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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Gershwin: Concerto pour piano & Rhapsody in Blue (Mono Version)
Daniel Wayenberg, Georges Prêtre, Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1/01/1961
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Berlioz: Harold in Italy, H 68, Op. 16
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on 22/12/2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Wesendonk Lieder & Orchesterstücke
Wiener Symphoniker, Marjana Lipovšek, Georges Prêtre
Classical - Released by Orfeo on 1/01/1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Poulenc - Prokofiev - Bartok (concert du 13 mai 1960)
Orchestre National de la RTF - Georges Prêtre
Classical - Released by Ina, musique(s) on 28/10/2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Grandes pages classiques (Mono Version)
René Leibowitz, Georges Prêtre, Robert Cornman
Classical - Released by BNF Collection on 1/01/1956
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Berlioz: Les Troyens, La Damnation De Faust (Remaster)
Georges Prêtre, Orchestra Sinfonica Di Roma Della RAI
Classical - Released by Nar Classical on 26/02/2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Donizetti - Lucia di Lammermoor
Anna Moffo, Carlo Bergonzi, Georges Prêtre, RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra
Classical - Released by G.O.P. on 28/02/2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
George Prêtre conducts Rimsky Korsakov, Borodin, Mussorgsky (Studio Recording)
Classical - Released by Artemisia on 4/09/2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Trois ballets contemporains (Stereo Version)
Georges Prêtre, Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1/01/1962
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
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1/01/1959
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
Classical - Released by BNF Collection on 1/01/1960
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
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1/01/1963
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Musique russe (Mono Version)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Georges Prêtre
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1/01/1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Trois ballets français contemporains (Mono Version)
Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, Georges Prêtre
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1/01/1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Musique russe (Stereo Version)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Georges Prêtre
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1/01/1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Gluck: Iphigénie en Tauride, Extracts (Mono Version)
Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, Georges Prêtre, Rita Gorr, Ernest Blanc
Opera - Released by BNF Collection on 1/01/1961
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Radioscopie (Artistes): Jacques Chancel reçoit Georges Prêtre
Jacques Chancel, Georges Prêtre
Educational - Released by Radioscopies - France Inter - Ina on 27/03/2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Poulenc: Organ Concerto in G Minor
Georges Prêtre, The French National Radio Orchestra
Classical - Released by Sunday Club Records on 4/11/2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Poulenc: Gloria in G Major
Georges Prêtre, The French National Radio Orchestra and Chorus, Roasnna Carteri
Classical - Released by Sunday Club Records on 4/11/2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo