Jean Fournet
Methodical, unflappable (he is said to have seldom raised his voice), and subtle in the ways of the French repertory, Jean Fournet saw his career extend over an extraordinarily long period. After having established himself in his native country, he proved a welcome addition to opera companies in America, where the French style had become something of a lost art. Beyond stage work, he proved, both early and late, a persuasive interpreter of the French symphonic literature. After studies at the Paris Conservatoire, Fournet made his debut in his native city in 1936; two years later, he was engaged by Rouen on a permanent basis. In 1940, he moved to Marseilles and, beginning in 1944, presided over the Paris Opéra-Comique as music director, simultaneously offering instruction in the art of conducting at the École Normale. In the 1950s, he was involved in several recording projects that enhanced his reputation considerably, notably his Fauré Requiem and a lightly turned Les Pêcheurs de perles. Two further appointments awaited him in Europe before he turned to a regimen of guest conducting: in 1961 he became conductor of the Netherlands Radio Symphony, and from 1968 to 1973, he served as artistic director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Fournet made his American opera debut with the Chicago Lyric Opera in 1965 directing a double bill consisting of a staged Carmina Burana and Ravel's magical L'heure espagnole, the latter with Teresa Berganza, Alfredo Kraus, and Sesto Bruscantini. The conductor impressed immediately as one who could imprint elegance and respect for French style on his casts. His success led to further assignments, each helping reestablish the French wing in a city that had known great French artists in decades past. Among the productions were Les Pêcheurs de perles in 1966, another double bill (Le Rossignol and Oedipus Rex) in 1968, Werther in 1971, Pelléas et Mélisande in 1972, Manon in 1973, and Don Quichotte in 1974. In 1987, Fournet made his Metropolitan Opera debut conducting a production of Samson et Dalila. In addition to a number of orchestral discs, Fournet recorded the aforementioned Les Pêcheurs de perles for Philips with Léopold Simoneau and Pierrette Alarie, still unsurpassed. Fournet's Fauré and Berlioz Requiems are also impressive, likewise his 1973 Chicago Manon with Kraus and Zylis-Gara.
© TiVo
Discography
13 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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The Concertgebouw Recordings
Jean Fournet, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Symphonic Music - Released by Decca on May 11, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bizet: The Pearl Fishers (Les Pêcheurs de perles)
Pierrette Alarie, Léopold Simoneau, Orchestre Lamoureux, Jean Fournet
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 1954
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Honegger: Pacific 231
Jean Fournet, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Denon on Apr 9, 1996
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Jean Fournet, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Denon on Aug 31, 1993
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky & Mendelssohn Violin Concertos
Ruggiero Ricci, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Jean Fournet
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 1975
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto; Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto; Swan Lake (Ruggiero Ricci: Complete Decca Recordings, Vol. 8)
Ruggiero Ricci, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Jean Fournet, Anatole Fistoulari
Classical - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on Oct 8, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No.1; Violin Concerto
Victoria Postnikova, Wiener Symphoniker, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Ruggiero Ricci, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Jean Fournet
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande by Jean Fournet
Jean Fournet, Camille Maurane, Orchestre Lamoureux
Opera - Released by Alexandre Bak - Classical Music Reference Recording on Mar 12, 2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Concertos pour piano (Concerto Edition - Volume 3)
Idil Biret, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Jean Fournet
Classical - Released by Idil Biret Archive on Sep 29, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Franck: Rédemption
Gé Neutel, The Netherlands Radio Choir, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Jean Fournet, Frans Muller
Classical - Released by Brilliant Classics on Jul 31, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Berlioz: Four Cantatas
Jean Fournet, Gérard Garino, Dutch Radio Choir and Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ruud van der Meer, Liewu Visser
Classical - Released by Denon on Jan 1, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Henri Tomasi : Triomphe de Jeanne (9 juin 1960)
Orchestre National de la RTF - Jean Fournet
Classical - Released by Ina, musique(s) on Oct 28, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
French Symphonies
Jean Fournet, Naomi Matsui, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Denon on Jan 1, 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo