D'Indy was a contemporary of Debussy and Ravel, and a pupil of César Franck. Fauré described him as 'The Samson of Music' for his multifarious and generous-minded work as a composer, conductor, educator and propagandist who greatly strengthened French musical culture. Today the music of d'Indy is sadly neglected, which is why Chandos and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra have decided to embark upon a series devoted to his orchestral works with conductor Rumon Gamba. With a style essentially eclectic and strongly influenced above all by Beethoven and Wagner, d'Indy particularly excelled in orchestral composition. He drew particular inspiration from his native region in southern France, and formed a body of post-romantic works richly orchestrated, often inflected with folk-like melodies and employing Franck's well-known 'cyclic method'. This is the first foray by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra for Chandos into the realm of French repertoire after recordings of music by Malcolm Williamson. On the most recent Williamson release, American Record Guide commented, 'Rumon Gamba's direction of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra is superb, as is the shape and conviction of all these interpretations. The sound is vibrant and clear'. Previous releases with Rumon Gamba and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra: Williamson, Vol.1: CHAN10359 Williamson, Vol.2: CHAN10406