Soon, I will have a piece about Riccardo Muti, the veteran conductor. In the meantime, some will enjoy a podcast with him: here. Maestro Muti is many people’s idea of a conductor — in comportment, in breadth, in charisma, in longevity. In many things. Born in 1941, he has conducted all over the world. He is currently finishing his tenure as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

I sat down with him after a concert in Orchestra Hall (Chicago) on Friday afternoon. We talk about musical life and “life life” — “life its ownself,” as Dan Jenkins would say. We discuss a number of people Muti has known: Nino Rota, Federico Fellini, Pope Benedict XVI. (And he has a wonderful letter from Muhammad Ali.) We talk about contemporary music, popular and classical. (He does not have much encouraging to say about either.) We talk about the old question of cultural decline: Is it happening? (Yes.) We talk about things happy and sad, grave and light, eternal and temporal.

All that in one hour? Well, an hour with Muti is a rich one indeed. Again, to try it, go here.