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8 unusual facts about Grand Prix du Disque


À force de prier

Although "À force de prier" was only a minor international success for Mouskouri, it won her the prestigious Grand Prix du Disque in France that same year, and her Eurovision appearance also caught the attention of noted French composer Michel Legrand, who went on to write and arrange two major hits for her in the francophone markets; "Les parapluies de Cherbourg" (1964) and "L'enfant au tambour" (1965).

Antal Doráti

One of these, the recording of Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, received the coveted French award Grand Prix du Disque.

Boston Camerata

Among the ensemble's awards are the Grand Prix du Disque (1987) for a medieval version of the Tristan and Iseult legend.

Herbert Blomstedt

He led the orchestra on regular tours of Europe and Asia, and made numerous prize-winning recordings for London/Decca, winning two Grammy Awards, a Gramophone Award and a Grand Prix du Disque, as well as awards from Belgium, Germany and Japan.

Jennifer Bate

In 1986, she gave the first British performance of his Livre du Saint Sacrement at Westminster Cathedral and later made the world premiere recording of the work under the personal supervision of the composer, winning the Grand Prix du Disque.

Joseph Genualdi

With pianist Jean-Philippe Collard, the Muir Quartet (with Genualdi as first violin) won the Grand Prix du Disque for their recording of the César Franck piano quintet.

Louis Thiry

Louis Thiry has recorded the complete organ works of Olivier Messiaen in 1972 at St. Pierre Cathedral in Geneva for Calliope (record label) (Grand Prix du Disque de l'Académie Charles Cros), the Well Tempered Clavier (1972 at the Église Réformée d’Auteuil, 1975, and The Art of Fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach (1993) at Saint Thomas Church (Strasbourg).

SPARS code

For instance, Herbert von Karajan's recording of Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, an analogue recording in the 1970s that won the Grand Prix du Disque, sold for considerably less than his 1980s digital recording of the same piece, though the newer recording was not particularly critically acclaimed.


Alban Berg Quartet

Among the prizes obtained by their recordings were the Grand Prix du Disque, the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis, the Japanese Grand Prix and the Vienna Flötenuhr.

Felix Ayo

His recordings have won international recognition, winning many prizes including the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, the Edison Prize, the Mar del Plata prize, the Grand Prix du Disque (for his now historic version of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons) and the prize awarded by Italian Record Critics for the Beethoven piano quartets.

János Sebestyén

Grand Prix du Disque for the Hungaroton publication Bartók Record Archives, 1982 (France)

Monir Vakili

She dazzled the public and international critics with her performance, and the album, Chants et Danses de Perse, won the Grand Prix du Disque of the Académie Charles Cros.


see also