Louis (Félix André) Fourestier (31 May 1892 – 30 September 1976) was a French conductor, composer and

pedagogue Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political, and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...

, and was one of the founders of the Orchestre Symphonique de Paris.

Early years, compositions and prizes

Fourestier was born in

Montpellier Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...

, where he studied the cello at the local conservatory. He entered the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...

in 1909 and was a pupil of Alexandre Guilmant,

Paul Dukas Paul Abraham Dukas ( 1 October 1865 – 17 May 1935) was a French composer, critic, scholar and teacher. A studious man of retiring personality, he was intensely self-critical, having abandoned and destroyed many of his compositions. His best-k ...

, André Gedalge, Paul Vidal, Xavier Leroux (harmony) and Vincent d'Indy (conducting), winning prizes for harmony and counterpoint. In 1924, he won the Prix Rossini for his

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...

''Patria''. This was followed by the

Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...

in 1925 for another cantata, ''La mort d'Adonis'', and in 1927 the First Grand Prix for the symphonic poem ''Polynice''.

Conducting career

Returning from Rome, Fourestier was engaged as a cellist at the

Opéra Comique ''Opéra comique'' (; plural: ''opéras comiques'') is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged from the popular ''opéras comiques en vaudevilles'' of the Théâtre de la foire, Fair Theatres of St Germain and S ...

. His conducting career commenced when, in 1927, he took charge of the orchestra for a performance of

Pietro Mascagni Pietro Mascagni (7 December 1863 – 2 August 1945) was an Italian composer primarily known for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece '' Cavalleria rusticana'' caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the ...

's ''

Cavalleria rusticana ''Cavalleria rusticana'' (; ) is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from an 1880 Cavalleria rusticana (short story), short story of the same name and subsequent ...

'', and he was appointed principal conductor later that year, leaving the company in 1932., article by Paul Griffiths: ''Fourestier, Louis'', vol. 2, p. 266. He subsequently conducted various orchestras in Paris and elsewhere (

Angers Angers (, , ;) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Duchy of Anjou, Anjou until the French Revolution. The i ...

Cannes Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions Internatio ...

and Vichy). In 1928 he co-founded the Orchestre Symphonique de Paris along with Ernest Ansermet and Alfred Cortot, before giving way to

Pierre Monteux Pierre Benjamin Monteux (; 4 April 18751 July 1964) was a French (later American) conductor. After violin and viola studies, and a decade as an orchestral player and occasional conductor, he began to receive regular conducting engagements in 1 ...

. In 1938 he succeeded Philippe Gaubert as principal conductor at the

Paris Opera The Paris Opera ( ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be kn ...

, remaining there until 1965. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Fourestier appeared as guest conductor in Spain, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. From 1946 to 1948 he conducted thirty-two performances of '' Lakmé,

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...

Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...

, Manon and Louise'' at the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and on tour. Among the singers were Licia Albanese, Lily Pons, Dorothy Kirsten, Bidu Sayão, Risë Stevens, Jennie Tourel, Jussi Björling, John Brownlee, Mack Harrell, Jerome Hines, Raoul Jobin, Robert Merrill, Ezio Pinza and Ramón Vinay.Metropolitan Opera performances: Louis Fourestier, MetOpera database. Accessed 28 October 2012
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Professor of conducting and final years

From 1945 to 1963, Fourestier was professor of conducting at the Paris Conservatoire. Louis Frémaux, Pierre Rolland, Yves Prin and Allain Gaussin were among his students. At the age of 82, he conducted in La Madeleine a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the death of

Gabriel Fauré Gabriel Urbain Fauré (12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers. ...

. Two years later, he died in the Paris suburb of

Boulogne-Billancourt Boulogne-Billancourt (; often colloquially called simply Boulogne, until 1924 Boulogne-sur-Seine, ) is a wealthy and prestigious Communes of France, commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France, located from the Kilometre zero, centre of Paris ...

References

External links

Prix de Rome 1920-1929
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fourestier, Louis 1892 births 1976 deaths Conservatoire de Paris alumni 20th-century French composers French male composers French male conductors (music) Music directors (opera) Musicians from Montpellier French classical cellists 20th-century French conductors (music) Prix de Rome for composition 20th-century French male musicians 20th-century French cellists