Gotta like this forthcoming CD - some previously recorded mixed with some new unsungs newly recorded.
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9532394--aux-etoiles-french-symphonic-poems
Oooh looos nice.
And shoutouts to Bru Zane for releasing two separate recordings of the Bonis and Holmes in less than a year, rather than just throwing the other recordings in.
Not looking a gift horse in the mouth but it's a shame that there's a 50/50 or so split between works already recorded (some of them very well known) and pieces new to the repertoire. It'll be a selective download in my case.
True, even the title track is on a disc from the 90s that also has the Dukas, Saint-Saens and Franck on it. Probably will do selective as well (especially given I have the boxset they put out that has the aformentioned pieces by Bonis and Holmes)
Don't forget this pioneering release in 1970 by Antonio De Almeida and the New Philharmonia - Schmidt -La Tragédie De Salomé - Chausson - Viviane - Duparc - Lénore.
I've spent a very nice few hours taking in this recording, and it has everything to recommend it. To get the most important problem out of the way: yes, there's duplication of some works, but a) they're played very well, and b) their inclusion makes sense as part of this collection. You may consider this to be a documentary about the tone poem in turn of the century French classical music, an approach also suggested by the (excellent) booklet. Of course, that still doesn't prevent you from buying only a part of the offerings, but I think it's worthwhile at least listening to the whole thing via some streaming service (or Youtube*) before deciding. It's very much an album in the traditional sense of the LP days.
The best-known works here are Franck's Le chasseur maudit, Saint-Saëns Danse macabre, Dukas's L'apprenti sorcier, Chabrier's España and Chausson's Viviane. While I'm reluctant to quickly designate a particular recording as "the best", I know no finer recording of Chausson's poem, and the others are definitely contenders (albeit in a field of such multitude that I can impossibly oversee it).
Of course, the more interesting items are the rarer ones. Out of the 15 works here, four are by female composers. Szeps-Snaider and the Lyon orchestra give their all, and sometimes the results are eye-opening. This is the case with Mel Bonis' faux-Sheherazade poem Cleopatra's Dream (which I never warmed to previously), Henri Duparc's To the Stars, and Alfred Bruneau's The Sleeping Beauty. And even those pieces that require perhaps a bit more persuasion (such as Charlotte Sohy's Daphnis (or Narcisse et Echo?)-inspired Mystical Dance or Victorin Joncières' somewhat fragmented All Saints Day, are presented in the best possible light.
The excellent sonics help to confirm the high-quality impression of this set. I'm no audiophile, but on my system the sound is exceptional, with an excellent balance between orchestral groups (my particular beef in many cases), fine detail and a good but not excessive amount of warmth.
A very, very fine but also well-thought-out collection. My recording of the year.
* Postscript: although the whole this is on Youtube, I'd really recommend Spotify, Presto or some other streaming service since the audio compression on YT is really noticeable and does detract from at least my enjoyment.
Dave agrees (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LmhmKAoRSQ). As he should.