Conductors are famous for the size of their egos - and their salaries.
This scepticism is not hard to understand. After all, on one level, conductors do nothing. They do not themselves produce a single sound. And yet they are deemed to be a breed apart from those who play under them. Meanwhile, Riccardo Muti has just been tipped as his successor, although his demands for a high salary and low commitment are rumoured to be a sticking point in negotiations.