The Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, under its music director Kent Nagano, are set to return to Decca (with whom they recorded dozens of award-winning albums in the 80s, 90s and 2000s) later in the year, beginning a five-year partnership with the label.
Appropriately enough their first release, L'Aiglon, fils de Napoléon, is itself a collaborative work - a setting of Rostand's 1900 play about the quest of the French leader's son for a sense of self-identity free of his father's shadow, set to music co-written by Ibert and Honegger and providing a fascinating and unique fusion of the two composers' styles.
Following on from this we hear a Hallowe'en-inspired disc is on the way - so expect Bald Mountains, Danses Macabres, Noon-Witches and more, as well as lesser-known works by Ives and Balakirev.
Selected recordings by the orchestra on Presto CD
Ottorino Respighi's eternally popular Roman trilogy, featuring some of the most vividly pictorial music of the Twentieth Century.
Available formats: Presto CD, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
A celebration of all things French, featuring favourites by Dukas, Saint-Saëns, Satie and more.
Available formats: Presto CD, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Ravel's Mother Goose Suite takes centre stage on this disc, but the orchestrated versions of his Tombeau de Couperin and the gorgeous Pavane are also well worth a listen.
Available formats: Presto CD, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
A gripping, visceral performance of the Rite of Spring, paired with the relatively unknown Symphonies of Wind Instruments, written for 24 wind and brass instruments and dedicated to the memory of Debussy.
Available formats: Presto CD, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Bizet's evergreen suites from Carmen and L'Arlesienne are played with style and sensitivity.
Available format: Presto CD
Perhaps Rimsky-Korsakov's most famous work, the exotic, legend-inspired Scheherazade is resplendently colourful in this performance, while the rousing, sunny Capriccio espagnol offers plenty of solo spots to the orchestra's fine musicians.
Available formats: Presto CD, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
