The general manager's drama

A few notes on yesterday's long WSJ article on the Peter Gelb administration:
*It may be the first piece to break the spell of positive press that's attended the beginning of his Met tenure. Being a financials-focused piece in the Journal, it probably won't break the Gelb cheerleading at the Times and elsewhere, but who can tell?
*It was written a while back -- most obviously the interview with Gelb himself -- and not updated. Note this, about La Rondine (in the same traveling production for Gheorghiu to be presented by the Met next season):

"If the SFO does transmit it" -- which has been announced -- "we might think twice about it. Angela is starring in 'Elixir of Love' next year and we might go with that."

Except San Francisco already did moviecast it (no one went), and Rondine is already confirmed for next season's Met HD list.
*Is it coincidence that the two years of rising box office receipts discussed in the piece occurs with a historic rise in the Euro relative to the dollar? (Previously discussed here.) Of course, Gelb's promotional efforts perhaps helped the Met take advantage of the revitalization of foreign tourism (which took a big drop after 9/11), but exchange rates will not be so favorable to the house forever.

It's too bad the author didn't think to ask about this.
*Finally, a word on the moviecasts. A year ago, I lamented the possibility of their cinematic values replacing the sonic and theatrical ones on which live opera thrive. This still seems to me an essential concern, but in another sense the whole enterprise is an important and perhaps inevitable raising of stakes in the Met's competition with other opera houses.

The San Francisco and La Scala offerings barely seem to have registered -- though there are interesting claims that they don't really need to -- while the Met versions continue their wild success. The difference is obvious: the Met is able to leverage its existing brand and -- thanks to its decades-long series of worldwide radio broadcasts -- association with the Saturday matinee timeslot (Saturday evening in Europe) in a way other houses can't.

This brings two things besides ticket sales. First, it helps Gelb's star-focused casting policy, giving the Met -- as radio broadcasts did, in their day -- the largest possible stage to offer sought-after singers. Second, the moviecasts, the subsequent DVD (and, inevitably, Blu-Ray) releases, and the press attending these, improve the prominence of the house among those who consume opera products (recordings, news, etc.) all over the world (but also including New York). And from that: not just more ticket-buyers from abroad, but perhaps more donors too.
*Of course, very little of this has to do with the art itself. Pardon the detour.