# Opinions on Riccardo Muti



## Doc (Dec 7, 2013)

So, yesterday I went to a local car boot sale and found the following seven opera CDs (and a mass) for £15. Each one was released on EMI Classics, is in wonderful condition and came complete with a hardly touched libretto. I couldn't resist, but I'm not at all familiar with the conductor Riccardo Muti. I'm not one to throw any old CD on my shelves, so while I listen, does anyone have anything to say about him and/or his style of conducting?

Verdi: *La Forza del Destino*: Domingo / Freni / Zancanaro / Plishka
Verdi: *Messa da Requiem*: Studer / Zajic / Pavarotti / Ramey
Verdi: *Aida*: Cabelle / Domingo
Verdi: *Don Carlo*: Pavarotti / Ramey / Dessi / Coni / Anisimov
Verdi: *Attila*: Ramey / Studer / Schicoff / Zancanaro
Verdi: *Ernani*: Domingo / Freni / Bruson / Ghiaurov
Verdi: *La Traviata*: Scotto / Kraus / Bruson
Verdi: *Nabucco*: Manguerra / Luchetti / Ghiaurov / Scotto / Obraztsova

And as I'm not a huge opera afficionado (this is my first _real_ foray into the genre) I'd also appreciate thoughts on the operas and performers themselves!


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Well, for your first real foray, it was difficult to get a better fit . Mr. Muti is a Verdi giant, a reference. Of course each one of those versions above have its ups and downs, but to start this is a great sample, and you will have plenty of time in the future to look for alternatives if you like. And the list of Verdian operas is fine too... Someone could suggest that perhaps the two missing ones from the popular trilogy ("Trovatore" and "Rigoletto") would have to be included, as well as "Otello", before caring for "Nabucco" or "La forza del destino".... but again, a nice bunch of operas and versions, and a (very) fair price. Enjoy!.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

He's a great conductor and living legend, but he has one nasty habit of working with Domingo in projects where Domingo doesn't, IMO, belong - I'd strongly disrecommend his _La Forza_ and _Aida_ for this reason. If I were you, I'd start with _Nabucco_, which is great, even if Scotto is controversial cast.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

I'm only really well-acquainted with Muti's MACBETH (EMI, 1976, with Milnes and Cossotto), but from that and from opinions I've read his conducting style is a bit...rigid, I suppose. In the MACBETH it sounds a little as though the singers are dropping their phrases into place to suit Muti's "concept" -- which is a brilliant one, I admit. I like the recording very much, and I can hear that Muti is a great conductor of Verdi. But ideally I like opera performances to sound like _performances_ and not like an analysis or a dissection of the score.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Bellinilover said:


> I'm only really well-acquainted with Muti's MACBETH (EMI, 1976, with Milnes and Cossotto), but from that and from opinions I've read his conducting style is a bit...rigid, I suppose. In the MACBETH it sounds a little as though the singers are dropping their phrases into place to suit Muti's "concept" -- which is a brilliant one, I admit. I like the recording very much, and I can hear that Muti is a great conductor of Verdi. But ideally I like opera performances to sound like _performances_ and not like an analysis or a dissection of the score.


I agree. He tends to be a little rigid and fast for my taste. In opera anyway.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Itullian said:


> I agree. He tends to be a little rigid and fast for my taste. In opera anyway.


That's it exactly. I like conducting that's "elastic and flexible."

Edited to add: I think I read once where someone said that a conductor's job is "to get out of the way" of the singers. Probably that's taking it too far, but I think there's some wise counsel there, especially when it comes to bel canto opera.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Muti does tend to be rather rigid and inflexible in opera from what I've heard. However, no doubting his personality.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Content yourself that these operas and the Requiem for 15 pounds is a stupendous bargain!


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## Pip (Aug 16, 2013)

Rest assured - I spent many an evening at La Scala in the company of Maestro Muti and Verdi.
I would rate him as one of the very best conductors of this genre.
I also saw many of his concerts in London when he was chief of the Philharmonia.
Don't take much notice of what others are saying, if you are new to opera and Verdi, then you have really hit lucky.
Only people who have been following these operas for a long time and have built up personal likes or dislikes can try and carp about this or that recording.
You have actually managed to find very good examples of all of these operas and one will have to travel far to find more
faithfull performances than these.
Enjoy them.
I envy you starting off with a list of operas such as these.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Muti is a true 'maestro concertatore', he prepares everything in advance for the orchestra, and for the singers, to ensure a performance as flawless and exciting as possible. 

He has a tendency to respect what's written on the score, and not giving up to 'performance traditions'. Well, this is a choice, and usually the right option, just do what the composer wanted to do. Especially for Verdi, where we have usually enough information to discern.

He wrote a nice, and short, book on Verdi for the bicentennial, that is a fine reading. However, I'm not sure if it has been published in English (the title is "Verdi, the Italian: that is, in music, our roots":


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## Doc (Dec 7, 2013)

Bellinilover said:


> I've read his conducting style is a bit...rigid, I suppose.





Itullian said:


> He tends to be a little rigid and fast for my taste. In opera anyway.





DavidA said:


> Muti does tend to be rather rigid and inflexible in opera from what I've heard.


Thanks for the heads up! Knowing this, I'll be sure to explore different versions if these fail to click.



Pip said:


> I would rate him as one of the very best conductors of this genre. You have actually managed to find very good examples of all of these operas and one will have to travel far to find more faithfull performances than these.


This is appreciated. As an opera neophyte, it's good to know I've picked something that other people hold in high regard. My main worry was that I'd bought something that I would inevitably feel the need to replace! In the age of the internet and Youtube, such things shouldn't be a problem, but this offer was too good to pass up in favour of extensive research.



schigolch said:


> He wrote a nice, and short, book on Verdi for the bicentennial, that is a fine reading. However, I'm not sure if it has been published in English (the title is "Verdi, the Italian: that is, in music, our roots".


Thanks for bringing that book to my attention, and for your very helpful first reply. Unfortunately I can only seem to find it in Italian, but perhaps in the future they'll translate it into English!


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Muti is doing now a great job in Rome. This is a _Simon Boccanegra_, complete in youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=BraVrkJqrMc


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

He knows how to whip up excitement!


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## Rackon (Apr 9, 2013)

You hit the motherlode with this purchase. Either the Krause/Scotto Traviata or the Verdi Requiem is worth the price alone! This is a good selection and an excellent place to start.

As someone who has heard Muti conduct in concert and in opera, I'd say he is a living treasure. He and Anthony Pappano are the two greatest living conductors of Verdi. IMO Muti is not rigid in his tempi -one simply cannot do that with Verdi's long lined, arcing phrases and make musical sense - but neither is he indulgant. A good thing in my book.

For a master class in phrasing and legato, for technique in service to expressivity, look no further than the aforementioned Traviata disc. I came late to Verdi, and this disc was instrumental (pardon the pun) to my epiphany. As always in Verdi, the singers - not the orchestra - carry the musical line; Kraus and Scotto are both outstanding on this recording. 

Just listen to these discs and enjoy. If you like what you hear I second the rec for Rigoletto. I envy you your journey!


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## starlightexp (Sep 3, 2013)

I've seen him conduct three Verdi pieces: Aida, Otello and Macbeth and all three were quite thrilling. I have to say that I am one that likes the criticalness of what he does. The way he rigidly sticks to the score and composer notes is something I commend him for. His recordings are ones that I would choose to listen to first so that I know what the piece was composed like before going off into performer land and finding out which recordings are great interpretations of what was composed. The CSO Otello that he did just came out on CD and is so very worth the price for the sound quality alone.


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## Rackon (Apr 9, 2013)

Hmmm....I would prefer to say he conducts _faithfully_ to the score or that he pays _scrupulous_ attention to the composer's markings. But his conducting is not "rigid" at all. (Rigid = stiff and unyielding.)

CSO is fortunate to have him. The Otello is excellent, and even though I didn't care for all the soloists, the Verdi Requiem livecast a few weeks ago was thrilling.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Rackon said:


> Hmmm....I would prefer to say he conducts _faithfully[/Idi Rewuiem_


_

I agree, nothing Idi Rewuiem conducted faithully._


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## Rackon (Apr 9, 2013)

Aramis said:


> I agree, nothing _Idi Rewuiem_ conducted faithully.


LOL!! Corrected. Posted from tiny touch keypad on android.


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## Dandini (Jan 16, 2014)

This is Muti. Enough said. (well, if you understand Italian)

His Rigoletto of that year is gold standard, to me.

You surely can trust him for anything Verdi.


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## Operafocus (Jul 17, 2011)

Not sure "rigid" is the word I'd use. He's known for doing everything exactly _as is _and won't stand for extra notes being thrown in to show off. I experienced him in Rome and loved it. I _almost_ stared more at him than I did at what was going on on the stage itself. In my opinion, he's a class act. It's also fascinating to watch the subtle but strong communication between him and the performers. It kept everyone on their toes and the net result was that it was pretty much a flawless performance.

I did a fairly hefty round of interviews in very few days when I was in Italy that time, and I had to ask the performers what it was like working with him. So below is for anyone interested in what he's like, from a performer's perspective. 

***

*George Petean (Simon Boccanegra):*_"He's very intelligent and gives the impression that he knows all there is to know about the score. (...) He can be very intimidating and I really thought I would be afraid of making mistakes but in the end... someone like him, when he gives you his trust then it means you should be there and that helps a lot. I could also add that he's very easy to follow. You understand everything, you just have to watch him a lot - because he might go a bit faster than he's done at other times but it's all so natural and amazing."
_
*Francesco Meli (Gabriele Adorno):*_"With Maestro Muti the job is always great. To be able to work with the music in such detail, in the style of Verdi, is great. The way he works with the colour, the pianissimo, fortissimo, the big crescendo, diminuendo is very intense and very unusual. (...) The detail that Muti wants in the music is incredible - not only for the singer but for the stage director too. (...) Sometimes people compare Muti to a master with dogs on a leash. For me it's more like he takes you by the hand and leads you. In the musical rehearsal he always helps the singers on the stage. If you need something, like time to take a breath, he's always there and in control of the orchestra. If you sing pianissimo he draws the orchestra back because he knows you want to hear the singer. (...) He only wants what the composer writes! He is a great musician and wants the singer and orchestra to respond to him." _
*
Riccardo Zanellato (Fiesco):*_"The thing that surprises me about Maestro Muti is his sublime pleasure in digging into the score, his relentless thirst for knowledge and honest research towards the composer. His sense of musical and aestheticism make him one of the greatest music directors in the world. Another aspect that distinguishes him is an extraordinary charisma that captures you immediately! (...) When working with Muti the most important thing to remember when you're on the stage is the contact with the Maestro. All the time you sing. It's important because the Maestro looks at you if you don't look at him... imagine his reaction! For Maestro Muti it's important that every moment is under control. This contact is necessary to obtain that connection that allows you to make music in the true sense of the word."_
*
Quinn Kelsey (Paolo): *_"__He commands so much control but in other ways he still shows everyone that he's a human being. He's so intelligent that he knows exactly how to convey to the orchestra, and to the singers, exactly what he's going for in any one piece of music. He can say it all in a minute or two. The instruments or voices have a pretty good idea of exactly what he means, so it's the simplicity that's a huge part of this control he has. Then on the flipside he'll tell a joke or a funny anecdote. In that way, whether he realises it or not, it causes people to give him even more respect and control. It's such a wonderful joy to work with him. (...) He knows exactly what he wants, exactly how to tell you in very few words and you understand almost instantly. You also trust that if you ever had any questions about anything in the music, that you could ask him and he would give you a complete answer. He could tell you exactly why he's doing what he's doing or exactly why he thinks you should sing a certain way or deliver the text a certain way. You always trust that if you really needed to you could ask him and he would give you an answer that made perfect sense. Even if you don't agree exactly with what he's doing, you know that he believes in it so much that - in my own opinion, I'm happy to go with somebody who believes so much in themselves what they're doing."_


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## Mister Man (Feb 3, 2014)

I favor Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra for the Beethoven Symphonies.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

I don't think any of his opera recordings would be a first choice.
Or for that matter his orchestral recordings either.


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

This will tell you everything you need to know about the man:


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

I have two Brahms cycles. Muti and Rattle. Listening to 4th symphony recently and Mutis interpretation really caught me. Was wonderful.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Judith said:


> I have two Brahms cycles. Muti and Rattle. Listening to 4th symphony recently and Mutis interpretation really caught me. Was wonderful.


Agreed, the man is a genius, shame you are not in to opera (jet) but his recordings are outstanding.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Doc said:


> So, yesterday I went to a local car boot sale and found the following seven opera CDs (and a mass) for £15. Each one was released on EMI Classics, is in wonderful condition and came complete with a hardly touched libretto. I couldn't resist, but I'm not at all familiar with the conductor Riccardo Muti. I'm not one to throw any old CD on my shelves, so while I listen, does anyone have anything to say about him and/or his style of conducting?


I greatly enjoy him because the orchestras seem truly eager and willing to play by giving him something extra. I consider him "seasoned" as a conductor, and I'm just sorry that his health hasn't been better so he could do more live performances, especially in Chicago. Enjoy him in the moment when you can.


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

Although they wouldn't be my first choice for these works, I absolutely love his _Le nozze di Figaro_ and _Don Giovanni_ recordings. Absolutely thrilling conducting.


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## howlingfantods (Jul 27, 2015)

He's a branch of the Toscanini tree (taught by Votto who was taught by Toscanini) and sounds it. Driven, exciting climaxes, transparent orchestral textures, literalist. Very good, if you like that kind of thing.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

gellio said:


> Although they wouldn't be my first choice for these works, I absolutely love his _Le nozze di Figaro_ and _Don Giovanni_ recordings. Absolutely thrilling conducting.


I like his Verdi works even more, his Macbeth and Aida are second to none.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Itullian said:


> I don't think any of his opera recordings would be a first choice.
> Or for that matter his orchestral recordings either.


Not even Muti's Mahler Symphony #1?


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## WildThing (Feb 21, 2017)

Fritz Kobus said:


> Not even Muti's Mahler Symphony #1?


I haven't heard Muti's Mahler 1, but it's hard to imagine that it would top recordings by Kubelik, Bernstein, Walter, Tennstedt and others.

However I agree with Pugg, his Aida with Domingo and Caballé is one of the _crème de la crème_ in great modern sound. His recordings of Tchaikovsky's first three symphonies are also top notch and sit right alongside Markevitch's interpretations as some of the best (and again in better sound). His Scriabin symphonies are also particularly good, and I think the best overall set topping Ashkenazy's.


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## Star (May 27, 2017)

There is a tremendous Macbeth from Muti with Cossotto as the errant Lady. It is a really wild ride and my favourite version.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

​I am spinning this recording, outstanding!


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Star said:


> There is a tremendous Macbeth from Muti with Cossotto as the errant Lady. It is a really wild ride and my favourite version.


Muti's metier is early Verdi (just listen to the prelude from his recording of Attila). I saw him conduct Macbeth live and it was an exciting night. His Nabucco recording is great too. However, outside of Verdi he just doesn't deliver the subtlety and nuance I expect from a good conductor.

N.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Muti is a good guide in Verdi, and the charges of rigidity don't really stick, though here was a period when he was determined to stick to the written note. In his *La Traviata* with Scotto and Kraus, Scotto is not even allowed to finish _Sempre libera_ on the Ab above the stave, which is what most sopranos do, whether they sing the unwritten top Eb or not. Scotto ends rather anticlimactically on the written Ab on the stave. However, when he came to record it again with Tiziana Fabbricini, she not only ends on the upper Ab, but sings the unwritten Eb as well. Clearly his views changed.

Most of his Verdi opera recordings are worth hearing, and some of them (the *Aida* with Caballe, and the *Macbeth* with Milnes, for instance) are often given top recommendations.

I find his early Verdi *Requiem* with Scotto, Baltsa, Luchetti and Nesterenko absolutely thrilling. There's also a fantastic live performance on youtube with Jessye Norman, unusually as she usually sang the mezzo part, singing the soprano role. She's wonderful in it as well, by the way.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Another Muti recording I would recommend is his Requiem with Studer, Pavarotti, Zajick and Ramey. Abbado and Giulini always went for the spiritual and dampened the work somewhat, in my opinion. Muti goes for the dramatic and shows how Verdi fused sacred and operatic styles to produce a hybrid of the two.

N.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

The Conte said:


> Another Muti recording I would recommend is his Requiem with Studer, Pavarotti, Zajick and Ramey. Abbado and Giulini always went for the spiritual and dampened the work somewhat, in my opinion. Muti goes for the dramatic and shows how Verdi fused sacred and operatic styles to produce a hybrid of the two.
> 
> N.


It seems he had something of an affinity for the *Requiem*; so many good performances by him.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Muti's performances are, of course, always dramatic but I'm not sure about his puritanism. After all, opera is an entertainment so who cares if there are unwritten high C's?


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Well, as I pointed out in post #35, his musical straitjacketing only lasted a short time ( around the time of the Scotto *La Traviata* and the Caballe/Kraus *I Puritani*), but even then his conducting was never four square or rigid. I'd far rather listen to his Verdi than Solti's.


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