Hainl, François [George, Georges]

Extract

[George, Georges]

(b Issoire, Puy-de-Dôme, Nov 16, 1807; d Paris, June 2, 1873). French conductor, cellist and composer. He studied music with his father and in 1829 entered the Paris Conservatoire where he took cello lessons with Norblin and won the premier prix for cello the following year. He then played in various Paris orchestras and later toured Belgium, the Netherlands and the south of France as a soloist. In 1841 he was appointed conductor at the Grand Théâtre, Lyons, where he established a considerable reputation. In 1863 he succeeded Dietsch as conductor at the Paris Opéra and later that year he was selected (over Berlioz and Deldevez, among others) as conductor of the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire. During his stay at the Opéra he conducted the world premières of L’Africaine, Don Carlos and Hamlet as well as the first performance of the revised version of Gounod’s Faust (with added ballets). He also became the conductor of court concerts and of the imperial chapel, and in ...