Deryk Barker wrote: >I am beginning to get the feeling - and this is since I left the UK - that >Rattle will be seen as one of the true greats of our generation. I agree. Rattle already has much name recognition and an excellent reputation. His tenure with the Berlin Philharmonic will only add to his stature. As Deryk noted, Rattle is just in his mid-forties and has at least 2 or 3 decades left to hone his art. I predict that Rattle will have the stature of a Toscanini when all is said and done. >Mind you, in career terms, I suspect Barenboim may be the most successful >yet soloist-turned-conductor. I think he will be surpassed by Pletnev in coming years. But, for this to happen, Pletnev will need to concentrate less on the Russian repertoire. Don Satz [log in to unmask]