Georges Prêtre facts for kids

Georges Prêtre (born August 14, 1924 – died January 4, 2017) was a famous French conductor. He led both orchestras and opera performances.

Georges Prêtre's Musical Journey

Georges Prêtre was born in Waziers, France. He loved music from a young age. He studied at the Douai Conservatory. Later, he went to the Conservatoire de Paris. There, he learned about harmony and conducting. He even studied with famous teachers like André Cluytens.

Early Career and Opera Houses

When he was starting out, Georges Prêtre was interested in jazz and playing the trumpet. After finishing his studies, he began conducting in smaller French opera houses. Sometimes, he used the name Georges Dherain.

His first time conducting was in 1946. This happened at the Opéra de Marseille. He also conducted in cities like Lille and Toulouse. His first performance in Paris was at the Opéra-Comique. He led the opera Capriccio by Richard Strauss.

From 1955 to 1959, he was the director of the Opéra-Comique. He also conducted at the Lyric Opera of Chicago from 1959 to 1971. He became the music director of the Paris Opéra in 1970. Later, he was the main conductor for the Vienna Symphony from 1986 to 1991.

Working with Famous Artists

Georges Prêtre made his debut at the Royal Opera House in London in 1965. He also performed for the first time at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and La Scala in Milan during the same time.

He worked many times with the legendary singer Maria Callas. They even recorded famous operas together, like Carmen and Tosca.

French Music and Special Performances

Prêtre was especially known for conducting French music. He could lead long and difficult pieces, like Debussy's La mer and Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé, completely from memory!

He had a special connection with the composer Francis Poulenc. Prêtre conducted the very first performance of Poulenc's opera La voix humaine in 1959. He also led the first French performance of Poulenc's Sept répons des ténèbres in 1963. In 1999, he held concerts in Paris to celebrate 100 years since Poulenc's birth.

In 1988, composer Marcel Landowski dedicated his Fourth Symphony to Prêtre. Georges Prêtre also conducted the world premiere of Joseph Jongen's Symphonie Concertante for Organ and Orchestra in 1959.

Film and Special Concerts

Georges Prêtre conducted the La Scala Orchestra for two films in 1982. These were film versions of the operas Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci. Both films starred the famous singer Plácido Domingo. In 2009, when he was 85, Prêtre returned to conduct these two operas again. They were performed in an ancient Roman theater in Orange, France, and shown on TV.

He was the only French conductor to lead the famous Vienna New Year's Concert twice. He did this in 2008 and again in 2010.

Personal Life

Georges Prêtre married Gina Marny in 1950. They had two children, a son and a daughter. Outside of music, he enjoyed many hobbies. These included riding horses, swimming, aviation, judo, and karate.

Georges Prêtre passed away in France on January 4, 2017. He was 92 years old. He had a home in Navès, a town in France.

Awards and Honors

Georges Prêtre received many important awards for his musical work:

• Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1982)
• Grand Officier of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1991)
• Europa Prize (1982)
• Honorary Conductor of the Vienna Symphony (Austria, 1991)
• Victoire de la Musique Award for best conductor (1997)
• Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class (2004)
• Grand Officer of the Légion d'honneur (France, 2009)

See also

In Spanish: Georges Prêtre para niños