Daniel Barenboim has been the subject of many rumors over the past year, with speculation rampant about his recent back injury, his supposed tendency to overcommit himself, and his decision to leave the music directorship of the Chicago Symphony in 2006. Barenboim insists that there is no more than meets the eye in any of these issues. Still, he admits frustration with the direction the CSO is taking. “I disagree with the way [the CSO brain trust], and America, in general, look at the role of music director. The symphony orchestra culture in America has changed over the last 10 years. [Subscriptions] are down because music has lost a large part of its place in American society. That’s an illness, but we are dealing with the symptoms in the wrong way.”