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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Cherubini: Médée, extraits (Stereo 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 -
Iphigénie en Tauride
Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, Georges Prêtre, Choeurs Rene Duclos, Rita Gorr
Opera - Released by ISIS on 24 sep. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Delibes: Lakmé, extraits (Mono Version)
Gianna d' Angelo, Nicolai Gedda, Georges Prêtre, Orchestre Du Theatre National De L'opera-comique
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi: La traviata & Rigoletto. Airs et duos chantés en français
Janine Micheau, Ernest Blanc, Orchestre du Theatre National De L'Opera De Paris, Georges Prêtre
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 15 dec. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Gounod: Faust (Highlights)
Klassiek - Released by Parlophone (France) on 1 jan. 1986
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
RAVEL: Daphnis et Chloe, Valse (La) / BIZET: Symphony in C major
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Georges Prêtre
Klassiek - Released by SWR Classic on 1 jan. 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Roussel : Symphonies n° 2-4 & Ballets
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 2 okt. 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Poulenc: Gloria & Concerto pour orgue (Mono Version)
Maurice Duruflé, Orchestre National de France, Georges Prêtre
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1961
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Tosca: Best Of
Georges Prêtre, Maria Callas, Carlo Bergonzi, Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire
Klassiek - Released by Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group on 22 jul. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 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 -
Berlioz La damnation de Faust; La mort de Cléopatre
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 25 nov. 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Karneval Der Tiere - Carnival Of The Animals
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 28 jun. 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Music of the 20th Century: Poulenc, Dutilleux, Milhaud & Gershwin
Georges Prêtre, Daniel Wayenberg, Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire
Klassiek - Released by Jube Classic on 16 jul. 2021
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43
Klassiek - Released by Sony Classical on 22 dec. 2017
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Gluck: Airs d'Alceste (Stereo Version)
Consuelo Rubio, Nicolai Gedda, 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 -
Carnival of the animals (International Version)
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 28 jun. 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bécaud: L'opéra d'Aran (Stereo version)
Agnes Disney, Peter Gottlieb, 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 -
Claude Debussy - Florent Schmitt - Jean Françaix - Antonin Dvorak (1er décembre 1960)
Orchestre National de la RTF - Georges Prêtre - Jean Françaix
Klassiek - Released by Ina, musique(s) on 16 dec. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Highlights of Georges Pretre
Pop - Released by Weishaupt Music & Entertainment on 5 dec. 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Airs et duos de Verdi (Mono Version)
Janine Micheau, Ernest Blanc, Georges Prêtre
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo