Leipzig, Germany - Italian conductor Riccardo Chailly looked set Tuesday to drop one of his two contracts in the German city of Leipzig, giving up his baton at the city's opera orchestra.

Chailly is expected on Friday to sign a contract renewal till 2015 to conduct the Leipzig's internationally famed Gewandhaus Orchestra. He had been dual chief of the two orchestras since September 2005.

News that he was out of the opera after months of stormy rows was broken Tuesday by a city newspaper, the Leipziger Volkszeitung.

Chailly declined comment to Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa, saying, "The mayor and I have agreed to keep this matter confidential."

A municipal spokesman confirmed there had been talks recently between mayor Burkhard Jung and Chailly, adding, "There'll be an announcement about the outcome this week."

Chailly was angered that he was not consulted over appointments of Leipzig Opera chiefs, including Alexander von Maravic as chief in March and before that Peter Konwitschny as senior production director. (dpa)