Pierre Monteux: Decca & Philips Recordings 1956-1964

Pierre Monteux was born in Paris on 4 April 1875. He began his studies at the Paris Conservatoire at the age of nine and first conducted in Paris at the age of twelve. In 1911 Monteux was appointed principal conductor of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and conducted the premieres of Stravinsky's Petrushka, Le Sacre du printemps, and Le Rossignol; he also conducted the premiere of Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé (recently reissued in Decca Originals on 475 7525).

From 1919-1924 he was conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and from 1925-1934 was conductor, with Willem Mengelberg, of the Concertgebouw Orchestra. In 1936 Monteux was appointed conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and he remained there until 1952. During this time he became an American citizen (in 1942). In 1961 Monteux was appointed chief conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. In May 1963 he conducted the fiftieth anniversary performance of Le Sacre du printemps in London and was awarded the gold medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society in December of that year. Monteux was ill several times during the last few years of his life but persevered with this conducting. In April 1964 he was conducting in Italy when he suffered a fall and had to return to the USA to recuperate. Pierre Monteux died on 1 July 1964 at the age of 89.

This Original Masters set devoted to Monteux contains a selection of the various pieces he recorded for Decca & Philips during the last eight years of his life, including the Stravinsky works with which he was so closely linked. It also includes pieces for flute and orchestra by Bach, Gluck and Mozart which appear on international CD for the first time in which he accompanies his son Claude with the London Symphony Orchestra.