The Orchestre Philharmonique de Monaco and their conductor Lawrence Foster recently recorded a collection of Britten works to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the composer’s death.  It’s a bit of an odd mix but it’s nicely done.  The first piece is The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.  This was composed for a commission by the British Ministry of Education to accompany an educational film for schools showcasing the various instruments of the orchestra.  I find it hard to imagine that happening now.  Anyway, it’s performed here, as it often is, without narration.  It’s quite a sprightly and satisfying performance.

Next up, and my main reason for getting hold of this disk, is Les Illuminations; Britten’s setting of surrealist poetry by Rimbaud.  The soloist here is Julie Roset; a rising star who will sing Zerbinetta next year at the COC.  She has a very bright, clean sound and is rather more lyrical than some performances of this work which tend, in my view, to the over dramatic.  I really like it.

Next is the suite of dances from Gloriana.  These are stylishly played but a bit unexciting.  It’s pastiche music from perhaps Britten’s least successful opera.  The final piece is the Sinfonia da Requiem which is purely orchestral and a bit odd.  The second movement, “Dies Irae” is weirdly cheerful.  I suspect a deeper look could link it to Britten’s often bizarre theology (think Rape of Lucretia!).

The recording was made in Auditorium Rainier III in Monaco in February 2025 and it’s nicely balanced with decent dynamic range and balance.  It’s a physical CD release (44.1kHz/16bit).  The booklet has bios, notes and texts and translations for Les Illuminations.  Release date is 24th April 2026.

So it’s a rather odd collection of pieces and I suspect will appeal mainly to people who want this particular programme.  That said it’s definitely one of the better versions of Les Illuminations on record.

Catalogue information: Alpha Classics ALPHA 1226