Charles Munch

Charles Munch (1891-1968) was a conductor and music director with stature and influence on par with that of Toscanini and Bernstein. A pivotal figure in many arenas of classical music, Munch almost single-handedly established Berlioz in the canon, perfected the orchestral work of Debussy and Ravel, led the world to Honegger, Poulenc and Dutilleux, shepherded the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra past the Nazi Occupation and on to its re-emergence as today's Orchestre de Paris, proved beyond doubt that there could be a vibrant Boston Symphony Orchestra after Koussevitzky, and created still unrivaled recordings on RCA Living Stereo.