Donald Satz wrote:

>There's an alarming trend on this list.  All of a sudden, list members
>are referring to conductors as "maestro".  Sorry, but I can't abide a
>designation that has a larger than life or royal aura to it.  What I really
>can't comprehend is how a reasonable person who is aware of his/her human
>qualities and happens to be a conductor could possibly want to possess that
>designation.

I agree wholeheartedly with Don Satz on this:  to me addressing any
conductor as "maestro" is inflationary, on a par with those wretched
standing ovations that sometimes greet mediocre performances.  Now Verdi
was addressed as "maestro", particularly towards the end of his life; I
think he was on a different level from any conductor, and for him the
term seems exact.

Julia Werthimer <[log in to unmask]>
California, USA