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 Prêtre - The Last Concert At La Scala (Live in Milan, La Scala / Feb. 22, 2016)
Georges Prêtre, Filarmonica della Scala
Klassiek - Released by Universal Music Division Decca Records France on 21 feb. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The 1963 Recital at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris: Works by Berlioz, Bizet, Gluck, Gounod & Massenet (The Original Sound of Maria Callas)
Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, Georges Prêtre, Maria Callas
Opera - Released by Unbeldi on 13 dec. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cherubini: Médée, extraits (Mono Version)
Rita Gorr, Guy Chauvet, Orchestre du Theatre National De L'Opera De Paris, Georges Prêtre
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Gershwin: Concerto pour piano & Rhapsody in Blue (Mono Version)
Daniel Wayenberg, Georges Prêtre, Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1961
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Berlioz: Harold in Italy, H 68, Op. 16
Klassiek - Released by Sony Classical on 22 dec. 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Wesendonk Lieder & Orchesterstücke
Wiener Symphoniker, Marjana Lipovšek, Georges Prêtre
Klassiek - Released by Orfeo on 1 jan. 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Poulenc - Prokofiev - Bartok (concert du 13 mai 1960)
Orchestre National de la RTF - Georges Prêtre
Klassiek - Released by Ina, musique(s) on 28 okt. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Maria Callas Sings Great Arias from French Operas
Georges Prêtre, Maria Callas, National de la Radiodiffusion Francaise
Opera - Released by Music Manager on 4 feb. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Grandes pages classiques (Mono Version)
René Leibowitz, Georges Prêtre, Robert Cornman
Klassiek - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1956
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Capriccio spagnolo op. 34
Georges Prêtre, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Symfonische muziek - Released by La Bambolina sas on 2 mrt. 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Johannes Brahms, Hungarian Dances
Klassiek - Released by Classical.com Music on 16 feb. 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Berlioz: Les Troyens, La Damnation De Faust (Remaster)
Georges Prêtre, Orchestra Sinfonica Di Roma Della RAI
Klassiek - Released by Nar Classical on 26 feb. 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Donizetti - Lucia di Lammermoor
Anna Moffo, Carlo Bergonzi, Georges Prêtre, RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra
Klassiek - Released by G.O.P. on 28 feb. 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
George Prêtre conducts Rimsky Korsakov, Borodin, Mussorgsky (Studio Recording)
Klassiek - Released by Artemisia on 4 sep. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Trois ballets contemporains (Stereo Version)
Georges Prêtre, Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Poulenc: La voix humaine (First Recording, Mono Version)
Denise Duval, Georges Prêtre, Orchestre Du Theatre National De L'opera-comique
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1959
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Puccini: Tosca, Extracts (French Version, Mono Version)
Orchestre du Theatre National De L'Opera De Paris, Georges Prêtre, Régine Crespin
Klassiek - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Gluck: Airs d'Alceste (Mono Version)
Consuelo Rubio, Nicolai Gedda, Orchestre du Theatre National De L'Opera De Paris, Georges Prêtre
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1963
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Musique russe (Mono Version)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Georges Prêtre
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Trois ballets français contemporains (Mono Version)
Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, Georges Prêtre
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Musique russe (Stereo Version)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Georges Prêtre
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo