Features: The Unfinished Symphony
There was great excitement within the ranks of the Philadelphia Orchestra over the selection in 1980 of Ricrardo Muti as its new music director. Many of the musicians hoped that the cool, dark Italian — who had barely learned to hum when Ormandy first lifted his baton in Philadelphia — would modernize the orchestra’s repertoire. So far, that anticipation has gone unrewarded: Muti’s programming is widely considered to be as conservative, if not more so, than Ormandy’s. And Muti has caused his share of disgruntled feelings for other reasons as well. He is typical of a new breed of younger conductors who use the jet age to best advantage. Unlike Ormandy, Muti does not live, breathe, eat and sleep for the Philadelphia Orchestra, The fact that he still makes his permanent home in Ravenna, Italy, has rankled some. His home here is an Academy House apartment.
When Muti accepted the Philadelphia post, he was also conductor of the Philharmonic Orchestra in London and another symphony in Florence. Though he has recently reduced his role with those orchestras, they still occupy a significant portion of his time — in addition to guest conductorships with other European orchestras and festivals. There are some who worry that Muti is eyeing the soon-to-be-vacant podium in Berlin, looking to capture that highly coveted post when the 74-year-old Herbert von Karajan steps down. For the coming season, Muti will be in Philadelphia for just 11 weeks of the 30~week subscription schedule; during his first two seasons here, he spent 10 weeks and 12 weeks, respectively, in residence. The contrast between Ormandy’s absolute presence and Muti’s part-time one is being felt by the players. Says one orchestra member, "There’s a vacuum in leadership now in terms of artistry."
Perhaps the greatest criticism of Riccardo Muti is that under his direction, the famous "Philadelphia Sound" has grown threadbare. That sound — a robust and glorious swell of instruments, particularly strings, that had distinguished the orchestra’s concerts and recordings for decades — was created under Stokowski but grew to full bloom under Ormandy’s long stewardship. "The sound is me," Ormandy would tell interviewers, not the least bit embarrassed by that musically autocratic version of Louis XIV’s L’etat c’est moi. In Muti’s defense, some contend that the Philadelphia Sound was already starting to deteriorate during Ormandy’s last years, while others cite the decreasing availability of high-quality musical instruments as causing the decline.
But many critics and concertgoers fault Muti for the change. At 41, Muti is considered to be still evolving as a conductor. His style has been described as cold, thin and unimaginative, on this side of the Atlantic, at any rate. In Europe, however, as evidenced by the orchestra’s concert tour last month Muti is received and loved as a native son: his so-called youth appears to be part of his charm. Despite the European sentiment for Muti, some American critics believe his abilities will not develop any further: he is, they say, a minor conductor holding a major position. But at least one reviewer feels that the changes being wrought under Muti may be for the best. "Every conductor should create his own sound," says Carl Apone, music critic for the Pittsburgh Press. Other critics, though maintaining a "wait-and-see" attitude about Muti, say they can’t help but notice that when Ormandy leads the orchestra in his new role as conductor laureate, the old Philadelphia Sound emerges once again.