Albert Roussel - A Sadly Neglected French Composer.

[madaboutmahler]

I haven't had enough time to compare them.  I really like the muscularity of the NYP performance, and it's well recorded (I have the Masterworks Heritage CD.)  You get much more interesting couplings, too.

Thank you for getting back to me about this. Yes, the NYP performance certainly has more interesting couplings!

[Mirror Image]

Thank you for getting back to me about this. Yes, the NYP performance certainly has more interesting couplings!

It certainly does, Daniel. Bernstein's performance of Honegger's Pacific 231 is fantastic.

[madaboutmahler]

It certainly does, Daniel. Bernstein's performance of Honegger's Pacific 231 is fantastic.

Great - absolutely love that Honegger piece as well, so this is a must buy now!

[MishaK]

Another vote for the excellent Denève set. I had the pleasure of hearing Denève conduct Le festin d'araignée with the CSO last Thursday. The program repeats tonight if any of you in the Chicago area are interested. See cso.org there is a $39 main floor ticket offer. Use promo code MF$39.

[Mirror Image]

The title of this thread certainly isn't misleading as Roussel truly is a neglected 20th Century composer. It's highly fascinating three of his students included Varese, Martinu, and Satie. Roussel's development as composer started off influenced by the music of Debussy and Ravel (Symphony No. 1 being the most obvious example), but then his musical language hardened as he fell under the spell of Neoclassicism. Who could blame him? Two incredible periods of development, one amazing creative mind. This ladies and gentlemen is Albert Roussel.

By the way, how about that Deneve serious on Naxos? I've been really digging it since the first release and I'm especially glad he recorded the Le festin de l'araignée ballet, which already enjoyed a great performance by Tortelier, but it's always good to have a back up and I believe I like Deneve's much better!

Has any one heard Jarvi's, according to two Amazon reviewers, speed demon performances of Symphonies 3 & 4? I usually go for the recordings that seem to suffer the underdog aura.

[snyprrr]

The title of this thread certainly isn't misleading as Roussel truly is a neglected 20th Century composer. It's highly fascinating three of his students included Varese, Martinu, and Satie. Roussel's development as composer started off influenced by the music of Debussy and Ravel (Symphony No. 1 being the most obvious example), but then his musical language hardened as he fell under the spell of Neoclassicism. Who could blame him? Two incredible periods of development, one amazing creative mind. This ladies and gentlemen is Albert Roussel.

By the way, how about that Deneve serious on Naxos? I've been really digging it since the first release and I'm especially glad he recorded the Le festin de l'araignée ballet, which already enjoyed a great performance by Tortelier, but it's always good to have a back up and I believe I like Deneve's much better!

Has any one heard Jarvi's, according to two Amazon reviewers, speed demon performances of Symphonies 3 & 4? I usually go for the recordings that seem to suffer the underdog aura.

It's probably the single best Roussel disc, imo. Luscious.

[Mirror Image]

It's probably the single best Roussel disc, imo. Luscious.

Thanks, snyprrr. I picked up the Jarvi tonight for $6.

[snyprrr]

Thanks, snyprrr. I picked up the Jarvi tonight for $6.

It comes in different guises. You got the one with the B&A Suite and Sinfonietta included?


I have much heard about Roussel's either Symphony 1, or Symphonies 1-2, being some kind echt Impressionism,... aren't you the Koechlin guy?,... how does Roussel compare?... truly lazy/hazy, or more bumptious?... I AM in need of a 40 minute nap primer!

[Mirror Image]

It comes in different guises. You got the one with the B&A Suite and Sinfonietta included?


I have much heard about Roussel's either Symphony 1, or Symphonies 1-2, being some kind echt Impressionism,... aren't you the Koechlin guy?,... how does Roussel compare?... truly lazy/hazy, or more bumptious?... I AM in need of a 40 minute nap primer!

Yes, I got the Chandos Classics reissue, snyprrr with Symphonies 3 & 4, Sinfonietta, and Bacchus Et Ariane Suite No. 2. I'm looking forward to hearing it. Yes, I'm the Koechlin guy, but I like all kinds of musical styles. Roussel started off very much influenced by Debussy and Ravel, but his style, especially around Symphony No. 2 starts to turn more hard-edged. Symphony No. 2 reminds of me of a struggle between two distinct musical personalities. It still has some of that impressionistic residue from his earlier period, but it's rhythms suggest the Neoclassicism which he will develop more maturely in Symphony No. 3. I personally love all Roussel's symphonies. They're all little worlds unto themselves.

[Mirror Image]

Why didn't Deneve record Evocations? My goodness what an unbelievable work. Well Deneve is moving onto the Stuttgart Radio Symphony, so here's hoping a new performance of this obscure work surfaces and finds itself on the Hanssler label or whoever Deneve records with.

[Mirror Image]

Roussel admirers run, don't walk to download this recording now:



Performance-wise this is an excellent recording. The audio quality is also very good. Unfortunately only two recordings of this work exist: this one and the other with Michel Plasson on EMI. Both recordings are out-of-print and very expensive.

[Brian]

I have much heard about Roussel's either Symphony 1, or Symphonies 1-2, being some kind echt Impressionism,... aren't you the Koechlin guy?,... how does Roussel compare?... truly lazy/hazy, or more bumptious?... I AM in need of a 40 minute nap primer!

The Symphony No 1 is indeed wonderful, soft-focus impressionism about woodland adventures; the short ballet Le marchand de sable qui passe is my favorite of Roussel's impressionistic works. Symphony No 2 is quite different - it's like a slow, smoldering silent Bergman scene of Debussy, Mahler, Franck, and maybe early Martinu, glaring angrily at each other over a game of cards.

[Mirror Image]

Symphony No 2 is quite different - it's like a slow, smoldering silent Bergman scene of Debussy, Mahler, Franck, and maybe early Martinu, glaring angrily at each other over a game of cards.

Great description, Brian. This was more or less what I was trying to express to snyprrr.

[Karl Henning]

Playing whist?

[Mirror Image]

Playing whist?

Eh?

[Brian]

Eh?

Whist is a card game. It's most famously played in Around the World in 80 Days.

[Mirror Image]

Whist is a card game. It's most famously played in Around the World in 80 Days.

Never saw that movie.

[Brian]

Never saw that movie.

...there's also a book

[Mirror Image]

...there's also a book

Nor have a I read the book.

[Mirror Image]

Getting back to Roussel, what does everybody think of Symphony No. 4? I need to really listen to this work again in-depth. Hopefully, I'll have an opinion of it later...