Riccardo Muti for President of Italy?
mainThe Italian press is full of speculation, based on remarks attributed to one of the maestro’s sons that the proposal ‘has been discussed within family, after a phone conversation between dad and prime minister Renzi’.
Rumours abound that President Giorgio Napolitano (pictured), who is almost 90, will resign before the month is out.
But the idea that a conductor at the height of his powers will give it all up for ceremonial pomp and circumstance is patently absurd.
Muti, we fell sure, will give the same response as Kurt Masur did around 1990 when he was mooted for the German presidency: ‘I’m too busy.’
Of course, if they offered to make him Pope….
Err: “if they offered to make him Pope” vs. “one of the maestro’s sons” 😀
The Italians have usually been very flexible in this regard.
Technically not impossible as the only formal qualification to be elected Pope is to be a male Catholic.
Well…Ignacy Jan Paderewski was a prolific composer and pianist as well as diplomat and even prime-minister of Poland. So, what’s new?
Muti becomes President of Italy after heading two of the world’s greatest orchestras, both in America. That is quite a demotion. Why would anyone want to do that?
Given the often extremely arrogant way he behaves, it might be that he thinks he is already!
Muti says in his autobiography that he often comes across as aloof or arrogant but that is just because he is very serious, and had a very strict upbringing with a strong emphasis on formal behavior.