her assertion that Marcia Lewis, in her well researched book, "The Private Lives Of The Three Tenors" included made up anecdotes and used inaccuate research in her book. No mention is made of any of the errors, nor is Ms. Lewis cited in the index. Rather, Ms.Fiedler lists Ms. Lewis' more famous daughter, Monica Lewinsky, who isn't mentioned at all in the book, as a citation in the index. Can you guess why?
I gave just one example, which could easily duplicated, of why you should avoid reading "Molto Agitato". If you're a serious opera lover, you will be wasting your time.
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