It rises slowly, carrying, with dark sounds tamed by a lyrical oboe. The afternoon of a faun? From time to time, La Tragédie de Salomé seems reminiscent of Debussy's composition, but despite the same nationality, Florent Schmitt is already himself. This is also demonstrated by the most recent recording of his Momedrama by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony under the direction of Alain Altinoglu.

Schmitt composed the hour-long musical realisation of the biblical story as a ballet, which was a flop at its premiere. He focussed not on the religious component, but on the forces of nature. The tragedy of Salomé is set in present-day Anatolia. It depicts Salomé's dance before Herod, whom she tries to captivate with her performance of the various themes - the dance of the faun, the archer's dance, the snake dance and others.

Unlike the lyrical filigree sounds often found in French compositions, Schmitt draws on the full range of musical representation. His sounds move skilfully between delicate passages and the powerful body of the orchestra, delivering contemplation and drama.

The Frankfurt Radio Symphony under the direction of Alain Altinoglu skilfully and convincingly realise the score. Altinoglu has chosen to record the original version of this milestone of early 20th century French music rather than the suite that Igor Stravinsky, an admirer of Schmitt, developed from his composition. The irony of the Tragédie de Salomé is that Schmitt's work was a flop with the public. It is assumed that it was the aftermath of another ballet premiere that had shocked the audience two weeks earlier: Le Sacré du Printemps. The Sacrifice of Spring. Composer: Igor Stravinsky.

Nevertheless, the recording from Frankfurt is musically and sonically outstanding and is without question a must-listen. (Thomas Semmler, HighResMac)

Frankfurt Radio Symphony
Alain Altinoglu, conductor