These classic performances have withstood the test of time extremely well. Petrushka receives a lively yet relaxed performance; you’d never know the rhythms in the opening tableau are so tricky, with Monteux and his excellent players capturing the picture-post-card quality of the music with effortless charm. At the same time, the ominous music of Petrushka’s frustration and ultimate demise has the necessary bite, and the remastered 1959 stereo sound is excellent by any standard. The Rite of Spring remains Monteux’s finest version, perhaps not quite as perfectly played as the best modern performances (this is surprisingly powerful 1951 mono), but one that yields nothing in savagery and rhythmic élan. Indeed, the Procession of the Sage remains the most hair-raising account on disc, while at the same time sacrificing nothing in polyphonic clarity. Given Monteux’s connection to the composer, it’s simply unthinkable that anyone even mildly interested in this music would not own these performances. Essential. [12/03/2004]
