Georges Pretre

Georges Prêtre was one of the rare conductors to support the music of composer and music administrator Marcel Landowski, a composer who was long blacklisted from the French milieu due to his open opposition against the boulezian avant-garde. We bring you the only existing recording of his violin concerto and the fourth symphony, dedicated to Prêtre who premiered it. The work highlights the very personal voice of Landowski, continuator of Honegger but with its own inimitable style.

Verdi, child of the people, king of popular opera, began life as the son of an innkeeper. He was brought up in modest circumstances. He first received lessons from the village priest, who was amazed by the young musician’s talents. Verdi’s musical education was rounded and complete: at the age of sixteen, the composer wrote fugues, masses and symphonies, which he would later destroy. As he met with reticence in Milan, he settled in Busseto where he fell victim to the pettiness of the town. However, his strong willpower enabled him to pursue his musical path without paying heed to what people said.

We bring you a highlight with conductor Georges Prêtre, the rarely recorded tone poems of late Romantic Vincent d’Indy, beautifully colored and hedonistic pieces of music.

The CD format for opera on records coincides with (and perhaps encourages) the modern habit in the opera house of running two or more acts together without an interval. Some operas benefit from this, but I don't think Faust is one of them. It strikes a genial bargain. ''I won't waste your time,'' it promises, ''but don't bother to come along if you haven't got a full evening-out to spare.''