Testimonials
The Man and the Conductor: Press Reviews, Interviews, Letters, and Dedications.
“Rarely do we encounter a man in whom talent, artistic imagination, exceptional kindness, delicacy, humanism in the best sense of the word, a sense of humor, and a tremendous liveliness of character combine to create a certain intense, inner light […] Both of us, as members of the jury in international competitions, admire his parental and caring attitude toward young artists, as well as his initiative to support all those who deserve to walk the wide path of a solo career.”
David Oistrakh (1908-1974) —Russian violinist. He was one of the emblematic violinists of the 20th century. He collaborated with the best orchestras and the greatest conductors of the time. Works such as the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by Dmitry Shostakovich or the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by Aram Haciaturian were dedicated to him.
27.11.1964 - Letter Arhiva G.G. — Viorel Cosma — Testimonies in contemporaneity, p. 61.
"Here in Leningrad, we met like old friends, and in our discussions, the image of the great humanist artist—the impressively benevolent and attentive conductor, deeply in love with music—was revealed to me even more.”
Yevgeny Mravinski (1903-1988) — Russian conductor, one of the greatest conductors of all time. He was principal conductor of the Leningrad Philharmonic for 50 years (1938-1988) and toured with the orchestra in Finland, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Germany. Despite the fact that he went through very difficult times from a socio-political point of view, he managed to bring this orchestra to the highest level. It is worth mentioning that Mravinsky conducted most of the symphonies of Dmitry Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev in the first absolute audition.
Source: Viorel Cosma — Testimonies in Contemporaneity, p. 62—63.
“In addition to all music, George Georgescu was a connoisseur of the soul”
Valentin Gheorghiu (1928-2023) — Romanian pianist and composer. He debuted at the age of 15 at the Romanian Athenaeum in the company of the Bucharest Philharmonic, under the baton of George Georgescu. He became a soloist of the Philharmonic in 1950. Outside of concert activity in the country, Valentin Gheorghiu has toured in England, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, USA, Israel, Japan, etc.
Source: Ioana Georgescu-Răileanu interview, G.G archive, March 2023.
"How much admiration he had for his immense talent and his gifts of the heart, for his character, how much generosity, finesse, and understanding he showed for the excitement of performing—me, an 18-year-old boy, debuting as a soloist with such an orchestra, in front of a large, internationally significant audience. These are impressions one rarely experiences in life, and the feeling of deep gratitude remains in the heart forever.”
Antonio Janigro (1918-1989) — Italian cellist, teacher and conductor. She had a rich solo career, performed in the most important musical centers. He founded a renowned chamber ensemble — The Zagreb Soloists. Conducted orchestras in Zagreb, Salzburg, Düsseldorf, Milan.
Source: Viorel Cosma — Testimonies in Contemporaneity, p. 72.
“George Georgescu had extraordinary tact. When he made a mistake during rehearsals, he would say, 'Please, it was good, but let’s do it perfectly!' He never offended anyone, and the orchestra revered him. There was no Romanian conductor as beloved as George Georgescu.”
Doru Popovici (1932-2019) — Romanian composer, permanent collaborator of Romanian Broadcasting and professor at the National University of Music in Bucharest. He was a member of SACEM in Paris and president of Soc. The Music of Bucharest (1972).
Source: Denisa Theodoru Interview, G.G. Archive, November 2011.
“George Georgescu remains present, alive and retains that unique influence on his followers. It is, perhaps, one of the most beautiful forms of glory.”
Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979) — French conductor, pianist and composer. He was the mentor of top musicians of the 20th century such as George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, Philip Glass, Quincy Jones, Dinu Lipatti, Igor Markevitch, Astor Piazzolla, Daniel Barenboim, etc. He has conducted orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra of Manchester, BBC Symphony Orchestra. He taught at the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau.
Source: Letter Arhiva G.G. — 9.09.1965.
“George Georgescu is music itself, in a human form.”
Pablo Casals (1876-1973) - Spanish cellist, composer and conductor. Having studied in Barcelona, Madrid and Paris, Casals remained known as one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century. He gave concerts in Europe and America, and in 1919 he founded an orchestra that bore his name. In 1955 he inaugurated the prestigious Casals Festival of Puerto Rico. It is worth noting that currently such events are organized in memory of Casals and in Spain (Barcelona), France (Prades), Germany (Kronberg), the United States (New York), Japan (Tokyo). The name of Pablo Casals remains closely related to Johann Sebastian Bach's Cello Suites, to which he gave an interpretation that remains a reference.
Source: Pablo Casals, title unspecified, in “The Contemporary”, no. 36 (830) of 7.11.1962, p. 6.
“How could I forget what brought me the warmth of his enthusiasm so precious, both to me and to my comrades, in the already distant era of our 'Group of Six'?”
Georges Auric (1899—1983) — French composer, president of the SACEM Society and director of the Paris Opera. Auric was part of the “Group of Six” alongside Louis Durey (1888—1979), Arthur Honegger (1892—1955), Darius Milhaud (1892—1974), Francis Poulenc (1899—1963) and Germaine Tailleferre (1892—1983). Also worth mentioning is his connection with the French poet Jean Cocteau (1889-1963), on whose lyrics he composed music.
Source: V. Cosma, Testimonies in Contemporaneity, p. 178.
“In all my life, I have never met a more complete person, with such an artistic sense. He was a particularly gentle, warm, and understanding individual. His sensitivity, self-mastery, and explosive temperament enabled him to express all the emotional depth of the composer’s work.”
H. Szeryng (1918-1988) — Polish violinist of Mexican nationality. One of the greatest violinists of the 20th century, Szeryng made his debut with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of George Georgescu. In 1966 he was appointed honorary director of the Conservatory of Mexico and in his honor, the Henryk Szeryng Festival was founded, also in Mexico.
Source: V. Cosma, Testimonies in Contemporaneity, p. 71.
“Master Georgescu was, for me and for others, like a second parent. [...] He knew how to speak to people; he was loved, and everyone adored him. He was a cheerful, energetic, jovial man, always in a good mood. [...] We, the young people, had much to learn from Master Georgescu. His lessons have guided us not only in our musical careers but also in the way we interact with others [...].”
Ștefan Gheorghiu (1926-2010) — He was one of the most acclaimed Romanian violinists. He studied in Bucharest and Paris and later improved under the guidance of important teachers, such as Maurice Hewitt, Vasile Filip and Garabet Avachian. He also attended courses of artistic mastery held by David Oistrakh in Moscow. During his long musical career, he has given more than 2000 concerts at home and abroad, in collaboration with great conductors such as George Georgescu, Constantin Silvestri, Mihai Brediceanu, Franz Konwitschny and Kiril Kondraşin.
Source: Interview Archive George Georgescu, 2002.
“Romania means to me George Georgescu, this great artist and great friend with whom it is always a pleasure to be able to sing.”
Sviatoslav Richter (1915—1997) —Ukrainian/Russian pianist. One of the greatest pianists of the 20th century, recognized for his virtuosity and depth of interpretation.
Source: Viorel Cosma — in “Contemporanul” No. 36, September 8, 1961.
“Then George Georgescu arrived at the Philharmonic’s podium. We had seen all the great conductors of the time, but none lived and conveyed the symphonic meaning with such intensity, with the last fiber of their nerves, like this figure of unparalleled elegance and musical sensitivity. Richard Strauss himself signaled from his box, prompting thunderstorms of applause [...].”
Nichifor Crainic (1889-1972) —Romanian writer, philosopher and journalist. In 1940 he was elected a member of the Romanian Academy.
Source: Nichifor Crainic — White days, black days. Memorii, Flora Alba de Colț Publishing House, Bucharest, 2015, p. 166.
“I have kept from you and your performance the dearest and most vivid memory that any great artist could have left me. You appeared to me as one of the very rare Romanians for whom art is a pure apostolate. Listening to you at the Conservatory Hall playing Beethoven, I silently shared in the same devotion to the Beautiful, and you spiritually connected me to you.”
David Oistrakh (1908-1974) —Russian violinist. He was one of the emblematic violinists of the 20th century. He collaborated with the best orchestras and the greatest conductors of the time. Works such as the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by Dmitri Shostakovich and the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by Aram HaciaTuristan Golestan (1875-1956) — Romanian composer, were dedicated to him. He studied composition in Paris with Vincent d'Indy, Albert Roussel and Paul Dukas. He was a music critic at “Figaro” and a composition teacher at the “Paris School of Music” (L'Ecole Normale de musique). Also in 1905 he founded the magazine “L'Album Musical” in 1905 and received the “George Enescu” composition prize in 1915. Stan Golestan organized together with Constantin C. Nottara in the 1920s and 1930s International Congresses of Journalists and Music Critics in Romania.
Source: Letter Arhiva G.G. — 06.09.1924.
“Whenever you listen to Georgescu, you feel that a burning human heart pulses in the music he performs. I can never forget how Brahms's Symphony No. 1 sounded in his interpretation: warm, sincere, and wise. The secret of the fascination that Georgescu's interpretations exert on the audience lies, above all, in the communion he creates between the conductor and the orchestra, making them live in unison, with the same intensity and rhythm.”
George Bălan (1929-2022) — Romanian musicologist and philosopher. He was a teacher at the Ciprian Porumbescu Conservatory. In 1977 he self-exiled to Germany, in the Black Forest (St. Peter), where he establishes the “Musicosophia-Schule”, a school for the training of the music listener duplicated by a foundation and publishing house of the same name.
Source: Newspaper “Scânteia”, 14.09.1957.
“The precise, amazingly suggestive gesture, special memory, passion, and youthful energy gave Brahms's symphony previously unknown colors. George Georgescu mastered the orchestra as if it were the most malleable dough, and often a simple glance or a wink was enough for the orchestra to respond immediately to his intention.”
Viorel Cosma (1923-2017) — Romanian musicologist. He carried out a rich publishing activity (more than 100 volumes, more than 5000 articles, essays, studies, reviews), participated in numerous symposia in the country and abroad (Europe and USA).
Source: Newspaper “Scinteia Pionierii”, A touching celebration, 19.09.1957. Source: Ioana Georgescu-Răileanu interview, G.G archive, March 2023.
“As a conductor, George Georgescu was a great talent, an undisputed master. The elegance of his gesture and the naturalness of the musical act were unquestionable; the emphasis was precisely on naturalness, balance, and momentum. Georgescu valued goodwill and despised pretense; for him, the conductor had to be 'born, not made.' [...] His preferred repertoire, I believe, was Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner, and Richard Strauss; he knew the tradition of performing this music in its native context, and he would convince you with the naturalness with which he chose the tempos and shaped the phrases. Everything flowed effortlessly, with monumentality and warmth.”
Anatol Vieru (1926-1998) — Romanian composer and musicologist. He studied composition and musicology in Bucharest and trained at the Moscow Conservatory under the guidance of Aram Haciaturian. He was a professor at the Bucharest Conservatory and as a musicologist he wrote numerous studies and volumes. He received the “George Enescu” Composition Prize (1946 - Bucharest), the Prize of the Romanian Academy (1967 - Bucharest), the Herder Prize (1986), for his entire compositional, musicological and theoretical activity, the Grand Prize of the Union of Composers and Musicologists of Romania (1996).
Source: Viorel Cosma — Testimonies in Contemporaneity, p. 15.
“He's a great orchestra leader. He belongs to the kind of musician for whom predestination seemed to have destined him to lead the great orchestras. Mr. Georgescu possesses authority—an authority that is sometimes imperative and forceful, at other times subtle and flexible. His gesture is elegant, bold, and precise, and it translates, without false virtuosity, his animating will.”.
Paul Le Flem (1881—1984) — French composer and music critic. In addition to his prodigious compositional work, he wrote numerous articles for the periodical “Comoedia”.
Source: November 1921 — in centenary article Spânu.
“The mastery of George Georgescu was known to me for a long time, since 1925; here is truly an exceptional artist, a first-class talent. Any country would be proud to have such a conductor.”
Georges Auric (1899—1983) — French composer, president of the SACEM Society and director of the Paris Opera, Auric was part of the “Group of Six” alongside Louis Durey (1888—1979), Arthur Honegger (1892—1955), Darius Milhaud (1892—1974), Francis Poulenc (1899—1963) and Germaine Tailleferre (1892—1983). Also worth mentioning is his connection with the French poet Jean Cocteau (1889-1963), on whose lyrics he composed music.
Source: Newspaper “Contemporanul”, Following the successes of the “George Enescu” Philharmonic, October 1961.
“George Georgescu is considered not only one of the foremost figures among contemporary conductors but also an illustrious representative of Romanian culture. Various personalities [...] have repeatedly expressed their admiration for the truly classical style of conductor George Georgescu and for the extraordinary expressive power of his interpretations”.
Pablo Casals (1876-1973) - Spanish cellist, composer and conductor. Having studied in Barcelona, Madrid and Paris, Casals remained known as one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century. He gave concerts in Europe and America, and in 1919 he founded an orchestra that bore his name. In 1955 he inaugurated the prestigious Casals Festival of Puerto Rico. It is worth noting that currently such events are organized in memory of Casals and in Spain (Barcelona), France (Prades), Germany (Kronberg), the United States (New York), Japan (Tokyo). The name of Pablo Casals remains closely related to Johann Sebastian Bach's Cello Suites, to which he gave an interpretation that remains a reference.
Source: to be verified at the Academy — year 1958.
“What, in his great grace, seemed most important to me was his very personal presence; he combined an amazing sensitivity to detail with immense intelligence and a sense of balance when developing the entirety of a creation.”
Mstislav Rostropovich (1927-2007) — Russian cellist and conductor. One of the greatest cellists of the 20th century, Rostropovich performed in all the major musical centers of the world and from 1977 to 1994 he was the director and conductor of the renowned National Symphony Orchestra in Washigton.
Source: Viorel Cosma — Testimonies in Contemporaneity, p. 68
“Brahms's Symphony No. 1, performed by the Bucharest Philharmonic under George Georgescu, is worthy of consideration. [...] The conductor highlighted the key moments with perfect nuance and tempo (he was unbeatable), achieving a flawless balance”.
John Beldi (1919-) — Romanian bassotist. Member of the Radio Orchestra since 1945. At the request of Master George Georgescu he transferred, in 1955, to the “George Enescu” Philharmonic.
Source: Interview from the G.G. Archive — 2011.
“Finally, in the autumn of 1955, I saw George Georgescu at the podium. To this day, I still remember the deep impression and the state of mind that his interpretation of Brahms's Symphony No. 1, so dear to me, left on me. George Georgescu, with astonishing depth, revealed the uplifting ethical qualities of this lyrico-philosophical symphony. The internalized treatment of the symphony's slow movements was of wise and overwhelming beauty. Undoubtedly, this immortal music resonated with the spiritual and moral qualities of the conductor himself.”
Yevgeny Mravinski (1903-1988) — Russian conductor, one of the greatest conductors of all time. He was principal conductor of the Leningrad Philharmonic for 50 years (1938-1988) and toured with the orchestra in Finland, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Germany. Despite the fact that he went through very difficult times from a socio-political point of view, he managed to bring this orchestra to the highest level. It is worth mentioning that Mravinsky conducted most of the symphonies of Dmitry Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev in the first absolute audition.
Source: Viorel Cosma — Testimonies in Contemporaneity, p. 62.
“To be able to dominate an orchestra requires two things: first, a despotic will that can prevent musicians from thinking; and then, a force of genius, a superior inspiration, the power to make souls reborn through enthusiasm. This is what Georgescu fully possessed [...]”.
Source: “Express Poranny”, February 8, 1933, in Lucian Voiculescu, George Georgescu. Fifty years of artistic activity, Book-program of the State Philharmonic “George Enescu”, Bucharest, 1957, p. 157.
“As director and permanent conductor of the Philharmonic, George Georgescu became the soul of the new orchestra. What characterizes George Georgescu's manner of interpretation are its naturalness and simplicity, the grandeur of the structure, its balance, and its remarkable communicativeness.”
Nichifor Crainic (1889-1972) —Romanian writer, philosopher and journalist. In 1940 he was elected a member of the Academy Viorel Cosma (1923-2017) — Romanian musicologist. He carried out a rich publishing activity (more than 100 volumes, more than 5000 articles, essays, studies, reviews), participated in numerous symposia in the country and abroad (Europe and USA).
Source: The cycle “Romanian interpreters” — George Georgescu, Turneul Radio, newspaper, 1957.
“The Romanian conductor George Georgescu enjoys a great reputation, as demonstrated by his concert at the Festspielhaus with the Vienna Philharmonic [...]. As for his artistry as a performer, it left a lasting impression and showed that he had his own approach to each work [...]. Accuracy and the appropriate atmosphere, achieved through exquisite sonorities, with some passages reaching the tenderness of chamber music [...]. Precision, cheerfulness, and southern grace [...]. A rigorous and well-balanced rhythm [...] and a precise respect for the score and themes of the pieces. Georgescu proved himself to be an excellent performer, both in moments requiring tenderness and delicacy, and in passages where the music calls for violent outbursts or coloristic brilliance.”
Otto Kunz (1880-1949) — Austrian journalist. He was an editor at the “Salzburger Volksblatt”, “Die Presse” and an honorary member of the Mozarteum Foundation. Specialist in Mozart's music, he created a scientific research center within the Mozart Museum. Through his decades of journalistic work, Kunz has made a substantial contribution to the cultural life of Salzburg.
Source: Salzburger Zeitung, Even the orchestra applauded, August 16, 1943, in Lucian Voiculescu, George Georgescu. Fifty years of artistic activity, Book-program of the State Philharmonic “George Enescu”, Bucharest, 1957, p. 138.
“I am happy today to declare that the interpretation you have given to my symphony (Symphony II) is one of the most compelling and impressive in recent times.”
Aram Haciaturian (1903-1978) — Armenian composer and conductor. He was a professor at the Moscow Conservatory and a laureate of the Lenin (1959) and Stalin Prizes (1941, 1943, 1946, 1950, 1971). Among his best-known creations we find the Ballets Gayane and Spartacus, the Second Symphony and the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra.
Source: Letter from the G.G. Archive — 1958.
“A few measures from the first act were enough for the audience to realize that the new conductor was a master of his art. The attacks were wonderful, and his tempos and nuances a delight to hear. He conducted not only with the baton but with his entire body, which moved in harmony with the rhythm and captivating charm of Puccini's score.”
February 10, 1927 — Conducting Puccini's Boema at the Washington Opera Company
Source: Washinton Post, February 1927, in Lucian Voiculescu, George Georgescu. Fifty years of artistic activity, Book-program of the State Philharmonic “George Enescu”, Bucharest, 1957, p. 144.
“Finally, in the autumn of 1955, I saw George Georgescu at the podium. To this day, I still remember the deep impression, that state of mind, that his performance left on me. [...] To dominate an orchestra, two things are necessary: first, a despotic will that can prevent musicians from thinking; and then, a force of genius, a higher inspiration, the power to regenerate souls through enthusiasm. This is what Georgescu fully possessed [...]”.
Source: “Express Poranny”, February 8, 1933, in Lucian Voiculescu, George Georgescu. Fifty years of artistic activity, Book-program of the State Philharmonic “George Enescu”, Bucharest, 1957, p. 157.
“Since Nikisch's death, perhaps no one from the younger generation has presented himself as masterfully as Georgescu. [...] Like Nikisch, he has hands that are independent of each other. [...] He has great skill in executing works because he considers absolutely everything—plan and ensemble—which makes each element well-prepared in advance, resulting in the most luminous realization. In a word, he possesses all the qualities that made Nikisch a conductor beyond comparison”.
Source: “Viitorul” newspaper, The success of master George Georgescu in Poland, 2.01.1930.
“It was more than a pleasure to listen to the sensitive and disciplined execution of this exquisite ensemble, under the fiery baton of its richly gifted conductor. [...] The ensemble itself reached the end with a technical certainty that comes not only from the individual abilities of the performers, but also from their integration into a perfect unity. [...] The connections between Mr. Georgescu and the members of the orchestra express not only technical skill, but also that rare quality of mutual joy that those who make music together experience—a quality quite rare in chamber music and seldom found in the orchestral field.”
Paul Moor (1924-2010) —German writer and music critic of American origin. He studied piano at the Juilliard School of Music and later chose the path of journalism. He has worked with The New York Times, The Times, International Herald Tribune and Musical America.
Source: Newspaper “Contemporanul”, no. 42/524, A sound palette of an unusual magnitude, 19.10.1956, in Lucian Voiculescu, George Georgescu. Fifty years of artistic activity, Book-program of the State Philharmonic “George Enescu”, Bucharest, 1957, p. 178, No.
“With the instrumentalists, he was both gentle and authoritative. He tried to convey to them the thrill of the music they were playing: 'Don’t you see how much drama lies in this music? Feel it note by note and put some soul into it! Don’t just play the notes, gentlemen, please sing!”
Sorina Bobeică — Journalist Radio Romania Musical
Source: George Georgescu — Soul of Music, newspaper?, 2011.
“George Georgescu's concerts in Washington with the National Symphony Orchestra will remain in our memory for a long time, and the warmth with which our audience rewarded him was a rare occurrence here. I cherish as a treasure in my memory the warmth of his spirit and the supreme artistry he brought to music and the works performed.”
Howard Mitchell (1911—1988)— American cellist, director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington DC from 1949 to 1970.
Source: V. Cosma — Testimonies in Contemporaneity, p. 183.
“When you attended a concert conducted by George Georgescu, the presence of the artist, the energy that his whole being radiated from his hands to the orchestra and, by reflex, to the audience, sometimes made you forget other interpretations of his, even those that had seemed the best at other times, and made you forget the interpretations of other conductors. [...] To define at least in a sketch his style, some would say that Georgescu was in line with the so-called great tradition of interpretation. But at every concert, George Georgescu, while rooted in tradition and his vast experience, was always captivating. That is why, even after hearing Beethoven's Fifth or Ninth Symphony conducted by him countless times, the conductor embraced you just as these works always do, as if you had always known them [...]”
Eugen Pricope (1927-1992) — Romanian conductor, music critic and writer. He has written numerous articles but also books such as Conductors and Orchestras, Beethoven Monograph, Between the Shines and... Desert Songs”, etc.
Source: Eugen Pricope — Conductors and Orchestras, Music Publishing House of the Composers' Union, Bucharest, 1971, p. 295—296.
“I have heard orchestras that have attained a very high degree of technical perfection, but I have heard few that play with such dedication of heart. In the performance of the Romanian orchestra, you will find no trace of indifferent professionalism, which makes so many orchestras sound dull”. — concert on October 18, 1956, Warsaw.
Peter Heyworth (1921-1991)— American music critic. He worked for The Observer (1955-1987), The New York Times (1960-1975). Being a promoter of avant-garde music, he wrote numerous articles for the absolute premiere of compositions by Benjamin Britten, Sir Michael Tippet, Luigi Nono or Krzysztof Penderecki.
Source: “Contemporanul”, no. 42/524, October 19, 1956, in Lucian Voiculescu, George Georgescu. Fifty years of artistic activity, Book-program of the State Philharmonic “George Enescu”, Bucharest, 1957, p. 178.
“The real miracle, however, was the transformation of the orchestra, which allowed you to sense the magnetic gaze through which the conductor's thoughts were transmitted to the instrumentalists. The orchestra belonged to the conductor. He knew how to connect with everyone in their daily joys and tribulations, establishing himself as the true spiritual leader of a large family blessed with the privilege and happiness of making music together [...].”
Cornelia Barbulescu— Romanian musicologist. Within the Radio Hall in Bucharest, he worked at the Editorial Board of symphonic and chamber music programs, made numerous broadcasts dedicated to the genre of popularization of cult, Romanian and universal musical creation. He also undertook broadcasts through which great personalities of artistic life from our country or abroad were paid tribute.
Source: Conductor George Georgescu — “Performer of the Week”, in the newspaper “Panoramic”, September 10, 1992.
“There was a kind of energy between the conductor and the orchestra, as if born of a profound faith that both unleashed and controlled the waves of sound, shaping them at will. The conductor was most at ease in front of large vocal and orchestral ensembles, where the intensity of the emotions created in the hall—through the spiritual communion of artists and audience—was rarely captured on his recordings, which were often made in a more 'cold' manner, focused on technical precision but lacking the emotional charge and tension unique to a live performance. George Georgescu's concerts often became profound life experiences that stayed with you for a long time.”
Pascal Bentoiu (1927-2016) — Romanian composer and musicologist. A researcher passionate about the work of George Enescu, Pascal Bentoiu analyzed all his works and completed some of the remaining unfinished scores: Symphonies No. 4 and 5, the symphonic poem Isis, Piano Trio in a minor. He is the author of the most important book on George Enescu's musical work, Enescian Masterpieces (also printed in English, in the United States, and in German, in Germany). He also wrote several books, dozens of articles and studies in specialized journals, participated in numerous radio and television shows. He has given dozens of conferences, lectures, master classes, at home and abroad.
Source: Viorel Cosma — Testimonies in Contemporaneity, p. 19.
When asked where he learned to accompany, George Georgescu replied: “Without realizing it, I was taught by the so-called soloists—occasional singers, often ignorant and capricious. I had to adjust my baton work to suit them, measuring their timing and adapting to them during those evenings as an orchestra leader at the Rașca Garden. Those were... stormy nights for me. Caragiale captures them well in his writing. But back then, I wasn’t amused at all.”
Eugen Pricope (1927-1992)— Romanian conductor, music critic and writer. He has written numerous articles but also books such as Conductors and Orchestras, Beethoven Monograph, Between the Shines and... Desert Songs”, etc.
Source: Eugen Pricope — Conductors and Orchestras, Music Publishing House of the Composers' Union, Bucharest, 1971, p. 298.
“You can only truly grasp the impression of George Georgescu when you see him at work and observe the expressiveness of his gestures and his way of interacting with the orchestra. [...] I had seen him in concerts. George Georgescu created around him a magnetic atmosphere, an electric current that prevailed thanks to his presence. When he entered the rehearsal room, it was as if a light had appeared.”
Ilarion Ionescu-Galați (1937-) – violonist și dirijor român. A activat ca instrumentist în Orchestra Filarmonicii din București din 1953 până în 1965, când devine dirijorul permanent al Filarmonicii din Brașov. A dirijat peste 20 de orchestre din țară și din străinătate. Este dirijor și director onorific al Filarmonicii din Ploiești.
Source: Interview from the G.G. Archive conducted by IR, 2011.
“George Georgescu is happy to let Richter evolve at his own tempo, granting him the freedom his granite temperament craves. [...] The Burleske by Richard Strauss, presented by Richter with the accompaniment of the orchestra conducted by George Georgescu—who, like few others, possesses the elements of the authentic Straussian style as a result of his long collaboration with the composer—resonated as one of the most spirited concertante works in piano literature. [...] George Georgescu allowed Richter to develop at his own pace, offering him the freedom his granite temperament demanded."
Source: “Informația” Newspaper, Second George Enescu International Festival and Competition, September 11, 1961
"I have played with many orchestras in recent years, but I do not recall ever feeling as understood in my subtlest intentions as I did yesterday with you, nor experiencing such a close artistic collaboration. I cannot think of it without emotion and deep gratitude."
Clara Haskil (1895—1960)— Romanian pianist of Jewish origin. He played with such prominent musicians as George Enescu, Pablo Casals, Eugène Ysaye, Dinu Lipatti. She was repeatedly asked to participate in the Salzburg Music Festival. In 1963, the Clara Kaskil International Piano Competition was founded, which takes place in Vevey, Switzerland.
Source: 12/27/1937, in V. Cosma, Testimonies in Contemporaneity, p. 130
"I remember with emotion the great moments when I performed under his leadership. Everything remains vividly in my mind, which faithfully preserves the memory."
Marguerite Long (1874-1966) — French pianist and teacher. She is the founder of the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition (1943). American cellist, director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington DC from 1949-1970.
Source: V. Cosma — Testimonies in Contemporaneity, p. 183.
“Master Georgescu translated the score directly into sound, with little need for words, yet he knew how to impart that intangible quality that made the music stir or break the hearts of both the orchestra and the audience [...]”.
Mircea Opreanu— Romanian violinist, hired as first violinist in 1954 at the Bucharest Philharmonic under the direction of George Georgescu.
Source: Source: Mircea Opreanu — MAGIC OF BAGHETEI. Memories of Master George Georgescu, Science Book House, Cluj-Napoca, 2006, p. I'm 37.
“I could never have imagined that this concert (Brahms' Violin Concerto) could be performed without rehearsals! The secret lay in the maestro's gift for accompanying a soloist, offering both security and freedom.”
Ion Voicu (1923-1997)— Romanian violinist, disciple of George Enescu. Ion Voicu was the director of the “George Enescu” Philharmonic in Bucharest for ten years. He contributed to the creation of the “Chamber Orchestra” in 1969 — known throughout Europe and present at the most important international music festivals.
Source: V. Cosma, Testimonies in Contemporaneity, p. 80
"I noticed a difference when I played with Master Georgescu compared to other conductors. There was a certain flexibility in the way he marked the tempo and a unique connection through which he seemed to anticipate my intentions. This allowed me to perform freely, buoyantly, and with confidence. I felt in control and at peace."
Valentin Gheorghiu (1928-2023)— Romanian pianist and composer. He debuted at the age of 15 at the Romanian Athenaeum in the company of the Bucharest Philharmonic, under the baton of George Georgescu. He became a soloist of the Philharmonic in 1950. Outside of concert activity in the country, Valentin Gheorghiu has toured in England, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, USA, Israel, Japan, etc.
Source: Interview Ioana Georgescu-Răileanu, archive of G.G.
"[...] George Georgescu was a conductor able to obtain from the orchestra's instrumentalists an artistic collaboration without reservations. His gesture was always perfectly aligned with the music, and the magnetism of his personality, along with the way he treated the orchestra members, made rehearsals with him a joy for us. He was an accompanist who—thanks to his extraordinary musical intuition—sensed the soloist's intentions, achieving perfect synchronization with the orchestra."
Varujan Cozighian (1936-) — Romanian violinist, concert-master of the Bucharest Philharmonic from 1960 to 1982, when he left the country and became concert-master at the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra.Romanian Nist, disciple of George Enescu. Ion Voicu was the director of the “George Enescu” Philharmonic in Bucharest for ten years. He contributed to the creation of the “Chamber Orchestra” in 1969 — known throughout Europe and present at the most important international music festivals.
Source: Interview from the G.G. Archive
"Another feature of his conducting style was that the orchestra supported, rather than overshadowed, the singers. Each delicate passage of the score was given its full value, and nothing was rushed [...]."
Source: Washinton Post, February 1927, in Lucian Voiculescu, George Georgescu. Fifty years of artistic activity, Book-program of the State Philharmonic “George Enescu”, Bucharest, 1957, p. 144.
"When I became the soloist of the Philharmonic, I had the immense privilege of performing several times under the baton of George Georgescu, and during these occasions, I came to know him as an accompanist. It was extraordinary! It was as if he could anticipate exactly what the soloist intended to do [...]. In concerts, the moment he raised his baton, he exuded a magnetism that inspired the orchestra members to play better than ever. When the same piece was performed with a different conductor, it felt completely different [...]."
Vladimir Orlov (1928-2019) – violoncelist, compozitor și profesor româno-canadian. A fost solist al Filarmonicii București și profesor la București, Viena și Toronto.
Source: About the man and the conductor George Georgescu in "Armonii", year XXVII, nr. 34-35, May 2019.
"If the cult of great art took root and flourished in our musical life, George Georgescu, alongside Enescu, played the most significant role in this achievement. He persistently championed innovative values. [...] Georgescu upheld a conducting tradition that, following the passing of figures such as Weingartner, Furtwängler, Toscanini, Mengelberg, and Bruno Walter, found in him one of its last and perhaps most distinguished representatives. [...] The youth always regarded him as a model to aspire to."
George Balan (1929-2022) — Romanian musicologist and philosopher. He was a teacher at the Ciprian Porumbescu Conservatory. In 1977 he self-exiled to Germany, in the Black Forest (St. Peter), where he establishes the “Musicosophia-Schule”, a school for the training of the music listener duplicated by a foundation and publishing house of the same name.
Source: Newspaper “Contemporanul”, 04. 1964
"George Georgescu was a great musical orator at the heart of the tumult. Georgescu was, without a doubt, a great conductor, and I cannot imagine my Philharmonic Orchestra without him. At least, I believe that without him, it would not have reached its full form. [...] In front of or at the Athenaeum, George Georgescu deserves a grandiose bronze statue that rings when struck with your finger, as sonorous as his soul [...]".
George Călinescu (1899-1965)— was a Romanian critic, literary historian, writer, publicist, academic, encyclopedic personality of Romanian culture and literature.
Source: Iosif Sava, “Remember George Georgescu”, Consonances and Dissonances, 29.09.1993.
"George Georgescu is a glory of ours. His triumph fills us with pride and sincere enthusiasm. Since his conducting debut in Bucharest in 1920, he has become one of the pillars of Bucharest's musical life."
Iosif Sava (1933-1998)— Romanian musicologist. Apart from performing music, he was also passionate about commenting on the musical phenomenon. He was a collaborator of the newspaper “Opinia” in Iasi, music editor at the Romanian Broadcasting Company. He conducted the weekly radio program “Invitations of Eutherpea”, the shows “Musical Chronicle” and “Musical Life in the Present”. Conducted the show “TV musical evening”. Between 1990 and 1993, Iosif Sava was editor-in-chief of TVR's Music Department, and from 1993 to 1998 editor-in-chief of TVR's cultural editorial office.
Source: “George Georgescu”, in Contemporary, 1987.
"If George Enescu became the ambassador of the national school abroad, then George Georgescu, in just a quarter of a century, managed to provide the domestic musical climate with another European artistic stature: from a seemingly peripheral country of the continent, Romania became a crossroads between the East and the West of contemporary culture [...]. In addition to creating an elite audience, George Georgescu can be credited with the special attention he gave to promoting young talents [...]. For a quarter of a century — 1920-1944 — the apostolate of George Georgescu was performed at the altar of the Bucharest Symphony Orchestra, which became the country's standard-bearer, and after the first tours abroad, was considered the most representative Philharmonic in the southeast of the European continent [...]. The removal of George Georgescu from the leadership of the Philharmonic (1944-1954) was a heavy loss for our musical life [...]".
Source: Viorel Cosma — George Georgescu (1887-1964) — Highlights of a fascinating career.
"When an artist binds his destiny to an institution for more than four decades, and when that institution is essentially structured around the artist in question, then we are dealing — clearly — with a remarkable personality, one of those culture-makers who shape the hearts and minds of his contemporaries. George Georgescu was one of them, and this is becoming more and more apparent as the years go by. [...] I found how systematic the artist's actions were. It was carried out in four main ways.
The first involved continuous programming and periodic re-enactment of great symphonic scores by composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Berlioz, Schumann, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and others. [...] The second direction consisted of first auditions and previously unheard works of modern and contemporary music. Under his baton, the music of Stravinsky, Ravel, Strauss, Bartók, Prokofiev, Mahler, Honegger, Roussel, Florent Schmitt, Szumanowski, Schoenberg, Respighi, Holst, etc., repeatedly resonated in Bucharest, including Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 1.
The third educational endeavor took place in the field of Romanian music, where, of course, Enescu contributed the most substantial part, but where they did not neglect composers like Jora, Andricu, Drăgoi, Negrea, Paul Constantinescu, Rogalski, Filip Lazăr, Golestan, and others.
Finally, one of the most effective ways to raise the cultural level of the public was through the visits of guest conductors and soloists from abroad, who largely came to Bucharest due to the prestige and personal connections of both Georgescu and Enescu. However, the Philharmonic director had the decisive say. [...] George Georgescu's concerts often amounted to real-life experiences that stayed with you for a long time."
Pascal Bentoiu (1927-2016)— Romanian composer and musicologist. A researcher passionate about the work of George Enescu, Pascal Bentoiu analyzed all his works and completed some of the remaining unfinished scores: Symphonies No. 4 and 5, the symphonic poem Isis, Piano Trio in a minor. He is the author of the most important book on George Enescu's musical work, Enescian Masterpieces (also printed in English, in the United States, and in German, in Germany). He also wrote several books, dozens of articles and studies in specialized journals, participated in numerous radio and television shows. He has given dozens of conferences, lectures, master classes, at home and abroad.
Source: Viorel Cosma — Testimonies in Contemporaneity, p. I'm 19.
"I learned from George Georgescu that what defines a personality, in addition to the values that measure creative capacity, is the lack of artifice, simplicity and naturalness, sincerity and good intention in every word, in every action, and above all the passion for work and devotion to art — that honesty which makes you never try to substitute work for the celebrity of the people."
— *Orinsurța: "At the Departure of the Master," in Noua Tribună, 06.09.1964.
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Source: “At the Departure of the Master”, in the New Tribune, 06.09.1964.
