Koechlin: Symphony No. 1 / Au loin / 3 Mélodies

It took almost a century for Charles Koechlin's first symphony to finally become available on recording. And conductor Ariane Matiakh spent a year and a half gathering and preparing the materials for the performance. Following her highly acclaimed recording of Charles Koechlin's "Seven Stars Symphony", this de facto first recording is a most welcome foray into the largely unexplored symphonic realms of this fascinating composer, who, like a musical chameleon, felt at home everywhere between Bachian counterpoint and French Impressionism. The earlier works, "Au Loin", "Poème symphonique" and "3 Mélodies" (in an orchestral version), confirm the good impression of this brilliantly colorful music. Ariane Matiakh – recipient of the French government's 'Officier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres' – conducts the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen and soprano Patricia Petibon can be heard on the "3 Mélodies".