THIS JUST IN: Riccardo Muti Named New Director at Chicago Symphony

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra said Monday that it had engaged Riccardo Muti as its next music director, luring the charismatic Italian maestro — one of a dwindling band of podium eminences — to the United States and adding a layer of luster to the city's cultural profile. Mr. Muti, 66, will take over in the 2010-11 season. His contract will run for five years, and he is expected to conduct a minimum of 10 weeks a season and lead tours. "I would like to make this last engagement as music director in my life something that can enrich people," Mr. Muti said Monday in his first interview after signing the contract. As recently as last September, Mr. Muti had emphatically rejected the idea of taking over the responsibilities of an American music directorship and all the nonmusical duties the job entails. But his tone shifted after an electric month conducting the orchestra at the start of this season, half in Symphony Hall in Chicago and half on a European tour.

Muti Named New Director at Chicago Symphony

***update***

Andrew Patner, our fav Chicago arts critic @ The View from Here weighs in.

On the WFMT podcast an interview by Patner with Muti from last September, downloadable here

Our Favorite Intermezzo.

Rawking some Bill Tell:

The Chicago Muti Fever hit Japan, too.

*****update*****

Handy infographic on the 9 previous music directors of the CSO here

Comments

[Paolo M.]

Intelligent decision, Chicago is lucky.

[MunduJr]

Lucky Chicago, and lucky us all. Such a great conductor with an orchestra like the CSO could be an awesome combination, even if we can hear him just a few times during the year (in Europe).

[Andrew Powell]

It seems that Zarin Mehta has made at least three mistakes. First, he allowed Muti’s rejection in 2000 to become public. Offers don’t need to be known until they are accepted. Second, in 2007, he made a principal guest contract that did not specify a number of weeks. At least, Muti is not aware of that number. Now, he has allowed an expansion of Muti’s American commitments that does not involve the Philharmonic, when, all along, the ostensible reason for being unable to secure Muti as Maazel’s successor has been Muti’s reluctance to assume a music director role. Muti’s cute “birds in the air” remarks yesterday must really irritate. We infer the opposite when he says it “doesn’t mean one tree is better than another tree.” And this too is now as public as the 2000 rejection. Clearly, Chicago has been more flexible. “Six to eight weeks a season” (New York) did not amount to music director status, but “a minimum of ten weeks” (Chicago) did. The norm in America is 12 to 14 weeks a season.

[delpippo]

Maestro Muti suddenly fell love with the CSO last autumn.
I envy Chicago!

I am impressed by his words:
"Do you know what that means?" "The unexpected marriage!"(The Chicago Sun-Times)
And more:
"I have found a situation, how can I say, that has made more sweet my dry heart."(The New York Times)

He is really an Italian.

[Marianthi,Athens.]

I really wonder how can an Italian with so much warmth and longing for the sun and colors of Puglia compromise and live in Chicago, a humid place so far from the Mediterranean Sea where he belongs. I do believe in the Greek saying " Το αίμα νερό δεν γίνεται ". What has started so enthousiastically for him will turn into a melancholic reality. Wouldn't it be wiser to sign a contract of a trial period of one year only and then decide if this is really
what his soul wants?
The best of luck to him, anyway.
Thank you chic lady for the wonderful intermezzo as well as Patner's interview.

[Bill Philin-Ploplis]

I rather agree with Marianthi. The CSO musicians can be quite a challenge to handle, and they have made many a maestro's life miserable. I wonder also how Maestro Muti will handle the many fund-raising and cheezy PR affairs he will have to attend and speak for; Barenboim--maybe a busier musician than Muti--found them unpalateable. Anyway, he follows in the footsteps of the great Giulini who had a wonderful rapport with the orchestra. Who knows how this "marriage" will turn out? So many end in a bitter divorce nowadays. LOL.

[jpcd]

Yes wonderful luck for the Chicagoans.....hope he's appreciated.....

I don't think I've ever hear a better, lusher, warmer, performance of the Intermezzo, either.... good one...

[dino]

CSO is a great orchestra and it has had a history that has included Italian conductors such as: Giulini and Abbado.

I had read that they had also offered Chailly the post.

Good decision by both though I do not place Muti in a class with Giulini, Abbado or Chailly.

[val]

Lots of marriages end in divorce!

[deadtenors]

articles are blowing in hard and fast proclaiming chicago's triumph. how will nypil cope with all the embarrassing press? oh well, i love both orchestras.

[Constantine A. Papas]

Muti is the last "aristocrat"- and I mean it in its original Greek context, aristos, the best- to ever grace the podium. There must be newly found chemistry with CSO, which has been abscent since of reign Solti.
Muti will conduct at the Met (Attila?) in two years, and I'm sure the perfomance will telecast worldwide. It's unfortunate that Levine has not welcome big-name conductors at the Met. Maazel returned to the Met during the current season after a foty-five-year abscence.

[isabella]

After reading Mr Muti's interview,confessing how dry his heart has been despite his great success as a musician as well as his big fortune, one can easily realise that what he really means is that there is something else he has been missing;
Being in LOVE most probably?
Nobody can escape natural needs of
the soul,no matter how hard one tries.
Our eyes never lie, nor can his - for years now; there is so much sadness in them!

[Marshie]

Yes, Muti will be conducting Attila at the Met. Alas, with an utterly miscast Violeta Urmana as Odabella. Blech! Oh well, at least we have the great Odabella of Cheryl Studer to console us, also with Muti from La Scala. They should telecast the latter since it exists on video, and spare us the former.

[stickles]

Now that Muti will be in Chicago, I wonder if he'll do a gig or two at the Lyric. Now that'd be something!

[Beate]

Remind me, under which circumstances did Muti leave La Scala? Under which circumstances is Barenboim leaving Chicago? Will they be happy ever after?