(Gabriel Pierne` - noted composer in his own right)
Back to France this time. A recording made for the French Odeon Company in 1930 - one of the first recorded performances of Cesar Franck's "Psyche", performed by the Concerts Colonne Orchestra conducted by Frank's friend and fellow composer Gabriel Pierne`.
It's always interesting to hear how a composer interprets a colleagues work. Since they were friends, there's an extra validity in a performance like this. Gabriel Pierne was an excellent composer in his own right, as well as a very popular conductor of the late 19th and early 20th century and made quite a few recordings before his death in 1937. Though not as prolific as Franck, he did have a good reputation, particularly in ballet and chamber music and a number of his works are performed today.