Showing up on best-seller lists and in library card files.Īt this time, Shepherd and his publisher, Ian Ballantine had lunch Thereafter ShepherdĪnd Company managed to talk up the "Banned in Boston" book and requestĬopies of it at enough bookstores to the point where it starting Listeners as an appropriately ridiculous title for a book about the ribald adventures of an 18th century British roue. " I, Libertine" was suggested by one of his
"Night People" to come up the title for a book that would be a Originally, radio disc jockey Jean Shepherd exhorted his cadre of The story behind this hoot of a novel is quite interesting. Shepherd and Sturgeon), published in 1956. Ewing (the goofball pseudonym for Messrs. The book in question is I, Libertine, by Frederick R. The sad, unavoidable truth, though, is that performances like this give it a bad name.I just sold a copy of a hilarious literary hoax novel penned by humorist Jean Shepherd and novelist Theodore Sturgeon and am struck with a severe case of bookseller's remorse. Those responsible for the production clearly love the grand Italian operatic tradition - and that tradition, for all the derision heaped on it by some ''serious'' musicians, is a precious one. This listener did not have the heart to wait out the third act.
The soloists had good voices, or in some cases what must once have been good voices, but their singing was not so much undistinguished as anti-distinguished, with loudness substituted for every other possible virtue. Vincent La Selva's choristers sang at a level of polish and finesse that made it easier than usual to believe that they were rough-and-ready California miners the orchestra gave a strong impression of having rehearsed only long enough to reach the beginning of the second act. The Parks Commissioner was there to give the crowd an enthusiastic welcome a representative of the company thanked a long list of supporting corporations and agencies the worthy cause of free opera was worthily hailed on every hand.Īll this good will and enthusiasm make even sadder the task of a critic who with the best will in the world cannot praise the performance. ''The Girl of the Golden West,'' one of the few Puccini operas not being done this summer at the City Opera, was on the bill. Under a stunning moon in paradisial weather, the New York Grand Opera launched its summer Puccini festival Thursday night in Central Park.
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