MUSIC

Solti Farewell: Sir Georg Solti, conductor of the Chicago Symphony for 22 years, said goodby to the city Tuesday, with praise for the state of classical music in North America and a slap at an operatic superstar for standing him up. “I spent a wonderful 22 years in this city,” Solti told a farewell news conference at which he was flanked by opera heavyweights Luciano Pavarotti, Kiri Te Kanawa and Leo Nucci. Solti, who collected 23 Grammy awards during his career, had less kind words for American soprano Jessye Norman who was originally scheduled to star in the orchestra’s final Chicago performance under his baton. He said she “acted utterly unprofessionally” by dropping out after she had studied the script for the world premiere of Sir Michael Tippett’s “Byzantium” for eight months. Norman cited personal reasons at the time.