The Maastricht-based Philharmonie Zuidnederland has been building a notable discography during recent years, with its latest release on Fuga Libera bringing together diverse French and British pieces under the always assured direction of conductor-composer Duncan Ward.

This is audibly a soloistic performance of Milhaud’s La création du monde, given the timbral separation of the ensemble and the unremitting clarity of its sound. There is never any lack of rhythmic focus in separate sections, but the bluesy pathos of the ‘Ouverture’ always underlies the whole – coming to the fore with the keen eloquence of ‘Le désir’ before seeing the work through to a wistful close. Koechlin’s Vers la voûte étoilée makes for a pointed contrast in its luminescent textures and easeful progress, but Ward’s relative swiftness perhaps makes less of these than available alternatives from Heinz Holliger (Hänssler, 2/05) and Ariane Matiakh (Capriccio, 9/22).

Jointly inspired by Indian ragas and Californian topography, Fumes continues the favourable impression of Ward’s previous orchestral works such as his Panufnik Legacies commission P‑p‑paranoia – its interplay of elastic rhythms and kinetic gestures amounting to an evocation that is more than the sum of its parts. From here to the wistful poise of the theme from Elgar’s Enigma Variations might seem a fair step, but Ward makes the juxtaposition a meaningful one with his cohesive grasp of the whole so that the geniality of ‘Ysobel’ or the vigour of ‘Troyte’ equate to the flowing grandeur of ‘Nimrod’ or deft whimsy of ‘Dorabella’. An atmospheric ‘Romanza’ and impetuous finale abet his persuasive conception overall.

Taken as a totality, this selection itself has much to commend it and Ward will hopefully be tackling more such projects with the orchestra whose chief conductor he has been since 2021. Closely focused yet never airless recording and pithy annotations are further enhancements.