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Rare, live, and rather wonderful!
Notes on the recordings: A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from a friend of Pristine's in Denmark, the former organist at Aarhus Cathedral Mr. Anders Riber, who stated: "I would like direct your attention to the following: Lately I got hold of an LP from Moscov 1956. It is Schubert 9´ in C with Monteux and the Boston.S.O. live from Russia. Considering geography and age, the recording is fairly good, a bit treble-sharp (and fast) but in many ways a terrific experience... it is in almost mint condition" Would I be interested, he asked, in remastering the recording for release? A quick perusal of the Monteux discography revealed that the great French conductor had never made a studio recording of the work, and judging by its absence in the general catalogue had perhaps rarely performed it live. The prospect of a mid-50s recording in mint condition was certainly one too good to miss, and I'd like to publically express my gratitude to Mr. Riber for sending his rare record to me. From a technical point of view it posed certain minor problems. Although the LP was a later pressing and, as suggested, in near mint condition, the original recording was made using 50s-era Soviet technology which (I'm guessing here) was probably not quite up to the standards found in the west at the time. Furthermore, being a live recording, the microphone placement was perhaps not all it could have been, and the resultant sound was a little veiled and sometimes acoustically boxy. Happily this was almost entirely resolved quickly and easily by XR remastering and the mildest acoustic treatment. Although personally I would still like to feel myself just a little closer to the orchestra, it's still a very good live recording for its era, and a very enjoyable listen. (If it was an 'official' recording one might date it to 1951 rather than 1956, so you see it's not that far off!) All in all it's a surprisingly rare opportunity to hear one of the great orchestras and conductors tackle one of the great works of the classical repertoire together - and one that's sure to find a very warm welcome indeed in many music collections for all the right reasons. Andrew Rose Click here to view additional notes
Full Schubert biography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Schubert
Pierre Monteux From the Melodiya LP sleevenotes
Pierre Monteux, the prominent French conductor, has gone down in the history of music for his premieres of the works of Stravinsky, Ravel and Debussy. According to the Soviet conductor Leo Ginzburg, "he is a highly erudite musician... his technique is clear and simple. His spare, very economical gestures... are the result of tremendous professional experience, wisdom and skill." Pierre Monteux was born in Paris on April 4, 1875. After graduating in 1896 from the Paris Conservatoire he served as a violist in a number of orchestras. Although he had ascended the conductor's podium at the age of twelve, his repute came considerably later, at the beginning of our century, when his gifts were revealed with particular force at the Diaghilev Russian Ballet in Paris in 1911. Here he premiered Stravinsky's "Petrouchka" and "Sacre du Printemps" (1911 and 1913), Ravel's "Daphnis and Chloe" and Debussy's "Jeux." In 1914 he founded and headed the Concerts Monteux, which added considerably to his popularity. In 1916, Pierre Monteux crossed the ocean with the Russian Ballet on a tour of the United States where he accepted the invitation of the Metropolitan Opera to conduct its 1917 — 1919 seasons, and worked with the Boston Symphony right up to 1924. His artistic partnership with that orchestra continued in later years, earning him its admiration and the title of "Principal Guest Conductor." In the 1920's Monteux advanced to the ranks of foremost European conductors. The next stage in his activity, which included numerous guest performances, was the famous Amsterdam Concertgebouw. Here he worked for an entire decade (1924 —34) as co-conductor of the great Willem Mengelberg. This was the time too when he founded the Paris Symphony Orchestra, whose principal conductor he was in 1929 — 1938. The last orchestra fate had bound Pierre Monteux with as musical director for a long time was the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra (1936 — 1952). Later he engaged mainly in guest conducting, welcomed by orchestras of London, Vienna, Amsterdam, Paris, many groups in the USA, and particularly the Boston Symphony which he led on its tour to the Soviet Union. A professional of the highest order, Pierre Monteux was known as an interpreter of an incredibly wide range. While his presentations of classical, romantic and modern music (to the popularization of which Monteux devoted so much effort), did not always correspond to his high reputation, one must note the general high standard, and at times truly brilliant reading of the most complex scores. His art had always won over audiences by its sincerity, emotionality and dedication. Pierre Monteux lived a long life (he died in Hancock, State Maine, USA, on July 1, 1964), working up to his last days. His name holds a place of honour in the history of music.
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