Biography Wikipedia
Wikipedia:
Michel Plasson (born 2 October 1933, Paris, France) is a French conductor.
Plasson was a student of Lazare Lévy at the Conservatoire de Paris. In 1962, he was a prize-winner at the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors. He studied briefly in the United States, including time with Charles Münch. He became the music director of the city of Metz for 3 years.
In 1968, Plasson became principal conductor of the Orchestre et Chœurs du Capitole de Toulouse. His recordings with the orchestra include both orchestral works, operettas of Jacques Offenbach, including Orphée aux enfers, La vie parisienne, La Périchole and La belle Hélene, and Bizet's Carmen. Plasson resigned as principal conductor in 2003 and now has the title of "Honorary Conductor", or conductor emeritus. From 1994 to 2001, he was principal conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic.
Guest appearances include Grand Théâtre de Genève, De Nederlandse Opera (Amsterdam) and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Plasson's son Emmanuel Plasson is also a conductor.
Selected discography
Plasson's recordings were mainly made for EMI/Virgin, and focused upon works by French composers. Here is a selection of his notable recordings currently (06/09') still featured in EMI/Virgin's catalogue. Among these recordings, his interpretations for the operatic works by Offenbach, Gounod and Massenet were generally considered as excellent by critics.
Berlioz
Chansons, with Rolando Villazón, Lauren Naouri, and Nicolas Rivenq.Bizet
L'Arlésienne - complete incidental music, with Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse.Carmen, with Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, Thomas Hampson and Inva Mula.Les Pêcheurs de perles, with Barbara Hendricks, John Aler and Gino Quilico.Chabrier
Orchestral Works (España (rhapsody for orchestra), Suite Pastorale, Joyeuse Marche, excerpts from Le roi malgré lui), with Barbara Hendricks (À la musique), Susan Mentzer (La Sulamite) and Pierre Del Vescovo (Larghetto).Debussy
Orchestral Works, with Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse.Delibes
Lakmé, with Natalie Dessay, Gregory Kunde, and José van Dam.Duruflé
Requiem, and other Religious Works, with Anne Sofie von Otter, Thomas Hampson and Marie-Claire Alain.Fauré
Orchestral Works, with Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse.Gardel
15 Tangos, with Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse.Gounod
Faust, with Richard Leech, Cheryl Studer, José van Dam and Thomas Hampson.Mireille, with Mirella Freni, Alain Vanzo and José van Dam.Roméo et Juliette, with Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, José van Dam and Simon Keenlyside.Lalo
Symphonie espagnole and Violin Concerto, with Augustin Dumay.Marcel Landowski
Montségur, with Karan Armstrong and Gino Quilico, 1987.Albéric Magnard
Four symphonies, and orchestral works (1983, 1988, 1990)Massenet
Don Quichotte, with Teresa Berganza, José van Dam and Alain Fondary.Hérodiade, with Cheryl Studer, José van Dam, Thomas Hampson and Ben Heppner.Manon, with Ileana Cotrubaş, Alfredo Kraus, Gino QuilicoWerther, with Alfredo Kraus, Tatiana Troyanos, and Matteo Manuguerra.Offenbach
La belle Hélène, with Jessye Norman, John Aler and Gabriel Bacquier.Orphée aux enfers, with Mady Mesplé, Jane Rhodes, Jane Berbie, Charles Burles and Michel Sénéchal.La Périchole, with Teresa Berganza, José Carreras and Gabriel Bacquier.La Vie parisienne, with Mady Mesplé and Régine Crespin.Orff
Carmina Burana, with Natalie Dessay, Thomas Hampson and Gérard Lesne.Ravel
Mélodies, with Teresa Berganza, Felicity Lott.