What distinguishes Fauré's Requiem from numerous other settings of the Requiem text is its rather intimate, restrained, almost chamber music-like character, a "lullaby of death", as it has also been called, an implicit criticism of the fact that the work avoids depicting the fear of death and the Last Judgement. Fauré's reply was: "But this is how I feel about death: as a happy liberation, as a pursuit of happiness in the afterlife and not as a painful transition", which not only perfectly describes the essential characteristics of his Requiem, but also shows that it is a very personal expression of the composer's artistic nature. Two generations later, Francis Poulenc showed a completely different approach to religion.

Like Fauré, Poulenc came from the south of France and was influenced by his homeland in a sense that was characterized by a "rural", intense but joyful Catholicism. He saw his Gloria as a more exuberant counterpart to some of his other sacred works, and it is in this spirit that the first movement begins in a festive mood with a striking fanfare-like motif throughout the orchestra. If Poulenc cited Gozzoli's frescoes of monks sticking out their tongues and Benedictine monks playing soccer as a source of inspiration for his Gloria, nowhere is this more evident than in the second movement with its rhythmically pointed text of Laudamus te.

Both in the opera house and in the concert hall, Prêtre's interpretations were characterized by their full-blooded and highly romantic character; stylistically, they often differed from those of French conductors of the previous generation. He was not only an effective conductor of the French repertoire, but also of the music of Italy and Germany, which was reflected in the admiration he received in both countries. A highly experienced and accomplished recording artist, Prêtre had many years of experience working in the studio. His discography is extensive. His recordings of Poulenc's music were particularly important.