Pierre Monteux (1875–1964) was a distinguished French conductor, renowned for his interpretations of early 20th-century orchestral music. His career spanned over half a century, during which he helmed some of the world's leading orchestras and gave premieres of several key works of the modern repertoire. Monteux's journey in music began as a violist, but he soon transitioned to conducting, where his nuanced approach and clarity allowed the music to speak with eloquence.

Monteux is perhaps most famously associated with the Ballets Russes, where he conducted the premieres of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" and "Petrushka," stirring the Parisian artistic scene of the time. His career saw him take on leadership roles with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and the London Symphony Orchestra, among others. Monteux's extensive discography reflects a versatile repertoire, from the expressive Romantic works of Brahms to the evocative landscapes of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade," and the transformative Modernism of Stravinsky. His performances carried the weight of interpretive authority, underpinned by a robust commitment to fidelity to the score and a passion for orchestral precision. Though he passed away several decades ago, reissues and remastered recordings of his live performances—like the ones listed above—continue to affirm Pierre Monteux's legacy as one of the 20th century's most revered conductors.

Genres

Historic Orchestral Performance

Orchestral Performance

Related Artists

Herbert von Karajan

Claudio Abbado

Sir Georg Solti

Sir Simon Rattle

Zubin Mehta

Leonard Bernstein

Valery Gergiev

Seiji Ozawa

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Eugene Ormandy

Mariss Jansons

Esa-Pekka Salonen

Latest Release

MONTEUX CONDUCTS, vol. VII (Remastered 2024)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky•

Pierre Monteux

Album - 13 Tracks - Released October 15, 2024