A Conversation with Riccardo Muti
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Interesting article.
Is it fair to say that a conductor is "equivalent" to a producer of a music album/CD/song? They work on getting the sound how they want?
(Also, I am sure that like, many jobs, there is so much that goes on behind the scenes other than what the public sees.)
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I've had occasion to see Muti many, many, times. Sitting where I was, I usually didn't see his facial expressions, and he always struck me as being a very serious man.
Conversations with my neighbor's (ex) daughter in law changed my opinion. She told me that he was the most sensitive, kind, funny and hard-working man. Unlike the previous music director, who would just "call it in," Muti made an effort to revisit every warhorse to gain new insights as he studied the scores. He would convey those insights to the orchestra.
On one occasion, I went to an "open rehearsal," and it was a delight hearing him interact with the orchestra, as well as with the audience. During a performance of the Tchaikovsky 5th symphony, at the end of the triumphant 3rd movement, he waved his hand behind his back at the audience - "Don't applaud here! We're not done!"
Once, I sat off to the side, and I could see his face as he conducted. It was the Prokofiev 1st symphony. At the end of the 4th movement, there's a little "funny" turn to the music. In order to get the orchestra to do that the way he wanted, he looked at them and shrugged. They got it.
As the article says, he doesn't smile often, but when he does, it's special. After one performance, it was curtain call after curtain call. Finally, as the applause died down, I could see him standing in the door, ready for another bow. He took two steps out, just as the applause died. He smiled, waved at everyone and returned to the backstage area.
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Kinda surprised to see it in National Review
