By Andrew Patner [Chicago Sun-Times, 16 August 2010]

SALZBURG, Austria -- At T minus one month and counting, Riccardo Muti is spending a lot of time preparing for his new position as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has built in some downtime next month, but he's also fulfilling longstanding commitments such as a Brahms Requiem in Stockholm, Sweden, on Sept. 2, and keeping up historic institutional relationships, especially here in this historic and picturesque Austrian town.