Muti’s legacy: respect composers, reject revisionists

By RONALD BLUM
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — In the twilight of his music directorship of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Riccardo Muti candidly outlined his legacy and implored musicians to remember his instruction on Giuseppe Verdi’s operas: use the 19th century scores without altered notes. He urged them to reject modern directorial concepts seeking relevance. “In 20 to 30 years, when everything will collapse, you will say maybe Muti was right,” the 80-year-old Italian conductor said. He adds in an interview with The Associated Press: “These operas are in the hands many times of stage directors who with some exceptions are destroying the opera.”