Last night's gala event with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra went ahead without its (co)star, Riccardo Muti. The maestro was forced to a last minute cancellation of his concert performance with Anne-Sophie Mutter, citing sudden illness. With the set list altered (Mozart added to Beethoven -- for Rossini and Liszt), soloist Mutter stepped up and conducted herself in Beethoven's violin concerto and later dedicated an encore (of Bach) to Muti.
