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Riccardo Muti (born July 28, 1941, in Molfetta) is an Italian conductor best known for being the Music Director of Milan's La Scala opera house from 1986 to 2005, and of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1980 to 1992.
In 1967, he won the Cantelli Prize for young conductors. From 1968 to 1980 he was Principal Director and Music Director of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.
Since 1972, Muti has regularly conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra in London and was appointed the orchestra's principal conductor after Otto Klemperer left the post.
From 1980 to 1992, Muti was Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, which he led on numerous international tours. In 1979, he was appointed its Music Director, and in 1992 Conductor Laureate. Muti stated that his approach was to remain faithful to the intent of the composer. This meant a change from applying the lush "Philadelphia Sound", created by his predecessors Eugene Ormandy and Leopold Stokowski, to all repertoire. However, many recordings seem to largely do away with the orchestra's hallmark sound even in the works of such composers as Tchaikowsky, Brahms and other high romantics. His sonic changes to the orchestra remain controversial. Some felt he turned it into a generic-sounding institution with a lean sound much favored by modern recording engineers. Others believe Muti uncovered the true intention of the works, which had been covered in a silky sheen by Muti's predecessor.
In 1987, Muti was appointed principal conductor of the Scala Philharmonic Orchestra, with which in 1988 he received the Viotti d'Oro and with which he went on tour in Italy and in Europe. In 1991 he announced his resignation from the Philadelphia Orchestra at the end of that season. He was succeeded by Wolfgang Sawallisch.
Muti has been a regular guest of the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic. In 1996, Muti conducted the latter at the closing of the Viennese Festival Week in a tour in the Far East (Japan, Korea, Hong Kong) and in Germany as well as at the Vienna New Year's Concert in 1993, 1997, 2000 and 2004.
Since 1971 he has been a regular participant of the Salzburg Festival, conducting operas and concerts, where he is particularly known for his Mozart opera performances.
Apart from La Scala, Muti has conducted operatic productions in Philadelphia, Munich, Vienna and London, and at the Ravenna Festival.
With Philadelphia, his extensive recordings include the first Beethoven Symphony Cycle made for compact disc as well as critically acclaimed recordings of the symphonies of Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and Scriabin. He also recorded music by composers such as Respighi, Berlioz, Franck, and Rachmaninov.
Muti is considered one of the world's greatest conductors of the operas of Giuseppe Verdi. In Philadelphia, he also led a series of annual performances of opera in concert form including Wagner's "Der Fliegende Hollander", Verdi's "Macbeth" and "Nabucco" and Puccini's "Tosca", the latter of which was recorded. In 1992, Muti conducted performances of Leoncavallo's "I Pagliacci" with Luciano Pavarotti. A recording was also made from these performances.
At La Scala, Muti was noted for exploring lesser-known works of the neo-classical repertoire such as Lodoiska by Luigi Cherubini and La Vestale by Gaspare Spontini.
On March 16, 2005, the orchestra and staff of La Scala voted overwhelmingly against Muti in a motion of no-confidence. This arose from a dispute with La Scala's general manager Carlo Fontana which resulted in Mr. Fontana's dismissal the preceding month. Muti was forced to cancel a concert prior to the vote, and some other productions were disrupted at the theater because of continuing rifts with Fontana's supporters. On April 2 he resigned from La Scala, citing "hostility" from staff members.
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