Pierre Monteux made his first LSO recording in 1957 – a generous selection of pieces drawn from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty. Originally released on RCA, the recording repatriated to Decca in 1973. Over 50 minutes of selections from the ballet (as much as would comfortably, and in the 1950s, generously fit on two LP sides), in chronological order, are on offer. It is vivid and colourful and received and enthusiastic critical welcome. The year before, also for RCA (with a subsequent repatriation to Decca), he recorded three Stravinsky ballet scores: The Rite of Spring (whose infamous premiere he conducted), Petrushka (with Julius Katchen as pianist) and the 1919 version of the suite from Stravinsky’s Firebird, of which he gives an utterly magical performance.
