It strikes me as rather strange that the criticism of Muti, most especially as an opera conductor, seems to stem from North America when, apart from a not very satisfactory Pagliacci with Pavarotti (a concert performance in Philadelphia), nearly all his operatic activity is confined to Europe! Can these negative views all stem solely from his stay in Philadelphia? He'd not be my first choice for a dinner invitation but I would venture to suggest that these views are not supported either by musical evidence nor by the musically informed public in Europe. His most recent recording (Manon Lescaut on DG) has been widely acclaimed over here. John G. Deacon Home page: www.ctv.es/USERS/j.deacon