Riccardo Muti to China
OperaThe former Chicago chief, relieved now of most worldly concderns, plans to take his Ravenna opera academy to the city of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, in November.
The Suzhou Symphony Orchestra will support the teaching he gives to young musicians from around the world. The opera he will teach is Cavalleria Rusticana.
In a launch video, Muti said: ‘China and Italy both have a profound culture and very long history. I know that there are many Chinese who love Italian opera and I have been trying to get close to Chinese culture. During the past decades, classical music has gained a large fan base in China, with new concert halls and new symphony orchestras appearing in the country. There are also many great Chinese musicians performing around the world — pianists, violinists, singers and conductors — who have become like bridges, bringing our countries closer to each other.’
Unfortunately Muti’s Mascagni, like his Respighi and (fortunately) rare Puccini is very heavy handed and quite vulgar. He should have decided to bring there some early Verdi or some Mozart instead, which he can conduct beautifully.
His Verdi and Mozart used to be good, now they are deflated and boring.
I have to agree. I used to admire him, now I can’t stand him.
Well if any thing requires heavy hands it’s Mascagni!
“China and Italy both have a … very long history” with Marco Polo taking Chinese noodles back to Italy which became pasta, without the Chinese, there would be no Italian cuisine.
Study your history a bit and you will realize that Chinese noodles and pasta have developed completely independently and WAY BEFORE Marco Polo made the trip
That was the point. Noodles were long established in China; Marco Polo learned about them there and brought the idea to Italy.
Or so the myth goes …
As if Italian cuisine is only pasta.
I guess you have never been to Italy (and I don’t mean italian restaurants).
You can’t disagree with his words.
Are we absolutely sure that Muti meant to say he’s going to China, and not to Korea?
The Italian Stallion, with his ‘profound culture’, seemed to get easily confused. He mockingly referred to Korean Maestro Chung’s with the racially charged nickname “the Chinaman” (“Il Cinese”), according to reputable news agency Ansa and Il Giorno, an Italian newspaper (see article:
https://www.ilgiorno.it/spettacoli/teatro-scala-muti-1.6354410).
Muti is like Celibidache was – he only admires dead colleague conductors.
Not true, Celi did a lot to recognise and promote the talents of younger conductors in Munich and elsewhere.
Actually, Celi admired Tennstedt and had a grudging respect for Bernstein.
Before you propagate your Muti hate, keep in mind that Muti had already clarified his use of language to the Woke Press as well as his anti-PC stance. In Italian, ‘il cinese’ does not have the same pejorative racial connotation as its false friend ‘chinaman’ in English. He also uses “oriental” on asian people because he feels it connotes the beauty of orientalism in the 19th century sense, nothing to do with racism.
And as a non-Woke member of the said ethic group I’m perfectly OK with that.
So in other words you are saying it’s ok to nickname Maestro Chung “il cinese”.
Muti is Italian, not American, and does not subscribe to the Woke-ism disease originated in American academia.
Nothing wrong with giving people nicknames. For example, I know people in Milan who call Muti “Il Terrone”. I know others that call him “Il Terrone Ignorante”
I have been called the German or the Russian. So?
In recent years many Italian cities have seen new, excellent Chinese restaurants… in Milan (there’s even a Chinatown there), Modena, etc. Compared to decades ago when Chinese food in Italy was all but inedible.
Suzhou (its historic center, at least) is a very lovely old city.
Great. An opera which he understands nothing.
The L’s will become R’s or is it the other way around
My Chinese wife calls western music ‘the yellow man’s burden’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DqvweTYTI0