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Ahhh… Muti.  So, Riccardo Muti conducted his first rehearsal of Beethoven’s Symphony no. 5 with the Wiener Philharmoniker today.  What can you say about Riccardo Muti.  There is no doubt he is a great conductor.  He rehearses cleanly/clearly.  He is gesturally simple, but he keeps the musical tension, etc.  He has great hair…  lol.  (Muti, in the classical music world is famous for his hair.)  But, I must admit that in the Muti/Abbado dichotomy, I must admit to being an Abbado man.  Why?  Now, this brings me back to the Bernstein/Karajan dichotomies (or the Furtwangler/Toscanini dichotomies).  (Ok, dear reader, before you think, “Who?”  and run off – Bernstein was perhaps America’s GREAT conductor.  He was music director of the New York Philharmonic, and he was pretty much a household name from the 60s-70s.  He is even mentioned in an REM song.  Karajan was Music Director of the Berlin Philharmonic around the time Bernstein had New York, and well, he was pretty much the other household name.  YES!  Conductors were household names.  As for Furtwangler and Toscanini, that’s another day.)  So, what was the difference between Bernstein and von Karajan?  Well, von Karajan’s music making was similar to his personality.  It was always controlled, perfect.  There was regality and majesty about it.  Always!  He was famous for not liking live recordings (no control over the product).  Bernstein LIVED 24/7, and that is how he made music.  Masur says (with the most happy look on is face), “Lenny was shameless in the way he made music.  He LOVED music when he was on stage.”  Neither is a bad way of making music.  It’s just different.  Muti reminds me of von Karajan, and Abbado reminds me of Bernstein.  (Not gesturally, spiritually).