Genre: Classical
"You have to have the score in your head, not your head in the score."
Legendary conductor Pierre Monteux - musical director of numerous world premieres and influential mentor for many influential bandmasters of the 20th and 21st century - is best known for his recordings of French and Russian music. This selection of 12 original albums and bonus tracks from the years 1941 to 1962 includes important recordings of his mature oeuvre, including three albums that the renowned British magazine "gramophone" lists among the 250 best recordings of all time (Elgar’s Enigma Variations, Bach's double concerto with Menuhin and Enescu, Brahms' Piano Concerto with Katchen).
Monteux's artistic ideals were clarity, precision and structural listenability, his aspiration was unobtrusive eloquence and pure beauty of sound. Rather small in stature, he made little fuss about his person and, as far as possible, disappeared behind the work. He did not need any big conducting moves; during the often tedious and long rehearsal work he prepared his orchestras – over one hundred, including his work as a guest conductor - so well that only minor gestures were needed to realize his ideas in the actual concerts. He gave his signals with charm, wit, and a certain belligerence. Monteux took on musical challenges even in old age. He was already 86 years old when he was appointed director of the London Symphony Orchestra amd retained his phenomenal comprehension of musical structures and his keen ear until the very end.
Tracklist:
CD 1
■ ELGAR Enigma Variations
BRAHMS Haydn Variations (1960)
Edward Elgar (1857 – 1934)
Variations on an Original Theme Op. 36 “Enigma” / Enigma-Variationen
1. Theme: Andante 1‘26
2. I. C.A.E. L’ istesso tempo 1‘47
3. II. H.D.S.P. Allegro 0‘47
4. III. R.B.T. Allegretto 1‘21
5. IV. W.M.B. Allegro di molto 0‘27
6. V. R.P.A. Moderato 1‘55
7. VI. Ysobel. Andantino 1‘20
8. VII. Troyte. Presto 0‘56
9. VIII. W.N. Allegretto 1‘55
10. IX. Nimrod. Adagio 3‘51
11. X. Dorabella: Intermezzo. Allegretto 2‘39
12. XI. G.R.S. Allegro di molto 0‘56
13. XII. B.G.N. Andante 2‘25
14. XIII. (***Romanza). Moderato 2‘39
15. XIV. E.D.U. Finale. Allegro 4‘58
■ Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)
16. Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 56a / Haydn-Variationen 16‘58
London Symphony Orchestra conductor / Dirigent Pierre Monteux
recorded / aufgenommen 1958
Total Time 46‘21
CD 2
■ BRAHMS Piano Concerto No.1 In D Minor, Opus 15 (1960)
Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)
Klavierkonzert Nr. 1 d-Moll op. 15
1. I. Maestoso. Poco più moderato 21‘21
2. II. Adagio 14‘12
3. III. Rondo: Allegro non troppo 11‘58
Julius Katchen piano / Klavier
London Symphony Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent Pierre Monteux
recorded / aufgenommen 1959
■ BONUS
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 – 1921)
4. Havanaise, Op. 83 9‘04
Leonid Kogan violin / Violine
Boston Symphony Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent Pierre Monteux
recorded / aufgenommen 1958 Total Time 56‘36
CD 3
■ STRAVINSKY Le Sacre du
Printemps (1954)
Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971)
Le Sacre du printemps
Première partie: L’adoration
de la Terre
1. Introduction 3‘02
2. Danse des 3‘16
adolescentes
3. Jeu du rapt 1‘20
4. Rondes printanières 3‘08
5. Jeu des cités rivales 1‘57
6. Cortège du Sage 0‘43
7. Adoration de la terre 0‘21
8. Danse de la terre 1‘12
Deuxième partie: Le Sacrifice
9. Introduction 3‘41
10. Cercles mystérieux 2‘55
des adolescentes
11. Glorification de l´élue 1‘35
12. Evocation des ancêtres 0‘41
13. Action rituelle 3‘07
des ancêtres
14. Danse sacrale 4‘23
Boston Symphony Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent
Pierre Monteux
recorded / aufgenommen 1951
■ DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 2
in D Minor, Op. 70* (1961)
Antonín Dvořák (1841 – 1904)
Symphony No. 7 in D Minor,
Op. 70 / d-Moll
15. I. Allegro maestoso 10‘46
16. II. Poco adagio 10‘37
17. III. Scherzo: 7‘25
Poco meno mosso
18. IV. Finale: Allegro 8‘52
London Symphony Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent
Pierre Monteux
recorded / aufgenommen 1959
*auf dem Originalalbum wurde
die Sinfonie Nr. 7 als 2. Sinfonie
bezeichnet
*The original release erroneously
called the 7th symphony the 2nd
Total Time 69'03
CD 4
■ BEETHOVEN Eroica (1962)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Symphpony No. 3 in E Flat major, Op. 55 “Eroica” / Es-Dur
1. I. Allegro con brio 14‘51
2. II. Marcia funebre: Adagio assai 15‘29
3. III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace 5‘37
4. IV. Finale: Allegro molto 12‘01
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam
conductor / Dirigent Pierre Monteux
recorded / aufgenommen 1962
Total Time 48‘00
CD 5
■ BERLIOZ Symphonie Fantastique (1951)
Hector Berlioz (1803 – 1869)
Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14
1. I. Rêveries – Passions 12‘47
2. II. Un bal 5‘41
3. III. Scène aux champs 15‘31
4. IV. Marche au supplice 4‘44
5. V. Songe d’une nuit du Sabbat 9‘15
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra conductor / Dirigent Pierre Monteux
recorded / aufgenommen 1945 or 1951
■ BONUS
Alexander Scriabin (1872 – 1915)
Le Poème de l’extase, Op. 54 / Symphonie No. 4
6. Andante. Languido. Lento. Soavamente 2‘00
7. Allegro volando 0‘37
8. Lento. Allegro non troppo. Moderato avec délice 3‘38
9. Allegro. Allegro dramatico 3‘37
10. Lento 1‘36
11. Allegro volando 0‘39
12. Lento. Allegro. Charmé. Scherzando 4‘53
13. Allegro molto. Leggierissimo. Volando. Maestoso 2‘24
Roger Voisin trumpet / Trompete
Boston Symphony Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent Pierre Monteux recorded / aufgenommen 1952
Total Time 67'23
CD 6
■ FRANCK Symphony (1961)
César Franck (1822 – 1890)
Symphony in D Minor / d-Moll
1. I. Lento. Allegro non troppo 17‘58
2. II. Allegretto 10‘35
3. III. Allegro non troppo 10‘22
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent Pierre Monteux
recorded / aufgenommen 1961
■ BONUS
Hector Berlioz (1803 – 1869)
4. Grande Ouverture de Benvenuto Cellini, Op. 23 10‘45
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent Pierre Monteux
recorded / aufgenommen 1952
Total Time 49‘50
CD 7
■ DEBUSSY La Mer / Nocturne (1956)
Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918)
La Mer
1. I. De l’aube à midi sur la mer 8‘41
2. II. Jeux de vagues 6‘00
3. III. Dialogue du vent et de la mer 7‘56
Nocturnes
4. Nuages 7‘07
5. Fêtes 6‘03
6. Sirènes 9‘40
Women of the Berkshire Festival Chorus
Boston Symphony Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent Pierre Monteux
recorded / aufgenommen 1955
■ BONUS
Maurice Ravel (1875 – 19937)
7. La Valse – Poème choréographique 10‘43
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent Pierre Monteux
recorded / aufgenommen 1941
Total Time 56‘11
CD 8
■ BRAHMS Violin Concerto (1959)
Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)
Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 77 / d-Moll
1. I. Allegro non troppo 22‘22
2. II. Adagio 9‘32
3. III. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace 8‘06
Henryk Szeryng violin / Violine
London Symphony Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent Pierre Monteux
recorded / aufgenommen 1958
■ BONUS
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)
Piano Concerto No. 18 in B-Flat Major K. 456 / B-Dur
4. I. Allegro vivace 11‘12
5. II Andante un poco sostenuto 11‘21
6. III. Allegro vivace 6‘57
Lili Kraus piano / Klavier
Boston Symphony Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent Pierre Monteux
recorded / aufgenommen 1953
Total Time 69‘32
CD 9
■ TCHAIKOVSKY Excerpts from
the Sleeping Beauty (1958)
Peter I. Tschaikowsky (1840 – 1893)
The Sleeping Beauty Op. 66 /
Dornröschen
1. Introduction: Prologue 2‘14
2. No. 1: Marche 2‘39
No. 3: Pas de six
3. Intrada 4‘11
4. Variation IV: 0‘34
Canari qui chante
5. Variation V: 0‘59
Violente
Act 1
6. No. 6: Valse 4‘34
No. 8: Pas d'action
7. Adagio 5‘06
8. Variation d'Aurore 2‘17
9. Coda 0‘25
10. No. 9: Finale 2‘49
Act 2
11. No. 13: Farandole. 1‘38
Scène
12. No. 17: Panorama 2‘18
Act 3
13. No. 22: Polacca 3‘15
No. 23: Pas de quatre
14. Intrada 1‘05
15. Variation II: 0‘51
La Fée-Argent
16. Variation IV: 0‘46
La Fée-Diamant
17. Coda; No. 25: 0‘42
Pas de quatre
18. Variation II: 0‘47
L' Oiseau bleu et la
princesse Florine
19. Coda 1‘43
20. No. 26: Pas de caractère. 1‘18
Le Petit Chaperon rouge
et le loup; No. 28: Pas de
deux. Aurore et Désiré
21. Adagio 3‘19
22. Coda 1‘08
23. Nr. 30: Finale 3‘39
24. Apothéose 1‘33
London Symphony Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent
Pierre Monteux
recorded / aufgenommen 1957
■ BACH Double Concerto
in D Minor (1933)
Johann Sebastian Bach
(1685 – 1750)
Double Concerto in D Minor
BWV 1043
25. I. Vivace 4‘09
26. II. Adagio 6‘36
27. III. Allegro assai 5‘08
Yehudi Menuhin, George Enescu
violins / Violinen
Orchestre Symphonique de Paris
conductor / Dirigent
Pierre Monteux
recorded / aufgenommen 1932
Total Time 65'44
CD 10
■ BRAHMS Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73 (1960)
Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)
Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73 / D-Dur
1. I. Allegro non troppo 20‘29
2. II. Adagio non troppo. L’istesso tempo ma grazioso 9‘20
3. III. Allegretto grazioso (Quasi andantino). Presto ma non assai 5‘06
4. IV. Allegro con spirito 9‘01
Wiener Philharmoniker
conductor / Dirigent Pierre Monteux
recorded / aufgenommen 1959
■ BONUS
Jacques Ibert (1890 – 1962)
Escales – Poème symphonique
5. I. Rome – Palermo: Calme 6‘05
6. II. Tunis – Nefta: Modéré, très rhytmé 2‘39
7. III. Valencia: Animé 5‘17
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent Pierre Monteux
recorded / aufgenommen 1946
Total Time 57‘59