Our July Recording of the Month features the launch of MSO Live, the brand-new in-house label of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. For their debut on disc, they have chosen two recent live recordings featuring Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg, both conducted by MSO Chief Conductor Jaime Martín. Although Richard Strauss was 80 or so when he composed his Four Last Songs and Claude Debussy was in his 20s when he wrote his Ariettes oubliées, they sit comfortably next to each other, especially in Brett Dean’s orchestration of the Debussy.

Clive Paget caught up with Martín and Stagg to learn more.

Jaime, what’s the thinking behind the new label?

Jaime Martín: Well, it’s a collaboration between the London Symphony Orchestra and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. It started some time ago with commissions, like the new piece by James Macmillan [we perform] at the end of the season. Also touring. Last year the London Symphony came to Australia. The other way around, we are going to travel to Europe in 2025. As part of that came this desire to start doing some live recordings. The LSO said, “Well, we have a label, LSO Live,” and they are happy to distribute our recordings.