Montaigne

Montaigne was founded in France in 1987 by Pierre Lebaillif, a cultural sponsorship official at Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations and vice-president of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Its creation was intended to widen public access to valuable archival and live recordings. The label obtained original radio tapes from the 1950s and 1960s and had them restored and digitally remastered by recording engineer Pierre Verany. The imprint was established for the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées rather than being incorporated into Verany’s own label, which specialized in early music. Montaigne consequently developed a separate identity within the French classical-recording sector. Its catalogue included rare historical performances, including Manuel Rosenthal’s interpretation of Darius Milhaud’s Christophe Colomb and Désiré-Émile Inghelbrecht’s Pelléas et Mélisande with Jacques Jansen and Micheline Grancher. Lebaillif died about three years after the label’s foundation. Montaigne nevertheless remained active during the 1990s, when it released both contemporary classical projects and selected older repertoire. Its output included recordings by the Arditti Quartet of music by György Kurtág and Jean-Claude Malgoire’s recording of Lully’s Alceste. These releases show that the label combined archival recovery with documentation of modern classical performance. The Montaigne catalogue was later acquired by Auvidis, an independent label associated with Louis Bricard. Auvidis was subsequently acquired by Naïve Records. The available sources do not confirm the date or circumstances of any formal discontinuation of the Montaigne imprint, and do not provide evidence of a current standalone corporate operation.

• 1990

  Pierre Lebaillif dies

  [1]Montaigne (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  Lebaillif dies approximately three years after founding the label; Montaigne continues releasing recordings during the 1990s.

• 1990

  Expansion into contemporary classical repertoire

  [1]Montaigne (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  During the 1990s, the label releases contemporary classical recordings, including work by the Arditti Quartet, while continuing to issue historical repertoire.

• 1987

  Montaigne is founded

  [1]Montaigne (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  Pierre Lebaillif establishes Montaigne as a French classical record label associated with the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.

• 1987

  Archival restoration program begins

  [1]Montaigne (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  Radio tapes from the 1950s and 1960s are cleaned and digitally remastered for release, with Pierre Verany handling the recording restoration work.

• Catalogue acquired by Auvidis

  [1]Montaigne (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  Montaigne’s catalogue is acquired by the independent French label Auvidis, associated with Louis Bricard.

• Auvidis is acquired by Naïve Records

  [1]Montaigne (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  Auvidis is subsequently acquired by Naïve Records, creating a later corporate home for the Montaigne catalogue.

A specialist classical label focused on making archival, live, operatic, and contemporary repertoire available through careful restoration, remastering, and historically oriented releases.

• Historical classical recordings · 1987

  Archival radio recordings

  Montaigne’s founding catalogue drew on radio tapes recorded during the 1950s and 1960s. The label presented these historically valuable performances after cleaning and digital remastering, helping make recordings that had previously circulated in limited or inaccessible form available to a wider listening public.

• Classical opera

  Opera recordings

  Opera was an important part of Montaigne’s archival and historical repertoire. Referenced releases include Manuel Rosenthal’s performance of Darius Milhaud’s Christophe Colomb and Désiré-Émile Inghelbrecht’s Pelléas et Mélisande with Jacques Jansen and Micheline Grancher, reflecting the label’s interest in rare and significant performances.

• Contemporary classical music · 1990

  Contemporary classical recordings

  During the 1990s, Montaigne broadened its output beyond historical restoration by documenting contemporary classical repertoire. Its cited releases include recordings by the Arditti Quartet of music by György Kurtág, placing modern chamber and ensemble works alongside the label’s older recordings.

• Classical performance documentation

  Historical instrumental and vocal performances

  The label also issued older repertoire and live or historically oriented performances. Jean-Claude Malgoire’s recording of Lully’s Alceste is one cited example of Montaigne’s work in opera and earlier music outside its core twentieth-century archival projects.

• 1987

  Create a dedicated label for Théâtre des Champs-Élysées recordingsStrategy

  Background

  Pierre Lebaillif wanted valuable archival and live recordings to reach a broader audience. Pierre Verany’s existing label specialized in early music, so the material was assigned to a new imprint rather than released under Verany’s name.

  Action taken

  Lebaillif founded Montaigne as a separate classical label connected with the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.

  Aftermath

  The imprint developed a catalogue combining restored radio performances, opera, historical repertoire, and later contemporary classical recordings.

  Source

• 1987

  Adopt digital restoration for archival tapesOther

  Background

  Montaigne’s early mission centered on recordings made for radio in the 1950s and 1960s that required technical preparation before commercial release.

  Action taken

  The label arranged for the original tapes to be cleaned and digitally remastered by Pierre Verany.

  Aftermath

  The restored material became part of Montaigne’s distinctive archival catalogue and supported the label’s public-access mission.

  Source

• Transfer the catalogue to AuvidisM&A

  Background

  After Montaigne’s period of activity, its recordings were consolidated under another independent French label.

  Action taken

  Auvidis acquired the Montaigne catalogue.

  Aftermath

  The catalogue later entered Naïve Records through Auvidis’s subsequent acquisition by Naïve.

  Source

1. 1Montaigne (record label)en.wikipedia.org