Riccardo Muti

 

I have an ambivalent attitude to Muti. I first heard him decades ago when he conducted L'Africaine' in Florence with the young Jessye Norman. Not a great conductors' opera. I never really bothered to go to his concerts when he was chief of the Philharmonia and he didn't do much at Covent Garden. However just on the strength of his Busoni Turandot Suite (better than anyone else's) I do acknowledge he has some worth.

Confidentially, a friend of mine at the Chicago Symphony had even less regard for him. Apparently when it looked as if he might be leaving, they asked the players who they would like to succeed him and the answer was - Solti!

Also there are tales of Muti's after concert dinners where he would hold forth.  He has 3 hobby-horses;

  1. Anglo Saxon people are ugly

  2. Women conductors are no good

  3. Baroque music is a waste of time

    He is respected by the musicians of the orchestra and despite his abIlity to be overbearing, he was described by Bram Gay, former manager of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as a "pussy-cat."

     

     

     

     

     

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