# What are some of Riccardo Muti's greatest recordings?



## flamencosketches

I know some seem to rate Muti as one of the great living conductors, but I feel like I'm missing something. I've never really been bowled over by any of his performances.

What are some of his greatest recordings? I'm considering getting his Scriabin symphonies set.


----------



## Granate

On picture: Verdi's Macbeth, Il Trovatore and Don Carlo
New Year's concert 1993, you need to hear it to believe it. Not even with Kleiber the audience was so nuts.
Very fine Schubert set. It surprised me even if it is not my favourite at all.

His Bruckner ventures are good, but I'm glad he didn't pull a Gergiev and still sticks to the genre he masters: Italian Opera. Ok, the singing in the Scala Trovatore is obnoxious but the conducting squashes any competitor. We will miss him for sure.


----------



## Rogerx

Thank you Granate, you safe me a lot of uploading, I will add The Scriabin though.


And:


----------



## Granate




----------



## DarkAngel

Most famous for opera work, but I play that Rach PC 2,3 set fairly often (under the radar of most)


----------



## jegreenwood

DarkAngel said:


> Most famous for opera work, but I play that Rach PC 2,3 set fairly often (under the radar of most)


EMI put out a Verdi box set to celebrate his bicentennial. It includes 8 operas conducted by Muti.

No librettos of course.


----------



## Mathias Broucek

His Tchaikovsky Manfred is terrific


----------



## Rogerx

> Mathias Broucek -His Tchaikovsky Manfred is terrific


The whole set is good .


----------



## Brahmsianhorn




----------



## Mathias Broucek

Rogerx said:


> The whole [Tchaikovsky] set is good .


I agree, but feel that there are fewer good Manfreds about relative to the numbered symphonies


----------



## Simplicissimus

I’ve attended more orchestra concerts conducted by Muti than any other conductor, but I don’t prefer many of his recordings. The three that I like a lot and have are all Prokofiev with Philadelphia: Symphonies 1 and 3 and the Romeo and Juliet Suites. He recorded R&J again with Chicago in 2014 but I like the early 1980s version with Philadelphia.


----------



## Knorf

I think Muti's Beethoven Symphony cycle with Philadelphia is underrated. It's not my favorite, exactly, but it is _really_ good.

Muti is rightly lionized as the greatest living Verdi conductor, and I like his Berlioz, Schubert, Scriabin, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Prokofiev. Also Muti's Bruckner is nothing to sneeze at. I hope the CSO releases more recordings on their CSO Re-Sound label. Especially a Hindemith Concert Music for Brass and Strings that I heard live was jaw-dropping.


----------



## Knorf

By the way, this recording is superb, speaking of CSO-Resound


----------



## adriesba

I second some that Brahmsianhorn listed. I just listened to both Muti's _Le Sacre _and _Petrushka _the other day and found them both excellent. And although I haven't listened to the whole thing yet, his _Aida_ also seems superb - excellent singers, sound quality, and conducting.


----------



## NLAdriaan

none.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.


----------



## flamencosketches

I ordered the Verdi and Cherubini Requiems with the Philharmonia. Somehow this is the first entry of each composer into my library. Excited to explore both.


----------



## Knorf

flamencosketches said:


> I ordered the Verdi and Cherubini Requiems with the Philharmonia. Somehow this is the first entry of each composer into my library. Excited to explore both.


I doubt you'll be disappointed!


----------



## Rogerx

> NLAdriaan none.
> .
> 
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .
> .


Well I saw him years ago with the Philadelphia in Amsterdam and a few other occasion, I liked it a lot.


----------



## Knorf

Rogerx said:


> Well I saw him years ago with the Philadelphia in Amsterdam and a few other occasion, I liked it a lot.


The insinuation that Muti has no recommendable recordings at all is totally asinine, please feel free to ignore anyone who says so.


----------



## adriesba

Knorf said:


> The insinuation that Muti has no recommendable recordings at all is totally asinine, please feel free to ignore anyone who says so.


Well, it's possible that NLAdriaan just doesn't like Muti's conducting, just like some people don't like Karajan's or Solti's conducting etc. Maybe it's not that NLAdriaan doesn't think anything is recommendable but just personally doesn't prefer his conducting.


----------



## Heck148

Muti's recent release with CSO of Shostakovich Sym #13 is really excellent....


----------



## Knorf

Heck148 said:


> Muti's recent release with CSO of Shostakovich Sym #13 is really excellent....


Isn't it? I love it. This is a piece that has meant a lot to me since I was in high school, which was not recent. And I've listened to many recordings of it, most actually very good. Muti's is ... what can I say? It's a very special performance, probably the one I'll continue to turn to when I need to listen to the piece again.

Muti of course gave the Babi Yar Symphony its premiere outside of Russia, in 1970.


----------



## Bigbang

I have Muti's Beethoven 7+8, Schubert 3+5, all good but Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet stands out. But he even does Handel Water Music suites as well. Does not matter to rate these here. Also Respighi cd brought up is good also.


----------



## Rogerx

> Well, it's possible that NLAdriaan just doesn't like Muti's conducting, just like some people don't like Karajan's or Solti's conducting etc. Maybe it's not that NLAdriaan doesn't think anything is recommendable but just personally doesn't prefer his conducting.


It s impossible that one can like like one thing from Muti.


----------



## Mandryka

There's an Otello with Domingo which falls a bit flat in the first half but really takes off after the interval. A DVD.

But my real reason for popping up on this thread is this: I wonder what people make of his Mozart recordings with Richter, this for example.


----------



## Josquin13

I've not heard the Richter/Muti Mozart PCs (except for their EMI recording of K. 482 & Beethoven 3rd from the same period, and here I prefer Richter's earlier DG recording of the 3rd with Sanderling).

I haven't kept up with Muti's career in recent decades (& I don't know any of his Chicago recordings), but there was a time when he was highly regarded for a number of recordings that he made as head of the New Philharmonia Orchestra in London, where he succeeded Otto Klemperer in 1973--such as his Schumann and Tchaikovsky Symphony cycles, and after that an array of recordings that he made as head of the Philadelphia Orchestra between 1980-1992. As others have pointed out, Muti is also a well regarded opera conductor, and over the course of his career, he has been the music director at Maggio Musicale in Florence and La Scala in Milan (for 19 years). He has otherwise worked at various major opera houses around the world--in Rome, Vienna, London, Munich, New York, & Salzburg's Whitsun Festival. Muti is particularly well known for his conducting of Mozart and Verdi operas. In addition, there was a time when Muti regularly guest conducted and made recordings with the Berlin Philharmonic and Vienna Philharmonic. Here are some Muti recordings that are recommendable, & I've placed an asterisk or two by my personal favorites (however, be warned that I grew up in the Philadelphia area, so I may be partial to Muti's recordings in my home town):

1. **Verdi, Four Sacred Pieces, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and Swedish Radio Choir & Stockholm Chamber Choir (led by Eric Ericson), with soprano Arleen Auger: 




https://www.amazon.com/Requiem-Four...=riccardo+muti&qid=1591280526&s=music&sr=1-91
https://www.amazon.com/Verdi-Four-S...ngs+multi&qid=1591898433&s=music&sr=1-2-fkmr1

2. *Cherubini, the great masses, a series (with various orchestras). At the time of these recordings Cherubini's masses were neglected in the catalogue, so it was an invaluable series. I don't know if Cherubini's masses remain neglected today or if the situation has changed, as I've never felt the need to explore beyond Muti's recordings:





https://www.amazon.com/Cherubini-Ma...=muti+cherubini&qid=1591281445&s=music&sr=1-1

3. **Respighi: Fountains of Rome, Pines of Rome: I heard Muti conduct these works live in Philadelphia in the 1980s & was impressed. While he might not be my first choice over Fritz Reiner & the CSO on record, he does have a special affinity for this music, and would likely be my first choice among digital era recordings.










4. *Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique: 



. This was broadcasted on PBS television, as well. The orchestra plays very well, but I tend to prefer Sir Colin Davis, Leonard Bernstein, & Charles Dutoit in Berlioz.

5. **Stravinsky: Petrushka, The Rite of Spring, Philadelphia Orchestra, EMI: Back in the 1980s, the Philadelphia Orchestra played the music of Stravinsky about as well as any orchestra I've ever heard:









https://topear.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/mutis-petrushka-and-rite-voluptuous-virile-vigorous/

6. Vivaldi, Gloria & Magnificat, New Philharmonia Orchestra, EMI--beautifully done, but the interpretations are old school (i.e., not HIP): 



. (I prefer the recent account of Vivaldi's Gloria by Diego Fasolis, with soprano Julia Lezhneva, on Decca: 



.)

7. *Verdi, Aida, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, EMI, with Caballé & Domingo, 1974: 



. As noted, Muti's Verdi is excellent, and this is one of his best opera recordings, & I don't think it's been bettered since; however, my favorite Verdi conductor overall remains Lamberto Gardelli (along with Abbado & Giulini).

8. Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 & *Andante favori, Philharmonia Orchestra, EMI, with Sviatoslav Richter. I prefer Richter's earlier 'classic' recording of Beethoven's 3rd with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kurt Sanderling, on DG. But Richter's playing of Beethoven's Andante favori to his immortal beloved-- "Josephine, Josephine"...echoed in the music--is worth hearing & owning: 



.

9. Mozart Piano Concerto No. 22, K 482, Philharmonia Orchestra, EMI, with Sviatoslav Richter, coupled with Mozart's Symphony No. 24. Again, I prefer Richter's early playing of Mozart's Piano Concerto, K. 466, on DG.

10. **Mozart Violin Concertos nos. 2 & 4, K. 211 & K. 218, Philharmonia Orchestra, EMI, with Anne-Sophie Mutter. Suffice it to say, I'd place Mutter's early EMI recording of these two Mozart Violin Concertos in the same league with my favorite recordings by violinists Josef Suk, Gidon Kremer, and David Oistrakh (and Mutter later on DG):














11. Rachmaninov Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3, Philadelphia Orchestra, EMI, with pianist Andre Gavrilov: these are good recordings, but I prefer pianist Augustin Anievas in this music. Muti also recorded the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto no. 1 with Gavrilov & the Philharmonia on EMI (but again they have a lot of competition here):









12. **Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet, Suites 1 & 2*, Philadelphia Orchestra, EMI--brilliantly conducted and performed. IMO, Muti and his Philly orchestra were at their best in Prokofiev (& Russian music: especially Stravinsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, & Scriabin), & it's too bad that he didn't record a complete Prokofiev Symphony 1-7 cycle in Philadelphia:





https://www.amazon.com/Prokofiev-Ro...ev+philadelphia&qid=1591902024&s=music&sr=1-3

*For the sake of comparison (as the rest of Muti's recording can be found on YT), here's a link to Yevgeny Mravinsky's great recording of the Suite No. 2, with the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, on Philips: 




13. **Prokofiev, Symphonies nos. 1 & 3 "The Fiery Angel", Philadelphia Orchestra, Philips: 




https://www.amazon.com/Prokofiev-Symphony-Classical-Fiery-Angel/dp/B00000E4V8.

14. *Prokofiev, Symphony no. 5, The Meeting of the Volva and the Don, Philadelphia Orchestra, Philips:
















https://www.amazon.com/Prokofiev-Sy...ev+philadelphia&qid=1591902161&s=music&sr=1-5

15. *Prokofiev, Ivan the Terrible, Philharmonia Orchestra, EMI--Prokofiev's film score to the Russian film by Sergei Eisenstein: 



.

16. **Scriabin Symphonies 1-3, Poem of Ecstasy, Prométhée, Philadelphia Orchestra, EMI (box set): 




17. Tchaikovsky Symphonies 1-6, New Philharmonia Orchestra, EMI: https://www.amazon.com/Tchaikovsky-...s=riccardo+muti&qid=1591282529&s=music&sr=1-7

18. Schumann Symphonies 1-4, New Philharmonia Orchestra, EMI: 




19. **Rimsky-Korsakov, Scheherazade, Philadelphia Orchestra, EMI: 




20. **Liszt, Les Préludes, Philadelphia Orchestra, EMI: 




21. *Mussorgsky-Ravel, Pictures from an Exhibition, coupled with **Stravinsky's The Firebird Suite (1919 version): 



. This was Muti's first recording with the Philadelphia Orchestra back in 1979. At the time, Robert Layton wrote in Gramophone,

On the Mussorgsky-Ravel:
"...what orchestral playing they offer us. The lower strings in 'Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle' have an extraordinary richness, body and presence, and "Baba Yaga", which opens the second side, has an unsurpassed virtuosity and attack as well as being of demonstration standard as a recording. The glorious body of tone, the richly glowing colours, the sheer homogeneity of the strings and perfection of the ensemble is a constant source of pleasure."

On the Stravinsky,
"...Muti's reading is second to none and the orchestral playing is altogether breathtaking. The recording is amazingly lifelike and truthful."

Finally, there was also a Beethoven Symphony 1-9 cycle from Muti and the Philadelphians, but I've not heard it in such a long time that I can't comment on it. However, I do remember hearing Muti's 9th live in concert, and liking it (but that was in the mid-1980s...).

P.S. I should also caution you about buying the original Muti/Philadelphia EMI CDs from the 1980s, as some of them likely need to be remastered, but I can't be any more specific than that, sorry, as I've not listened to them lately.


----------



## adriesba

I would also recommend his _Carmina Burana_.

View attachment 137730


It can't be my first recommendation for the piece, but it's got plenty of excitement. The baritone's performance isn't the greatest, but merely adequate. The tenor didn't impress me, and his pronunciation in the last verse of "Olim lacus colueram" is inexcusable. Though I would like more oomph for the high note in "Dulcissime", the soprano is plenty good. So it's not the best for soloists, but Muti's conducting is one of the best things about the recording. I really don't have anything bad to say about that. He keeps the work moving and really brings out the energy. Definitely worth a listen.


----------



## Heck148

Knorf said:


> Isn't it? I love it. This is a piece that has meant a lot to me since I was in high school, which was not recent. And I've listened to many recordings of it, most actually very good. Muti's is ... what can I say? It's a very special performance, probably the one I'll continue to turn to when I need to listen to the piece again.
> 
> Muti of course gave the Babi Yar Symphony its premiere outside of Russia, in 1970.


Yes, it is really appealing, Muti gets the flow just right...great balance between soloist, chorus, orchestra....I didn't know Muti gave the outside-Russia premiere....I heard him conduct a fine, live b minor Mass on Chicago a few years back..he seems to do well with big productions...opera, chorus, soloists, etc ..


----------



## Simplicissimus

Knorf said:


> By the way, this recording is superb, speaking of CSO-Resound


After seeing this post a few days ago, I started listening to this performance via streaming, where I'm getting it in 24-bit/96 kHz. It really is a gem. Maestro Muti consistently leads great performances in Chicago, but he records little here. Of course, times and the market have changed since he recorded Beethoven, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky symphony cycles with the Philadelphia Orchestra (all good and recommendable even if not among my favorites), but I think he has a lot to offer from what he's doing with the CSO. Unfortunately, this "Babi Yar" is IMO about the only fully satisfactory and successful recording effort he's produced for CSO-Resound. His recent live recordings of the Symphonie Fantastique, Verdi's Requiem, and Italian opera overtures are not exactly duds, but they just don't sound as good to me as most of the live concerts he's given in Chicago since 2010. I think perhaps the recording engineering has let him down. I tend to prefer to listen to live weekly radio broadcasts of CSO concerts or, since the pandemic shutdown, the WFMT program "Maestro's Choice," in which Muti curates recordings from the CSO archives.


----------

