Riccardo Muti
Conductor Riccardo Muti, 79, has appealed to the Italian government to reconsider its decision to close theatres, cinemas and concert halls because of the Corona pandemic. In a letter to Prime Minister Conte published in the newspaper Corriere della Sera on Monday, Muti wrote that society needs « intellectual nourishment » from music and theatre, otherwise it will become « ugly ».
Muti stressed that music and theatre performances were not « superfluous », as government officials had said. Such an assertion meant « ignorance, lack of culture and lack of sensitivity ».
