Opera Babylon: The Snake Pit

la Gioconda,
the Metropolitan Opera
Oct 13, 1982

Mentioning tenor Carlo Bini's underwhelming Calaf alongside Cristina Deutekom's Turandot unleashed a firestorm of revelation for the NYC Opera Fanatic.

Mea culpa. The NYCOF takes back "You've heard of Carlo Bini, right? No? Me neither. Now we know why." I didn't realize Carlo Bini was that tenor, the star of one of the most infamous nights at the Metropolitan Opera.

Search the MetOpera Database and you will find a footnote to the Gioconda on Oct. 13, 1982.

Domingo cancelled after Act I and was replaced as Enzo by Bini. Patanè cancelled after Act III and was replaced as conductor by Kohn.

Cryptic in its terseness, who would guess that this matter-of-fact footnote describes a night so unruly that the usually docile Metropolitan Opera hasn't seen its equal in 23 years!

Oct 13, 1982 at the Metropolitan Opera. A Snake-Pit!

Meet the Snakes

Eva Marton, Gioconda: Hungarian dramatic soprano, debuted at Met in 1976. On Oct 13th Marton returned to sing her third Gioconda of the season. Marton sang the title role for the opera's season premiere on 9/25 (and also sang at 9/28 performance). In the interim, the 3 performances of la Gioconda featured Bulgarian soprano Galina Savova in the title role

Placido Domingo, Enzo No. 1: Mexican tenor. Debuted at the Met in 1968. In 1982, he was crossing over from spinto to more dramatic roles. By the Oct 13th performance, Domingo had sung all the Giocondas (5 for the season so far): his Enzo partnered Eva Marton in the title role twice and bulgarian soprano Galina Savova in the title role three times (10/2, 5, 9).

Carlo Bini, Enzo No 2: Italian tenor. Met debut as Don Jose on 11/13/1978 under the baton of maestro Giuseppe Patane (Bini had sung with Met in the Parks the previous summer). Also in 1978, Bini learned Verdi's Luisa Miller in four days after Jose Carreras canceled, and won enthusiastic reviews from the New York press. By 1982, the thirty-something tenor had sung Rodolfo (Luisa Miller), the Duke of Mantua, Turridu, and Manrico at the Metropolitan Opera House (plus Cavaradossi with the Met in the Parks). The Oct 13th Gioconda was his first Enzo at the Met. Bini's English wife: Margaret "Bunny"Bini.

Mignon Dunn, Laura: Having debuted at the Met in 1958, by 1982, the mezzo was nearing the end of a long and distinguished career.

Matteo Manuguerra, Barnaba: Tunisian-born baritone of Italian parentage. Debuted at the Met in 1971.

Giuseppe Patane, Maestro No 1: Neopolitan maestro, son of conductor Franco Patane. Debuted at the Met in 1975, conducting Ponchielli's la Gioconda. In 1982, rumors were flying that the married Patane (father of future opera star Francesca Patane) was having an affair with soprano Galina Savova. On Oct 13th, Eva Marton returned to sing under Patane's baton in a role sung for the previous three performances by his rumored mistress. Patane was also rumored to be unhappy at the Met: by the Oct 13th performance, Patane had already given notice that the 1982/83 season would be his last with the Met; Patane had recently been
named a principal conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra starting the next season.

Eugene Kohn, Maestro No 2: Like the maestro he replaced during the Oct 13th performance, Kohn also debuted at the Met conducting la Gioconda (1980). In 1982, Kohn was an assistant conductor at the Met.

Charles Riecker, artistic administrator of the Met

It ain't over 'til Bini sings.
Read Part 2 of Opera Babylon: The View From The Snake Pit.