Riccardo Muti takes off
NewsFrom photographer Todd Rosenberg’s best of the season at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Amazing for a man of 80.
Great angle for the photographer.
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I saw him do this as a younger man at the Royal Festival Hall. He landed, his feet hitting the rostrum. with a loud crash between beats. Which was very disorienting and amazing!
Still got it! The haters will not like this…
Why are all the kids wearing masks, when the old guy is showing his face and having a workout?
Because they have good sense and are surrounded by strangers from who knows where! Mutti knows his orchestra. Clear now?
Verdi?
Impressive and very funny. Bravissimo at 80. Anybody who knows what work he was conducting?
It was a youth ensemble rehearsal of some kind. I was on the premises, I am a member of the chorus
Les Preludes
Yes – he was conducting Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.
I know a lot of people here like to bash Muti and his leadership of the CSO, but the few times I’ve seen Muti in action he’s been amazing. Extraordinary control of every aspect of the performance, getting amazing execution from the orchestra. He knows what he’s doing. There’s a reason they pursued him so aggressively.
The usual Muti bashers in here never have anything of substance to say about his music making, a subject evidently way above their heads. Their realm is more that of high-school-style anonymous innuendo
Hope he didn’t fall flat on his face that time.
1. That IS amazing.
2. What? The Chicago Symphony not playing loud enough? (Kidding, it’s a local student orchestra, look at the players in the background.)
3. Salonen (another Chicago regular) once said, people think conducting is not hard work, I challenge anyone, of any age, to stand for two hours while waving both arms nonstop, I guarantee most would faint in the first 20 minutes. It is true, try it, conducting is intense aerobic exercise.
Sir Thomas Beecham apparently challenged one of the U.K.’s prominent boxers (who of course are usually phenomenal athletes, whatever one thinks of the barbarous sport^^) just to hold a baton for a while, albeit without moving the rest of his body. The boxer had scoffed at what an easy task that would be, only to be shortly writhing in agony. Ha! //
Admittedly working from memory here about that anecdote—> does anyone have more concrete details? Thanks…
Probably one reason why conductors seem to live (and work) to an old age – good bit of exercise waving those arms around.
Yes, Conducting can be tiring, yet instead of jumping and gesturing widely, small movements would be enough for an intelligent Orchestra! Remember Karajan and Böhm ? They did conduct with their fingers, an did not swim with their arms !!
Directing a massive piece by Bruckner, Mahler, Shostakovich, or the like must be one of the more superhuman feats anyone could do. More so because you depend on 100 or so people to grasp and execute your conception, and do so with feeling and precision. It seems almost impossible in theory that it could even be done. Keep that in mind next time you listen.
It’s the music! Love this photographer’s catch!
Thanks for posting. Made my day.
I’m waiting for the Muti haters to come out with their vitriol here shortly.
The usual envy of any method or unique ability they can not comprehend. Too sad, really!
This was on the first rehearsal after having had covid
Stately. Even more grand and awe-inspiring, when one contemplates the sixty pounds of belly that took off with him! 😉
Ever wondered what the picture of Dorian Gray looked like after a few years?
Now you know (compliments of TR).
I’m maestro Muti’s age and wished I looked as good – and had his immense talent.
Finally! What took you so long? It is always fun to try and guess what particular angle of hate you like to pursue. I admit that I did not anticipate Muti’s face as the object of scorn. Looks pretty good and agile for a man his age. But that’s only me. Keep up the humanitarian work!
During his time in Philadelphia, his movements and surprise jumps, directorial sweeps and broad arm circles were famous as well as his gorgeous hair swaying with the vibrant energy of the music. He captured audiences around the world with his complete musicality that baton’s point.
What relevance does gorgeous hair, big breasts or bulbous buttocks have with musicality? Cheap puffed-up publicity stunts!
All the kids are masked.
The octogenarian is not.
Guess who’s going to get Covid?
See today’s post: “Muti gets Covid”
So what? Muti will be back at work soon, I am sure. Got a cold, got over it…
Everyone is a prophet the day after
Wow! That’s a leap for ANY!! age!#
so who is actually playing ?
As the finale of the “Youth in Music Festival” sponsored by the CSO last March, a number of college age musicians rehearsed Liszt’s “Les Preludes”, first with conducting fellow and Solti Competition winner Lina González-Granados, and then, after a dinner break, with Muti. CSO players (I was one of them) were invited to sit alongside the kids. It was an extremely enjoyable event, clearly inspiring for the young musicians and a tonic for the old timers like myself who need to shake things up once in a while so as not to become jaded.
THAT IS AN INSPIRATION. Thanks for sharing!
Boo to the naysayers. Muti is marvelous! Years ago in Philadelphia he was cranky but mellowed and quite personable in Chicago. The musicians that I know think he is one of the greatest. But of course there are always other opinions.
The power of passion!
The post and enthusiastic commentaries exemplify how the world of classical music and the world of sports are at the antipodes of each other.
Indeed, they cannot even agree on the meaning of the word play 😉