Pierre Monteux became famous at the age of 38 for conducting the riotous world premiere of Igor Stravinsky's ERite of SpringE in Paris on May 29 1913. The composer fearing bodily harm escaped through a backstage window while the imperturbable conductor persisted forever to be identified with the event. He would also conduct the first concert performance and one of the first two recordings of Stravinsky's masterpiece the other one conducted by Stravinsky himself. Though French by birth the distinctively portly man with the walrus mustache resisted being typecast as a French conductor. He could have been a European maestro: he played for Brahms worked with Grieg presided over the world premieres of major works by Ravel Stravinsky and many others was Diaghilev's conductor of choice. But it was Monteux's American audiences especially in San Francisco and Boston who would love him the most over the course of a long career. He conducted many American premieres works of Debussy Falla Ravel and among the more than a dozen Boston premieres those of EThe Rite of SpringE and of Mahler's EFirst SymphonyE. Canarina a conductor and teacher of conducting himself studied with Monteux for seven summers and brings great personal warmth and understanding to this wise admiring and honest book the first full-length biography of the man whom so many knew and loved as Maitre.

About the Author
John Canarina has been director of Orchestral Studies at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa since 1973.


Book Information
ISBN 9781574670820
Author John Canarina
Format Hardback
Page Count 368
Imprint Amadeus Press
Publisher Hal Leonard Corporation
Weight(grams) 767g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 161mm * 28mm