With Riccardo Muti officially out, the race to find a successor is on at La Scala. But there aren’t many realistic candidates. “Muti’s successor will almost certainly have to be Italian and will be hard to find. The front-runners are probably Daniele Gatti, who is both music director of London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and of Bologna’s Teatro Comunale, and Riccardo Chailly, who has recently left his post in Amsterdam to become music director in Leipzig. He has not yet arrived in Germany, however, which might make him more easily available… Another name being mentioned as a successor is Antonio Pappano, music director of Covent Garden.” And then there is the contingent that actually wants to convince Muti’s predecessor, Claudio Abbado, to retake the reins.
Tag: 04.03.05
Whither The Maestro?
“The crisis in Milan, which has been front-page news around Italy and become the talk of the classical music world, is rooted not only in the politicized, sometimes anarchic atmosphere of Italian opera houses but also in the complex personality of Mr. Muti… The question of what happens next for this celebrated maestro has both immediate and long-range implications not just in Europe but in America, too.” The New York Philharmonic, which publicly courted the maestro for its open music director position several years ago, may do so again when Loren Maazel steps down. And with the situation in Milan so volatile, what conductor of stature will be willing to step into Muti’s shoes?
Alexander Brott, 90
“Canadian conductor, composer and violinist Alexander Brott has died. He was 90. With his late wife and cellist Lotte, Brott was the founder and music director of the McGill Chamber Orchestra, which is now in its 65th year. He also conducted the Kingston, Ont., symphony, started a series of pop concerts in Montreal and set up a program to train young musicians.”
A Plan To Pump £100 Million Into UK’s Regional Museums
A plan to spend £100 million on museums across the UK should make a major impact on regional museums say officials. “The money from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) – under the Renaissance banner – is intended to transform regional museums. he government created hubs in each of the nine English regions, consisting of a leading museum and up to three partner museums. The plan is that they would work together to provide leadership in museum practice and improve standards in the museums sector.”