Just released: Chandos Records’ new Florent Schmitt recording presents a quartet of orchestral works composed between 1929 and 1938.

“This is a stunning album. If there is any justice, it will be the rope that finally hauls Schmitt out of the crevasse of obscurity.” — Andrew Palmer, Chimeo “This lovely release marks a major addition to the burgeoning Schmitt discography. The eclectic French composer’s reputation is in full renewal.” — Steven Kruger, Fanfare This […]

Çançunik: Florent Schmitt creates a composition intended for radio broadcast (1927-29).

February 1, 2026 · by Phillip Nones | in Composers, French Composers, Orchestral Music | tagged Cancunik, Chabrier, Charles W. Hughes, Erich Liebermann-Rosswiese, Florent Schmitt, Frederick Delius, Gaston Poulet, Georg Schunemann, Georges Mandel, Henri Martin, Jack Zadikoff, Leslie Heward, Lied-nocturne, Maurice Bex, Max Butting, Paul Hindemith, Paul Le Flem, Pierre Blois, Raymond Balliman, Robert Dezarnaux, Scherzo-tarentelle, Schmitt, Stan Golestan, Yan-Pascal Tortelier | 1 Comment

For his newest Florent Schmitt Chandos recording (scheduled for release in October 2026), when French conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier was considering contemporaneous compositions to pair with Schmitt’s strikingly modern Symphonie concertante (1931-32), one of his choices might seem curious: Çançunik, Op. 79, dating from 1927-29. Compared to the Symphonie concertante – and indeed to several […]

The making of Yan Pascal Tortelier’s newest Florent Schmitt recording: An eyewitness report from Manchester (October 2025).

November 6, 2025 · by Phillip Nones | in Classical Music, French Composers, Piano Music | tagged BBC Philharmonic, Cancunik, Chaine brisee, Chandos Records, Charles Munch, Concerts Poulet, Fleisher Collection, Gaston Poulet, Jonathan Cooper, Manuel Rosenthal, Paul Paray, Peter Donohoe, Serge Koussevitzky, Stele pour le Tombeau de Paul Dukas, Symphonie Concertante, Trois danses, Yan-Pascal Tortelier | 1 Comment

“It is one of the most important recordings of my entire career.” — Yan Pascal Tortelier, French conductor In late October 2025, I had the privilege of being invited to Manchester, UK to observe the recording of a program of mid-career orchestral works by Florent Schmitt (composed between 1929 and 1938), featuring the BBC Philharmonic […]