Just in: Muti on the picket line

Just in: Muti on the picket line

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norman lebrecht

March 12, 2019

Larry Johnson (c) has first pic of the maestro with the strikers in Chicago.

Read on here.

They gave him a brass fanfare.

 

Comments

  • Mike McGuire says:

    No. Mr. Johnson was not first to post pics of Muti on the strike line. The Chicago Tribune posted an article with a picture at 11:50 am. I think 1150am is before is before 1216pm! Maybe someone posted an image/article before the Tribune. I’m not sure.

  • Ben says:

    What if Chicago Symphony simply moves to Sarasota, Florida? Tons of money from all the retired tycoons who love classical music. Zero crime, articulated resident, no traffic jam, fine dining everywhere, no depressing winter weather.

    But then again, CSO needs the “Chicago” name. However divine it believes it is, CSO is basically nobody without being in Chicago.

    And if you think about the demand in classical music in that town, vs its operating budget (including all benefits), vs how poor most people are in Chicago, something just doesn’t add up.

    Or: The CSO is totally out of touch with the community, even it lauds it’s their top priority to reach out.

    P.S. Saving isn’t an strong American virtue. May be some of the tenured musicians —- who doesn’t need to save since they are tenured and hence no worry about paycheck stop coming in — are living paycheck to paycheck, with minimal saving? Thus, the bitter stand vs the pension issue?

    P.S. The same applies to all other top orchestra musicians who claimed they are “under-paid” and have “bad” benefits and insulting pension plan.

    • C says:

      You are under the impression there is “zero crime” in Sarasota, FL?

    • SeaTac says:

      It sounds like Ben is the one who is out of touch with the Chicago community. He knows nothing about CSO attendance rates, nor the wealth of other classical musical programming in the city nor the educated, discerning classical music audience Chicago has. But sure, let’s take his advice and relocate the CSO to Sarasota, a city of 51K inhabitants who somehow will better financially support a world class than a metroplex with over 9 million people.

    • Fan says:

      I went to the Haitink concert (conducting Bruckner 6). The concert hall was only half full.

  • barry guerrero says:

    You can ALL click thumbs down – I don’t care. Maestro Muti’s presence on the picket line is a bad look.

    • Anthony Boatman says:

      You are 100% correct – music directors normally and wisely do not take sides and stay above the fray. Muti runs a strong chance of alienating the board and administrators of the CSO – the very people who hire him and pay his salary.

      • Anson says:

        With respect, though, he’s Ricardo Muti. Rightly or wrongly, he doesn’t care whether or not he has the support of the board and administrators — he doesn’t think he needs it. (And maybe he is taking his cue from the La Scala debacle, when a critical inflection point was losing the support of the musicians.)

      • Samuele says:

        Anthony ….
        Muti is on a stage of his life/career that does not care at all if next year he we ll not have a contract with CSO..
        First of all because he is rich enought..and second of all..because in a blink of an eye..another top orchestra will take him.For me…as somebody has already written..he is doing what he feels is the right thing to do…SUPPORT the musicians…his musicians(!!)

      • fflambeau says:

        I remember that the leader of the Minnesota Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä, strongly took a side beside his musicians. He even walked away from the orchestra, forcing it into taking action. He is much beloved not only because he’s a great conductor but because of this.

    • Couperin says:

      Why? That’s not a loaded question, I’m just curious why you think it’s a bad look?

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