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Colin Matthews

Composer

The Isambard Kingdom Brunel of contemporary music …

— Paul Griffiths, The Times

Claude Debussy, Jeux, Preludes for Piano orch. Colin Matthews

  • Recorded: 2009
  • Record label: Hallé
  • Performers: Hallé Orchestra; Sir Mark Elder (conductor)
  • Availability: On general release

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Reviews of Claude Debussy, Jeux, Preludes for Piano orch. Colin Matthews

Matthews’s exquisite treatment of this supremely pianistic music goes far beyond mere orchestration. While some of his arrangements are relatively straightforward – Danseuses de Delphes, which opens the first book and with which this sequence also opens, for instance, is a relatively strict translation of the original into orchestral terms – pieces such as Bruyères and Feux d’Artifice are virtually recomposed, though they never trespass beyond Debussy’s own musical world. The whole set is a remarkable achievement, and Elder and his orchestra play these pieces with great care and sensitivity. Yet by comparison their account of Jeux seems rather lumbering, applying colour with a broad brush to what should be needle-point detail. The disc remains a treat, though.

— Andrew Clements, The Guardian

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Upcoming Performances

Click on the date and title of the performance to view venue and booking details in a new window.

30 October, 2025 - Pluto the Renewer
Odense Symfoniorkester, Alpesh Chauhan (Conductor)
Carl Nielsen Salen, Odense Concert Hall, Denmark

31 October, 2025 - Pluto the Renewer
Odense Symfoniorkester, Alpesh Chauhan (Conductor)
Carl Nielsen Salen, Odense Concert Hall, Denmark

8 February, 2026 - Oboe Concerto (World Premiere)
London Symphony Orchestra, Olivier Stankiewicz (Oboe), Elim Chan (Conductor)
Barbican Hall, London

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Useful Links

Faber Music
NMC Recordings
The Holst Foundation

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