The tone poems of Richard Strauss’s early career represent a remarkable extension of the ideas of Liszt and Wagner, and the autobiographical Ein Heldenleben exceeds its predecessors in terms of its demands on the orchestra. Its intricately interwoven sections create a single symphonic movement depicting heroism, love, and ultimately peace. Albéric Magnard became a French national hero when he died defending his home at the outbreak of World War I. The Chant funèbre was written in memory of his father. This recording celebrates both the 40th anniversary of the Orchestre National de Lille and the 50th year of its founder Jean-Claude Casadesus’s career.