Recording Executive R. Peter Munves has Died, Aged 97

Munves brought classical music to new audiences through recording projects like "Switched on Bach"

R. Peter Munves, who revolutionized the classical music record industry with his Greatest Hits compilations, has passed away at the age of 97.

Born in Manhattan in 1927, Munves began his career in a record store upon graduating from Syracuse University. Gradually, he worked his way up the industry, becoming a producer at Columbia Records in 1953 and rising to the position of Director of Classical Music at RCA Records by 1970.

Stints at Pickwick and Quintessence Records followed, and in 1979, Munves returned to Columbia — where he remained until his retirement in 1992.

Munves is credited with introducing recordings of classical music to a much wider listening public. In the 1960s, he began this project by releasing the first "Classical Greatest Hits" LPs, which packaged up a medley of short tracks by different composers.

In 1968, "Switched on Bach" — a project that saw Wendy Carlos record performances of Bach's music on a Moog synthesizer — followed. This project became Columbia's all-time bestselling record and earned the company $1m in sales revenues.

Many further records followed, most of which were targeted at audiences who had never listened to classical music in detail before. These records often had catchy titles, such as "Liszt for Lovers" or "Puccini and Pasta," and brought classical music to a broad audience.

Munves is survived by his sons Ben and Mike and his daughter Chrystie. Our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.

"Simply put, Peter Munves was the master salesman of classical music, both for Columbia Records and RCA Records, in the last quarter of the last century," said Clive Davis, the former president of Columbia Records and chief executive of RCA Music Group. "He packaged them under a ‘Greatest Hits’ umbrella and sold them to a far greater public than classical music had ever known."