Georges Prêtre
Georges Prêtre was one of the leading conductors of the last half of the 20th century, especially known for operatic conducting and performances of French music. He studied trumpet as a boy, graduating from the Douai Conservatory. Nazi occupation of Paris did not substantially interfere with the teaching activities of the famous Paris Conservatory, where Prêtre continued his musical studies. He took first prize in trumpet in 1944 and studied harmony with Henri Challan and Maurice Duruflé. He began studying conducting with André Cluytens, Pierre Dervaux, and Richard Blareau. His conducting debut was in operetta, a fact that eluded biographers since he used the assumed name of Georges Dherain.
His official conducting debut was at the Marseilles Opera in 1946, in Lalo's Le Roi d'Ys. He spent a decade primarily in provincial French opera houses: Marseilles (1946-1948), Lille (1948), Casablanca (1949-1951), and Toulouse (1951-1955). He was appointed music director of the Opéra-Comique in Paris in 1956, debuting with Richard Strauss' Capriccio and conducting a wide variety of repertory there. He made his American conducting debut at the Chicago Lyric Opera in 1958. By 1960, he had become well-known and was selected by composer Francis Poulenc, who selected Prêtre to conduct the premiere of Le voix humaine (1959) and was highly esteemed for his performances of Poulenc's full-length opera Dialogues de Carmelites. He also led the premiere of the Sept répons des ténèbres (1963).
In 1959, he joined the staff of the Paris Opéra, becoming music director in 1966. He debuted at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (1961), the Metropolitan Opera in New York (1965), and La Scala (1965). During this period he became a conductor often requested by opera superstar Maria Callas. He frequently returned to the Met and La Scala, especially known for his French repertory.
His concert conducting career also advanced during this period. Over the years he conducted most of the important orchestras of Europe and America, and in 1962 was appointed deputy director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1971, the Paris Opéra's periodic political problems erupted into a huge backstage dispute that closed the Opéra for several months, during which Prêtre left the company.
Since that painful experience, Prêtre most frequently worked outside of France. He became principal guest conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra in 1986, holding that post through 1991, when he was named one of its honorary conductors for life. In 1995, he became artistic director and principal conductor of the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra. Among his world premieres were Symphony No. 4 by Marcel Landowski (1988) and Concerto for 15 Soloists and Orchestra by Françaix (1990).
In 1999, he conducted a major series of concerts in Paris in honor of the 100th anniversary of Poulenc's birth.
© TiVo
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Georges Bizet : La Jolie fille de Perth
June Anderson, Alfredo Kraus, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Georges Prêtre
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 22 mei 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana
Plácido Domingo, Elena Obraztsova, Georges Prêtre, Orchestra del Teatro della Scala di Milano
Klassiek - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 27 sep. 1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Saint-Saëns:Symphony No.3/Caranaval des animaux/Les Animaux modèles
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 27 jul. 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Poulenc: Gloria & Concerto pour orgue, cordes et timbales (Stereo Version)
Georges Prêtre, Maurice Duruflé, Orchestre National de France
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1961
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Poulenc: Les Animaux modèles - Saint-Saëns: Le Carnaval des animaux
Aldo Ciccolini, Alexis Weissenberg, Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, Georges Prêtre
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 2 jul. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Berlioz: Les Troyens
Régine Crespin, Guy Chauvet, Orchestre du Theatre National De L'Opera De Paris, Georges Prêtre
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 13 mrt. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Saint-Saëns : Symphonies Nos 2 & 3 "Organ" (Apex)
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics International on 1 feb. 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 82 & Night Ride and Sunrise, Op. 55
Klassiek - Released by Sony Classical on 22 dec. 2017
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Poulenc: Les biches - Dutilleux: Le loup - Milhaud: La création du monde
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 5 nov. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rita Gorr Sings French Opera
Rita Gorr, Georges Prêtre, André Cluytens
Opera - Released by Guild GmbH on 15 jul. 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Callas à Paris - More Arias from French Opera - Callas Remastered
Maria Callas, Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, Georges Prêtre
Operafragmenten - Released by Warner Classics on 1 jan. 1997
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Rivier - Hummel - Beethoven (10 Mars 1960)
Orchestre National de la RTF - Georges Prètre - Jean Doyen
Klassiek - Released by Ina, musique(s) on 20 jan. 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Leoncavallo: I Pagliacci
Teresa Stratas, Plácido Domingo, Juan Pons, Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala Di Milano, Orchestra del Teatro della Scala di Milano, Georges Prêtre
Klassiek - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 jan. 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Danze polovesiane
Georges Prêtre, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Symfonische muziek - Released by La Bambolina sas on 28 feb. 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Leoncavallo: Pagliacci / Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana
Plácido Domingo, Teresa Stratas, Elena Obraztsova, Juan Pons, Orchestra del Teatro della Scala di Milano, Georges Prêtre
Klassiek - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 jan. 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Charpentier: Louise - The Sony Opera House
Klassiek - Released by Sony Classical on 1 jan. 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Castillon: Concerto pour piano, Op. 12 & Esquisses symphoniques, Op. 15
Aldo Ciccolini, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monté-Carlo, Georges Prêtre
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 23 okt. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gedda à Paris - Airs d'opéra français chantés en français (Stereo Version)
Nicolai Gedda, Orchestre National de France, Georges Prêtre
Klassiek - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Gluck: Iphigénie en Tauride, Wq. 46
Rita Gorr, Nicolai Gedda, Ernest Blanc, Louis Quilico, Georges Prêtre, Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 12 jan. 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Poulenc: Aubade & Sinfonietta (Mono Version)
Francis Poulenc, Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, Georges Prêtre
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1961
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo