VINCENT D'INDY (1851-1931): Symphony in A Minor "Italienne", Concert for Piano, Flute, Cello and Strings, Op. 89.

Description: D'Indy's first symphony dates from 1872 and was almost immediately suppressed as a youthful indiscretion but anyone who likes such indescretions as Saint-Säens' Urbs Roma symphony or Bizet's Roma symphony - i.e. the emotional impact Italy had on impressionable young French composers - will love this four-movement work. Its movements are "Rome" (a 15-minute tone-poem in which Christianity defeats pagan religion), "Florence" (a bright and lovely scherzo which the conductor Pasedeloup played twice and quite liked), "Venice" (a barcarolle-like andante) and "Naples" (an 11-minute tarantella-based finale). From the alpha to the omega: the Concert comes from 1926 and is another absolute delight. D'Indy's love of baroque and classical form is channeled into this 22-minute, work which brims with vigor and charm and sounds not at all like the hide-bound reactionary which the composer was by the time he wrote it. Brigitte Engerer (piano), Magali Mosnier (flute), Marc Coppey (cello), Orchestre de Bretagne; Lionel Bringuier.