There's growing talk about possible finalists for the music directorship of the New York Philharmonic. The "scribbling" class is excited by the possibility of Alan Gilbert, not too thrilled by the prospect of Riccardo Muti. As Sieglinde sees the whole universe through jeweled opera glasses, she'd be ecstatic to have either man. Gilbert is music director of Santa Fe Opera (and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic), while Muti to many is the testosterone embodiment of Italian opera. Gelb will get more sold-out evenings to have Muti come more often, so it might be convenient to have him a few feet away. Other names mentioned are Riccardo Chailly and Daniel Barenboim. Now that's an A-list if I ever saw one.