The Muti Affair
resignation from La Scala, April 2005

Tantrums or Principles?
We have enjoyed reviewing many DVDs from La Scala (recently revisiting Riccardo Muti's splendid Attila) and are saddened by Muti's resignation.

Our chief reservation about these performances has been the relative inertia and unresponsiveness of the La Scala chorus, which tends to stand around unaware of the momentous events going on around them, but you get used to that. It will be interesting to see how the new regime sorts out opera at the Scala, hopefully building upon Riccardo Muti's musical achievements, and bringing the visual aspect of opera forward.

As a corrective to the invective recently heaped upon Muti, especially since the Covent Garden fiasco, I draw attention to Bernard Jacobson's recent article in Seen&Heard (my former website and 'foster parent' to Musical Pointers) and also an appreciation there of Muti's Attila :-
- - this is Muti producing an orchestral sound which is little short of inspirational: superb legato, perfect phrasing and musical scene-setting second to none. On-stage scene changes are accomplished so smoothly, musically and visually, that it is a delight to watch and listen. - - by Verdian standards, not the best of operas; but by any standards this must be one of the best performances of it. Recorded in 1991, all is played on stage and how well it is played, with all characters engaging completely with the text - -