Metropolitan Opera Launches Free Ticket Program Under Mayor Mamdani

Starting this month, the Metropolitan Opera is giving away 10,000 free tickets every month—about one in ten seats for the whole season—to New Yorkers who haven't been since 2019. This effort is part of "Opera for All," a new initiative by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, echoing Fiorello La Guardia's 1943 "People's Opera," where tickets were just 75 cents. In other news, Mark Swed has wrapped up his 50-year career as the classical critic for the Los Angeles Times, marking his exit with a visit to a church organ in Halberstadt, Germany, that has been holding a John Cage chord since 2001, due to finish in 2640. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Orchestra's musicians went on strike early Friday over pay issues and healthcare transparency. In Kentucky, rare-book dealer Brandon DiSabatino has been working on bulk orders from Blue Angel for obscure books, including a limited release by artist Chris Burden. When he contacted a representative named "Crystal," she laughed and said the call was cutting out. Lastly, minimalist composer Steve Reich, who turns 90 on October 3, remarked, "Good music is good music, and most music is not!" highlighting that music should stand proudly next to legends like Charlie Parker or Bach.