[Debussy, Claude. (1862–1918)] Monteux, Pierre. (1875–1964). Autograph note explaining the pronunciation of "Debussy". An amusing short note on a card from the great French-American conductor known for his tenures with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Orchestre Symphonique de Paris and the San Francisco Symphony. He himself probably did not consider the note amusing at all, as it is written with complete earnestness. In full:
"Debussȳ with accent on the last syllab[l]e / ¯Poincarē with accent on first and last; the final é is to be pronounced like 'ay' in the word: Day. [verso:] the name Debussy is difficult to write [?] correct pronunciation for English speaking people. the first De should be pronounced like your The, but with D instead of Th. bu, is impossible to write phonically because of the French u that you dont have. =ssy must be pronounced like 'sea' Sincerely P. Monteux."
Oblong format, 3.25 x 5 inches (8 x 12.8 cm). In torn envelope addressed to Mrs. Francis Forristal Snow of Walden, Mass., postmarked Boston, Mass., Back Bay Station. Postmark dated [A]pr 8, 1924, 7:30 PM; card undated.
Monteux conducted the premieres of various ballets for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes that became classics, most notably the The Rite of Spring but also Petrushka, The Nightingale, Ravel's Daphnis and Chloë, Fokine's Afternoon of a Faun after Debussy's orchestral piece of the same name and Debussy's only score written for the ballet, Jeux. Throughout his long life he remained much in demand as a conductor of French music, Debussy in particular.
[Debussy, Claude. (1862–1918)] Monteux, Pierre. (1875–1964). Autograph note explaining the pronunciation of "Debussy". An amusing short note on a card from the great French-American conductor known for his tenures with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Orchestre Symphonique de Paris and the San Francisco Symphony. He himself probably did not consider the note amusing at all, as it is written with complete earnestness. In full:
"Debussȳ with accent on the last syllab[l]e / ¯Poincarē with accent on first and last; the final é is to be pronounced like 'ay' in the word: Day. [verso:] the name Debussy is difficult to write [?] correct pronunciation for English speaking people. the first De should be pronounced like your The, but with D instead of Th. bu, is impossible to write phonically because of the French u that you dont have. =ssy must be pronounced like 'sea' Sincerely P. Monteux."
Oblong format, 3.25 x 5 inches (8 x 12.8 cm). In torn envelope addressed to Mrs. Francis Forristal Snow of Walden, Mass., postmarked Boston, Mass., Back Bay Station. Postmark dated [A]pr 8, 1924, 7:30 PM; card undated.
Monteux conducted the premieres of various ballets for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes that became classics, most notably the The Rite of Spring but also Petrushka, The Nightingale, Ravel's Daphnis and Chloë, Fokine's Afternoon of a Faun after Debussy's orchestral piece of the same name and Debussy's only score written for the ballet, Jeux. Throughout his long life he remained much in demand as a conductor of French music, Debussy in particular.