Volume 22, Number 5 · April 3, 1975
Le Sacre and Pierre Monteux: An Unknown Debt
By Robert Craft
The late Pierre Monteux—born one hundred years ago April 4—has been justly acclaimed for his part in the premiere of Le Sacre du printemps, directing an orchestra that frequently could not hear itself over the audience's noisy protests. But his contributions to the score two months earlier may be as important as the conducting feat. Without intending to diminish Monteux's glory on that occasion, one should acknowledge that his mastery of the score was less than unique, since a colleague, with the Restoration Comedy name of Rhené Baton [sic, in Monteux's letters], was also prepared for the task and in fact led three of the seven performances that the Ballets Russes gave in its 1913 season.
Feature, 1433 words
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