Prima la musica, poi le parole. Autobiografia

by Riccardo Muti

"Arrivai da solo, scesi dal treno e pensai immediatamente al colbacco di Totò e De Filippo nel film 'Totò, Peppino e la malafemmina'; ci mancava l'orso bianco, tant'era diverso il mondo da quello di Napoli!" Così Riccardo Muti ricorda il suo arrivo a Milano nel novembre 1961, spinto dal maestro Jacopo Napoli a seguire la sua vocazione per la musica, che lo accompagnerà per oltre cinquant'anni e farà di lui uno dei più acclamati direttori d'orchestra del mondo. Ripercorrendo la propria vita tra conservatori e teatri, sale prove e dietro le quinte, Muti si racconta con ironia e sincerità, rievocando non solo episodi inediti con alcuni dei più famosi musicisti del nostro tempo, ma anche le predilezioni e i dilemmi che hanno punteggiato la sua carriera, in una totale consacrazione alla musica.

Genres: Music

Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Italian conductor.

Reviews

[Msellen88 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always been a big fan of Riccardo Muti. I was lucky enough to see him once at the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome and when he took to the podium to begin the Verdi opera, I Due Foscari, the entire audience was in complete awe. He is the greatest living conductor and he shows no signs of stopping his life as a working musician. I bought his book to get a bit more insight into his personal life and his particular point of view. He gives the reader his deepest thoughts about music theory, composition and the immense skill it takes to interpret the great works of Verdi (his wheelhouse), Rossini, Puccini, Mozart, Beethoven and other great classical composers. He does not reveal too much about his personal life. He mentions his wife a few times and he mentions each of his children only once. Muti's autobiography is more of a history of his education and career, from a reluctant violin student as a young boy to his studies with some of the greatest conductors and composers. It was interesting to hear him talk about his time at La Scala and the evening of Luciano Pavarotti's infamous "vocal error" for which the arrogant Milan audience punished him. (Pavarotti has a different version of the same event in his own autobiography). Muti says very little about his own sudden exit from La Scala, describing it as tempestuous and turbulent. There is certainly more to THAT story. He says about that event "I don't want to think about it and I prefer to focus instead on the marvelous and particularly lively period in which my life joined with that of the theater." That is the lesson that Muti is trying to teach all of us. The past is the past and we should look only at the beautiful moments of life. I really enjoyed Muti's own story as he tells it. He also goes deep into the technical aspects of orchestration and composition, most of which was well beyond my comprehension as a non-musician.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

a professional, rather than personal, biography

[Lorella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ho scelto il libro perché ho assistito ad un concerto del Maestro e, seppur non capisco nulla di musica classica, mi ha emozionato. La sua autobiografia ha suscitato lo stesso fascino. È molto piena di tecnicismi e riferimenti per appassionati, ma è intrisa dell'amore per la musica.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un racconto degli inizi, intimo e sincero, che permette di conoscere, più umanamente, uno dei direttori d'orchestra più bravi del nostro Paese.
Piacevolmente sorpreso!

[Jeanne Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeanne

Maestro Muti has graced Chicago with his leadership for the last five years as musical director. He has brought into our lives the true belief in the power of music. Reading this book makes me realize how much demand is placed on family with this globe trotting existence. May he and his Christina live long and happy days. Hopefully in Chicago for part of the years

[Gail · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only read three pages and the text just seemed stilted to me. Ricardo Muti is obviously not a writer so an established author should have have written his biography.