▁and ▁Art istic ▁Director . ▁Ex cer pts ▁from ▁the ▁g ala ▁were ▁released ▁by ▁Deutsche ▁Gr amm oph on ▁on ▁a ▁ 7 2 - min ute ▁CD , ▁a ▁ 1 6 1 - min ute ▁V HS ▁vide oc ass ette ▁and ▁a ▁ 1 6 1 - min ute ▁double ▁Las erd isc ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁and ▁on ▁a ▁ 2 9 3 - min ute ▁double ▁DVD ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁ ▁Background ▁James ▁Lev ine ▁made ▁his ▁début ▁at ▁the ▁Metropolitan ▁Opera ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁twenty - se ven . ▁On ▁ 5 ▁June ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁he ▁conducted ▁a ▁mat in ée ▁performance ▁of ▁T os ca ▁with ▁Grace ▁B umb ry ▁in ▁the ▁title ▁role , ▁Franco ▁Cor elli ▁as ▁Cav ar ados si ▁and ▁Peter ▁G loss op ▁- ▁also ▁making ▁his ▁Met ▁début ▁- ▁as ▁Sc arp ia . ▁Lev ine ▁was ▁the ▁longest ▁serving ▁conduct or ▁in ▁the ▁Met ' s ▁history , ▁becoming ▁its ▁Princi pal ▁Con duct or ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁its ▁Music ▁Director ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁and ▁its ▁inaug ural ▁Art istic ▁Director ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁his ▁g ala , ▁he ▁had ▁led ▁the ▁Met ▁in ▁ 1 , 6 4 6 ▁performances ▁of ▁si xty - e ight ▁oper as , ▁twenty - one ▁of ▁which ▁he ▁had ▁introduced ▁into ▁the ▁company