Muti’s triumph with Rossini’s Moïse et Pharaon: and his first “encore” in 25 years

“Stay with us!” yelled an enthusiastic supporter during the applause at the opening of Moïse et Pharaon in Rome. Riccardo Muti has been toying with the idea of becoming the musical director of the Rome Opera for some months now, but has now clarified his position:

I can't accept a post if I'm unable to guarantee my presence. To be the musical director of the Rome Opera would mean committing many months to being here, and I'm not yet unemployed!”

Commenting of the first night of the Rome opera season, Muti said,

The evening was a triumph.”

If fact he even repeated the chorus “Dal tuo stellato soglio”, the first “encore” he has allowed in 25 years, the last being at La Scala with Nabucco‘s “Va' pensiero”. He added,

I will continue to collaborate with the Rome Opera:”

In fact in March 2011 he will be on the podium once more for Verdi's Nabucco. Another encore?

Gramilano( Editor )

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.

His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.