I have listened to the whole new disc, which issued in France about one week ago, and I must say it's a very good surprise. Procession nocturne is as fine as Dervaux and Munch, even better than Mitropoulos. It's great to have it at last in modern sound. The solo violin (Kalina Hristova) is very good, with controled vibrato. The Eglogue was also a discovery for me, gorgeous music from 1895, reminding me of Delius, and anticipating Barber's Fadograph of a yestern scene.
As for the symphony it's a great piece (by the way thanks for the link about the score, although it's hard to follow especially in the last movement): I'm sure d'Indy had an eye on it before writing his own symphony n°2. Ravishing andante, bright scherzo, and the finale is the best with complex writing alternating moods beetwen Saint-Saens (Phaeto) Ibert (Marine symphony) and a Straussian conclusion.
Nicolas Couton seems to be a very promising talent, he has recorded a completed Bruckner ninth before -diffrent from the Rattle completing-, which is seldomly done by french directors (even the 3 movements score )
Somebody asked about symphony 1: never published alas (Rabaud was 18 and hadn't yet entered the conservatory) and the manuscript is lost.
As for the symphony it's a great piece (by the way thanks for the link about the score, although it's hard to follow especially in the last movement): I'm sure d'Indy had an eye on it before writing his own symphony n°2. Ravishing andante, bright scherzo, and the finale is the best with complex writing alternating moods beetwen Saint-Saens (Phaeto) Ibert (Marine symphony) and a Straussian conclusion.
Nicolas Couton seems to be a very promising talent, he has recorded a completed Bruckner ninth before -diffrent from the Rattle completing-, which is seldomly done by french directors (even the 3 movements score )
Somebody asked about symphony 1: never published alas (Rabaud was 18 and hadn't yet entered the conservatory) and the manuscript is lost.