Florent Schmitt via Martinon

[edurban]

Not a new recording by any means, but certainly a classic:
http://www.highdeftapetransfers.com/category/197/ 
It sounds marvelous, as you would expect from this source, and with great recordings of Psalm 47 and La Tragedie de Salome not exactly thick on the ground, pretty much self-recommending (though I'll recommend it anyway.)

David

[Delicious Manager]

I am a huge advocate for Florent Schmitt's music. Sadly, not all that much is available on CD. I recommend the colourful score Schmitt wrote for the 1925 silent film Salammbô, available on RCA Red Seal.

[Pengelli]

And anyone who enjoys the above,don't hesitate at obtaining a copy of the wonderful sumptuously recorded Timpani cd of Schmitt's equally exotic & exciting 'Antoine et Cleopatre'. My favourite of the three cited above,actually.
Also,the Schmitt 'Sinfonie Concertante',(Auvidis Valois),if you can still buy it,at an affordable price! (They keep deleting these things).
His Symphony No 2,recorded on the Marco Polo,is a late work & be warned,it is in a more astringent style. Personally,I don't like it,but someone else might!
His neglect,like that of Charles Koechlin,is rather strange.
Also recommended,the fabulous symphonies of Charles Tournemire,but they realy DO need better recordings. (The Auvidis Valois are quite good,the Marco Polo recordings are merely 'doofers' until something allot better comes along. And that's being polite! ).

[Delicious Manager]

His Symphony No 2,recorded on the Marco Polo,is a late work & be warned,it is in a more astringent style. Personally,I don't like it,but someone else might!

I quite like the Second Symphony - and I think you're being perhaps a little harsh about the recording 

There is a whole swathe of French composers of this time who are not recognised properly, having been eclipsed by Debussy and Ravel:

Louis Aubert
André Caplet
Paul le Flem
Albéric Magnard
Albert Roussel (to an extent)
Charles Tournemire
Max d'Ollone

[Pengelli]

The recording and performance of the Schmitt  is fine,I was referring to the Symphony itself. I wasn't criticising it, I just think that some people who have enjoyed 'Salammbo' and 'Salome' might expect something in a similair vein. The poor recordings are the Marco Polo Tournemire's. I keep badgering Chandos about them,but they're either uninterested or have too many projects lined up. Maybe Timpani might get round to them, eventually. I have all the Auvid Valois recordings,which are much better. Such a pity they didn't do more. No 2 is a particularly lovely work. Marco Polo did quite a good job of 3 & 8,though.
As you say,there is so much more to French music than Ravel & Debussy.

[Delicious Manager]

The poor recordings are the Marco Polo Tournemire's.

Ahh - the Tournemires. I have to agree the performances are a little scrappy. There's a rather better one of Symphony No 6 on Valois.

[ahinton]

There is a whole swathe of French composers of this time who are not recognised properly, having been eclipsed by Debussy and Ravel:

Louis Aubert
André Caplet
Paul le Flem
Albéric Magnard
Albert Roussel (to an extent)
Charles Tournemire
Max d'Ollone

Of these, d'Ollone - principally a stage composer - is almost unknown today although there are now a few recordings, Aubert fares hardly any better, Caplet is known for only a very few works and Tournemire is almost certainly more familiar to the organ fraternity than to others; Magnard's works may still be under-represented in the concert hall but are now mostly recorded and his reputation has certainly risen considerably in recent years, the long-lived le Flem is particularly deserving of greater attention (try the last of his four symphonies, written when he was several years older than Schmitt was when he composed his second), but Roussel has surely always maintained a decent profile among the French composers of the first half of the previous century, notwithstanding the fact that he's never been regarded as up there with Debussy and Ravel.

[eschiss1]

I remember very interesting review(s) of a recording or two of d'Ollone's music (possibly, given the time frame in which I likely read it, either the 1999 chamber music CD on Pierre Verany or the 2003 orchestral music CD on Claves. Some of this music - the piano trio and string quartet - has landed in score or parts at IMSLP.

Eric

[TerraEpon]

There's an interesting clarinet piece by d'Ollone called Fantaisie Orientale, available on this fantastic set: http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?name_id1=2661&name_role1=1&bcorder=1&comp_id=195308

[alberto]

Several other works by Schmitt have been recorded.
I own:
-The complete original version of "La tragedie de Salomè" lasting just a full hour (Davin, Marco Polo).
-Sonate Libre for violin and piano op.96
-Trois rapsodies op.53 for two pianos
-Hasards op. 96 for piano,vn.,v.la,vc. (R.e B.Pasquier, Sermet, Paik) VALOIS V 4679

-Oriane et le Prince d'amour (ballet)
-In memoriam
-Ronde Burlesque
-Legende for viola and orch.   CYBELIA CY 816 (label disappered, sometimes - but not Schmitt-recycled by Naxos for France "Patrimoine" series)

-Andante religioso
- Suite sans esprit de suite op.89
-Soirs
-Fonctionnaire 1912 (all for ochestra) CYBELIA CY 869 (as above)

[eschiss1]

Schmitt hasn't done too badly, I agree- and now I think I see a new recording of his substantial piano quintet is coming out.

[albion]

The Hyperion recording of Psalm 47 (http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/al.asp?al=CDA67599) is the one that I find most satisfying - and the only one in which the sopranos don't sound as though they've gone way beyond their sell-by date. What a glorious piece this is - wave after wave of excitement - frappez des mains indeed!

[Pengelli]

And don't forget the marvellous,spectacularly recorded & performed Timpani release of Schmitt's underrated blockbuster, 'Antoine et Cleopatre'. Hopefully Timpani might eventually get around to one of my favourite symphony cycles,the Charles Tournemire eight. (As forum users MAY have noticed I'm a bit of a fan).

[Odd Rydland]

That Timpani disc is a stunner. As regarding Tournemire, do consider that seveal of his symphonies are also included in the 50 CD anniversary box of the Liege orchestra on Cypres.

[gpdlt2010]

Erato published a 2-CD "anthology" of SChmitt's music a few years ago. The first CD had La Tragédie and Psalm 47 played by the Radio France Philharmonic & Choirs under Janowski, while the second had the rarely heard Janiana symphony (Jean-François Paillard Orchestra under same), the Suite en Rocaille (Marie-Claire Jamet Quintet) and Lied et Scherzo, op. 54 (Del Vescovo, Hubeau).