It took almost a hundred years for Charles Koechlin’s First Symphony to receive a recording worthy of its stature, and over a year for conductor Ariane Matiakh to prepare the performance materials. After her highly praised recording of Koechlin’s Seven Stars Symphony (C5449), this album is another welcome foray into the largely unexplored symphonic world of a fascinating composer, a sort of French chameleon who felt comfortable anywhere between Bachian counterpoint and the heights of French impressionism. The earlier Au loin, Poème symphonique and 3 Mélodies (orchestrated posthumously) complete the scintillating programme.