Scarlet Masque Theatre Journal New Beginnings and Fond Farewells Vol. 1 | Page 53

company (New York Times, 2014). According to Anthony Tommasini, the mayor cited
that the company’s “business model doesn’t seem to be working.” (New York Times,
2014). As time would tell, the mayor was correct. However, the NYCO Renaissance
chose in 2015 to take on the risk. According to the organization, they deeply desired to
“reboot the people’s opera,” and provide the same opportunities for young singers and
new work as was previously offered by the company (The New Yorker, 2016).
Additionally, the NYCO Renaissance seems to know full well that the waters of the
operatic world are frequently unforgiving, especially with a climate in which audiences,
“certainly aren’t showing up at the Met, which is having its own problems filling
seats.” (The New Yorker, 2016). However, with its premiere of Aleko and I Pagliacci on
September 15, 2016, NYCO may have picked up right where the company left off. A
review from the Huffington Post raves, “NYCO is on the right track to re-establishing
itself as a force in the opera world.” (The Huffington Post, 2016). Thus, it seems New
York will retain its two prominent operatic institutions for the time being.
The Metropolitan Opera Company continued to grow artistic and financial
momentum as time marched on into the mid-20th century, boasting the acquisition of
renowned vocalists and household names like Domingo, Freni, Callas, Pavarotti,
Sutherland, and Horne (Fiedler, 2003). With such an influx of high-profile talent and a
highly capable general manager in Rudolf Bing, the Met began its ascent to the artistic
precipice which it rests on today. In Bing, the Met had found a general manager that
understood production and creative aspects necessary in success. Additionally, Bing
was the first to successfully break the color barrier in operatic performance at the Met
(Fielder, 2003). The true culmination of a step forward for the company itself was the
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