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Artist
Georges Prêtre
12+ albums
Classicalconductoroperafrenchunder 2000 listeners
about
Georges Prêtre (14 August 1924 – 4 January 2017) was a French orchestral and opera conductor. He was born in Waziers (Nord), and attended the Douai Conservatory and then studied harmony under Maurice Duruflé and conducting under André Cluytens among others at the Paris Conservatoire. Amongst his early musical interests were jazz and trumpet. After graduating, he conducted in a number of small French opera houses sometimes under the pseudonym Georges Dherain. His conducting debut was at the Opéra de Marseille in 1946. He conducted also at the opera houses in Lille and Toulouse. His Paris debut was at the Opéra-Comique in Richard Strauss' Capriccio. He was director of the Opéra-Comique 1955-1959. He conducted at the Lyric Opera of Chicago 1959-1971. He was conductor, 1959, and music director 1970-1971, at the Paris Opéra. He was principal conductor of the Vienna Symphony 1986-1991. His Royal Opera House, Covent Garden debut came in 1961, with first appearances at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City, and La Scala, Milan, later in the 1960s. He worked with Maria Callas on a number of occasions, and made recordings of Carmen and Tosca with her. For a time he was music director of the Paris Opera. Aside from opera, Prêtre is best known for performances of French music, having conducted long and difficult works like Debussy's La Mer and Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé without a score (i.e. from memory). He is especially associated with Francis Poulenc, giving the premiere of his opera
top songs
1
Samson et Dalila (1997 Digital Remaster): Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix.
9272La Traviata: Noi Siamo Zingarelle
6443Carmen, Act 1: "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" (Habanera)
1584Bizet: Carmen: Prélude
1255La Fleur Que Tu M'Avais Jetée (Flower Song) (Carmen)
906Saint-Saëns: Samson et Dalila, Op. 47, Act II, Scene 3: Air. "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" (Dalila, Samson)
887Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: Songe d'un nuit de sabbat
888Noi siamo zingarelle
879Act III: Addio del passato
7810La Jolie Fille de Perth, 'The Fair Maid of Perth': Quand la Flamme de L'amour
78albums
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New Year's Concert 2008
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Ich Mag Keine Klassik, Aber Das Gefällt Mir!
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French Orchestral Music / Prêtre
Bizet: Carmen
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Bizet: Carmen (1964 - Prêtre) - Callas Remastered
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100 Best Opera Classics
Georges Prêtre - The Last Concert At La Scala (Live in Milan, La Scala / Feb. 22, 2016)
Bizet: Symphony 1
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Je N'aime Pas Le Classique, Mais Ça J'aime Bien ! [Disc 1]
The Last Concert at La Scala (Live, Feb. 22, 2016)
Verdi: La Traviata
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French Orchestral Favorites