Riccardo Muti: You're The Man Now, Dawg!

Big interview in yesterday's Corriere della Sera with Riccardo Muti about his new Chicago job.

The interview (not online 4 u) Muti -- who during his Milan years dreamt up unorthodox events like a famous attempt to bring his orchestra to Lebanon (the trip was canceled days before leaving Italy for security reasons) and even to play in a prison -- explains that Chicago will be the ideal stage for new ideas:

"In a country as multiethnic and multicultural as the U.S., I intend to bring music out of concert halls and opera houses, to reach new audiences, even those who are now very far from classical music".

But the maestro also went back to the beginning of his career, in 1967, and gave a touching portrait of himself 40 years ago, Muti at 26:

"I barely earned a living as piano teacher at the Conservatorio when the manager of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino invited me there to conduct a concert with the great Richter! I thought I was dreaming. With the Maggio orchestra, I hit it off perfectly, the concert was a success, and I was invited to conduct again. Then the Orchestra, which needed a music director, chose me, a kid. They took a chance on me. But it was a different era, a beautiful madness, '68. There was great passion, great energy back then, it was in the air."

"The Maggio Musicale gave me for the first time a steady income, and the chance to be financially stable enough to marry Cristina. We still had to be careful with money. We found an apartment close to the theatre, we didn't even have a fridge, but I knew that the thing I wanted the most was a piano. I bought one and paid in installments for it, it took me two years. That piano has been a lifetime companion, I still have it, after 40 years, in my home, it's the piano I play and work with".

"In the theater we breathed freedom, the first opera I conducted was Masnadieri, then Puritani, Cavalleria, Pagliacci. And the Guillaume Tell, the complete score: we began at 8PM and finished at 2AM, and then we went out to party with the audience, everybody chanted 'Viva Rossini! Viva l'Italia!' Florence is my family. And the Maggio Musicale, to this day, I consider to be 'my' orchestra... I love Dante and I collect rare editions of the Divina Commedia, what a place to start a career ... All our kids were born in Florence".

In the (old) photo above, Muti with daughter Chiara, the actress and lucky owner of those hawt Riccardo+Cristina genes.

Now that the Neapolitan conductor, via Florence, London (Philharmonia), Philly, Milan (Scala) and New York is a Chicago man, we think that even if Muti doesn't particularly like hip-hop, the right way to welcome him to that city of awesome rappers (Common, Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West) is this tribute page: (WARNING: page loads a rap music mp3 omg rap) Muti's  Top Dawg in Chicago. Welcome to Chi-town, M'DAWG!

(& have you seen Andrew Patner's brilliant Muti Fun Facts?)

Comments

[isabella]

Thank you Opera Chic for the info. Could you translate the whole interview, please?

[Bill Philin-Ploplis]

In bocca al lupo! Chicago idolized Solti and Giulini for years, and Muti could be the next American Idol if he plays his cards right. However, Orchestra Hall's acoustics have been severely compromised since the days of Solti/Giulini by renovations and acoustic "tinkerings" (to the tune of $ millions). The critics have complained and complained. Maybe Chicago will gift Muti with a new symphonic hall, instead of spending a fortune on Olympic Games. It would be nice if Muti arranged to bring the orchestra and vocal soloists to the Auditorium Theater, with legendary acoustics, for an opera performance.

[delpippo]

Ciao, Maestro Muti's biggest fan, Opera chic!

I love the story of his old beloved piano very much.

Maestro Muti's favourite colour must be the team colour of SSC Napoli, light blue.

[Marshie]

Kudos to Andrew Patner for the OC plug in. No need to state yet again that OC stands alone and without parallel in the blog-o-sphere.

We are so fortunate that Philips captured for posterity Muti/La Scala's beautiful "Guglielmo Tell", both on video and audio formats. The cast included Giorgio Zancanaro as Guglielmo, Cheryl Studer as Matilde and Chris Merritt as Arnoldo. Fabulous!

[isabella]

I don't think that young people in the U.S.A.
are interested in classical music that much.
Besides every revolution starts from inspired
teachers influencing students.So Mr Muti should tempt them, which cannot be done unless
he is involved with politics and makes music a
compulsory subject at schools.Well, a long, tedious, winding road. Nice to be a dreamer and a romantic man!Once more good luck to him.

[stickles]

Music education in schools is of course very important, but then again how much of "Classical Music" composed in the last 20 years are actually accessible to the young? It is sad when music classes often turn into history classes these days. Here is an idea after attending Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar in Chicago, why don't you compose a concerto for DJ and Orchestra instead of using prerecorded sound effects, Mr. Golijov? That'd be a nice start.

[isabella]

Splendid idea " Stickles "! Bravissimo !
Great sense of humor.

[Mario]

Sad to hear that Chicago messed with the perfect acoustics of the old Orchestra Hall. When will people learn to leave perfect alone? The insane urge to tinker is a terrible curse. Reiner always sounded so good because of the acoustics. It was half of his
genius".