Turin’s hidden musical diamond must be the superb Filarmonica ’900 del Teatro Regio di Torino, a new orchestral force in the Italian orchestral scene. For their first CD they have chosen two remarkably talented musicians to partner them. Jan Latham-Koenig needs little introduction and is a renowned French music specialist.

Latham-Koenig now returns to Poulenc with a recording of the complete ballet Les Animaux modeles, a rarity on record and deserving to be much better known. In the Concert champetre he is joined by a young Italian pianist who is taking concert halls throughout Europe by storm.

Best known as a jazz pianist, especially on the renowned ECM label, Stefano Bollani returns here to his classical roots playing the piano version of the ’Concert’ which is better known as a work for harpsichord and orchestra. Poulenc himself, however, performed the work himself as piano soloist. Bollani goes on to resurrect an almost lost tradition by elaborating on the two Improvisations written for the purpose by Poulenc. Jazz is never very far away!