Phantoms. French Symphonic Poems

[jasthill]

Forthcoming from Outhere / Alpha:
Phantoms. French Symphonic Poems https://propermusic.com/collections/classical/products/orchestrenationalbordeauxaquitainepierredumoussaud-phantomsfrenchsymphonicpoems?srsltid=AfmBOoqKFzI1SOhCi1yJasT-X25fm6KzyxwsxuqY5iDXRTbFDx3nBpm9

Read the description - Oh my! I need/want this!

[Tapiola]

Yes, I was eyeing it too when it was announced on that site. Very succulent program! I wish they would upload the front cover to make things even more enticing than they already are. Here is the description:

"A genre of high fantasy, complete with its host of ghosts, demons, spirits and witches, usurped the place of the magical elements of Baroque opera in France during the 19th century," writes Alexandre Dratwicki in the introduction to this programme, conceived by the Palazzetto Bru Zane and dedicated to "le fantastique" in French symphonic music between 1850 and 1914. Gounod's La Nonne sanglante, Guiraud's La Chasse fantastique, Carraud's La Chevauchee de la chimere, and Schmitt's Le Palais hante--all these highly evocative titles set the tone, with the mysterious and strange atmosphere reinforced by the instrumentation and orchestration chosen by the composers for these overtures, ballets, or descriptive preludes, as in Hero et Leandre by Augusta Holmes and Ossiane by Marie Jaell--two unjustly forgotten composers whom the Palazzetto Bru Zane is working to bring to the public's attention. Their pieces are recorded here for the first time anywhere in the world. This repertoire is magnificently performed by the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, conducted by Pierre Dumoussaud, now music director of the Opera Orchestre Normandie Rouen.

[tuatara442442]

Marie Jaëll's Ossiane can be found on Bru Zane's Compositrice box-set, consisting of an orchestral prelude and a song for female voice and orchestra. Whether that is complete I'm not sure. If it is not then the first recording claim here has some degree of truth in it.

[eschiss1]

Presto's cast listing has 2 tracks for the Jaëll (https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9439426--compositrices-new-light-on-french-romantic-women-composers) lasting 9 minutes. These may be the "prelude and second part" "that were played at Erard's". There doesn't seem to be one yet anywhere for the new Alpha recording but if it's substantially longer than 10 minutes and has more than a Prelude and Chant de douleur then- yes.