This is the last volume in the series of recordings by Vincent d’Indy. The project with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and Rumon Gamba aims to bring these neglected, eclectic and richly orchestrated works of Vincent d’Indy to a wider audience. This sixth recording exceptionally, comes on SACD; previous volumes have garnered many awards, from Volume 1 (Grammy-nominated) and Volume 2 (Gramophone ‘Editor’s Choice’) to Volume 5 (‘Choc de Classica’), confirming Chandos’ reputation as a top label in groundbreaking search for neglected musical gems. D’Indy’s Wagnerian influences are clearly highlighted both in the three interlinked symphonic ouvertures of Wallenstein, which employ leitmotiv techniques and cyclic themes, and in the Prelude to Act III of Fervaal, d’Indy’s first opera, a work of Wagnerian scale and proportions, displaying the influence of Parsifal.

The three other pieces on the disc were written for small orchestras. The lightweight sophisticated pieces of the Sérénade et Valse and the early Lied for Cello and Orchestra contrast with the five-movement Suite dans le style ancien, based on traditional dance forms and reflecting d’Indy’s enthusiasm for early music. The soloist, Bryndís Halla Gylfadóttir, is principal cellist in the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.