Debussy: La Mer / Preludes (arr Matthews)

"Rarely have I heard the hostility of the sea evoked as eerily as in [Mark Elder's] polished account of Debussy's La Mer". The Observer, on the Halle's Prom July '06.

Elder gives a dramatic and fresh interpretation of Debussy's well loved tone poem.

Coupled with world premiere recordings of Colin Matthew's stunning orchestrations of the Debussy Preludes.

Colin Matthews is Composer-in-Association of Hallé and is orchestrating all 24 Debussy Preludes for Hallé

Matthews has been heralded for the success with which he has taken the inspiration of the piano masterpieces and skillfully created orchestral works of great variety, beauty and drama

Of Les Sonset les Parfums The Guardian wrote: "Matthews exhibits immense skill in distributing the airy, rippling figuration around the orchestra, creating transparent, silken textures that Debussy himself would surely have recognised."

This release comes on the back of the success of last Hallé release, English Landscapes, which featured in the Classical Chart for nearly a month

Mark Elder, winner of the RPS Conductor Awards 2006, judges' citation read: "In addition to the sheer excellence of his music-making Mark Elder has a passionate commitment to communicating with audiences wherever he works"

The Hallé had itself won the RPS Ensemble Award in 2005, when the judges said "The revival of the Hallé under Mark Elder is one of the great success stories of British classical music … this is an organisation invigorated with purpose"