Year Two of the Bing Regime at the Metropolitan Opera got off to a lively start. Most of the critics cheered the new sets and the Margaret Webster staging for opening night's Aïda. Traditionalist Olin Downes-of the New York Times found the spectacle side "far from either the nature of the drama or of Verdi's score." But the Timesman seemed to be an exception, and even he liked the singing. Moreover, whatever the critics thought, a glittering audience, 3,840 strong, had a fine time.
The biggest individual triumph belonged to young (30) U.S.-trained, Vienna-seasoned Bass-Baritone George London (TIME, Jan. 9, 1950), making...
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