End of an Era

Seldom has there been such a musical love match as San Francisco and Pierre Monteux have both been enjoying. In 17 years as conductor of the San Francisco Symphony, Monteux's teddy-bear figure and walrus mustache have become as well known and beloved by San Franciscans as their ferry boats and cable cars. Last week, as the idyl came to an end, San Francisco took a dab at its eyes.

Crowds overflowed the opera house for all three of "Papa" Monteux's final concerts. His swan song was the same great work with which he has closed his 16 previous seasons: Beethoven's choral symphony (No. 9). At the end, the audience gave the four soloists a polite round. When the old (77) conductor started to trudge offstage, he was recalled for ten minutes of shrieking and hysterical cheers. Papa Monteux finally waved them into quiet, then found that all he could say was: "Thank you ... I will not say goodbye, but au revoir."

Orchestra Builder. The Call-Bulletin tried to say something for the nonmusical man: "We'll leave all the fancy words about his greatness as a musician to the music critics and just say that he was an extraordinarily likable guy, and that San Francisco will miss him and Mme. Monteux very much." Lamented the Chronicle: "The end of an era in the cultural life of this community."

It was indeed the end of an era. Pierre Monteux came to San Francisco from the Boston Symphony (where he preceded Koussevitzky) to take over a depression-racked orchestra that had given only four concerts the year before. He built its season into 22 weeks, and the orchestra itself into one of the half-dozen finest in the land. He gave San Franciscans clear and powerful Beethoven, Brahms and Wagner, surpassing performances of Franck and Berlioz, engaging ones of the music of his friends Debussy, Ravel and Stravinsky. He wanted to quit San Francisco "while I can still conduct."

A Vivacious Cancan. Monteux was not the man for solemn speeches or long faces. His 96 musicians gave him a party at which the eleven women of the orchestra put on a vivacious cancan. Cracked Monteux, "It took me 17 years to see what pretty legs they have." With enormous gusto, he knifed into a huge cake lettered "Au revoir, cher Maitre." And he set straight one matter that has intrigued San Franciscans for years: "I make you a declaration. My hair, it is not dyed."

Although Monteux is 77, he does not intend to stop conducting. He will lead the Boston Symphony, as associate conductor with Charles Munch, during a European tour next month. And this summer he will conduct in Manhattan's Lewisohn Stadium, at Tanglewood and at Chicago's Ravinia Park, and run his conducting school in Maine. He is booked at home & abroad straight through the spring of 1953.

San Francisco will get along next season with guest conductors. Everyone in town agrees with the Examiner: "It is going to be very, very hard to find a new conductor who will keep up Monteux's standards of mastery."

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