BBC Philharmonic

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
These two ballet masterpieces belong with the works of Ravel and Stravinsky at the pinnacle of French dance music from the interwar period. They are very different sounding. The Spider's Feast, as befits an "insect" piece, is a delicate impressionist tone poem painted in musical watercolors. Bacchus, by contrast, is a symphonically constructed epic told in pungent melodies and clear-cut, stamping rhythms. The second half of the ballet, also known as Suite No. 2, has long been popular at orchestral concerts, and builds up to a smashing ending. Yan Pascal Tortelier's performances of both works are the best available, both as interpretations and sound. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

I. Allegro Vivo
II. Adagio - Andante - Adagio Molto
III. Vivace
IV. Allegro Con Spirito
Suite No, 2
I. Allegro Molto
II. Andante
III. Allegro
I. Lento - Allegro Con Brio
II. Lento Molto
III. Allegro Scherzando
IV. Allegro Molto

Customer Reviews:

The Best of Roussel.......2007-02-15

Albert Roussel (1969-1937) has been called France's greatest symphonist, and some critics consider him the second greatest French composer of the first half of the 20th century (after Debussy). His mature music, exemplified by the works on this disc, combines the timbral palette of Debussy's impressionism with the rhythmic and structural concerns of Stravinsky's neoclassicism. Stylistically, his music is consonant with other Francophone contemporaries such as Honegger, Milhaud, Poulenc, and Frank Martin, who worked in the exciting period in French music between the two World Wars.

The music is well served here by a spacious and generally well-blended acoustic; however, the brass and percussion are sometimes given too much presence, making the full-orchestra passages jarringly loud. Appropriately for Roussel, Neeme Jaervi emphasizes classical clarity; the program notes speak of Roussel's "translucent" orchestrations, and in this recording every individual instrumental line can be clearly heard. Jaervi spurs on the Detroit Symphony to overwhelming rhythmic pungency in the fast movements of the symphonies and builds to some exhilarating climaxes. The SINFONIETTA receives some ravishing and virtuosic playing from the Detroit strings. On the other hand, I must agree with the other reviewer that Jaervi could have indulged a little more in tempi, which in general are a shade too fast. I often wished for more time to absorb the composer's prismatic color and harmony changes. The fleet pacing also unduly emphasizes the compactness and brevity of the movements. A prime example is the Adagio of Symphony No. 3, which would have sounded even more beautiful if Jaervi had let it unfold at a more leisurely tempo. I must mention the andante violin solo with which Roussel interrupts the frenetic activity in the last movement of the Third Symphony; it is a haunting, beautiful moment in this recording.

Roussel is an exceptionally fine composer, but he is known mainly to conoisseurs and musicologists. This CD presents a good introduction to his best music; however, serious Rousselians might want to look into the complete symphonies sets conducted by Charles Dutoit and Marek Janowski.

Albert Roussel: Bacchus et Ariane, Op. 43 (Complete) / Le festin de l'araignée (The Spider's Banquet), Op. 17 (Complete) - Yan Pascal Tortelier / BBC Philharmonic

Average customer rating:

Two Great Ballets

Albert Roussel: Bacchus et Ariane, Op. 43 (Complete) / Le festin de l'araignée (The Spider's Banquet), Op. 17 (Complete) - Yan Pascal Tortelier / BBC Philharmonic
Albert Roussel , Yan Pascal Tortelier , and BBC Philharmonic
Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Roussel: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4; Bacchus et Ariane; Sinfonietta
Roussel: Symphonies 1-4
Edward Rubbra - Complete Symphonies / Hickox
Dvorák: Legends
Saint-Saens: Introduction and Rondo capriccioso in Am; Danse macabre Op40

ASIN: B000000B04
Release Date: 1996-07-23

Tracks:

Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 1: Introduction
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 1: Youths And Maidens At Play
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 1: Labyrinthine Dance
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 1: Bacchus Appears Disguised. The Dance Is Interrupted
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 1: Bacchus Envelops Araine In His Balck Cloak. Ariadne Faints
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 1: Theseus And His Companions Rush At Bacchus. He Reveals Himself To Them And With An Imperious Gesture Shows Them The Way To The Sea
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 1: The Clouds Gather In The Sky
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 1: The Sun Reappears
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 1: Danse de Bacchus
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 1: Ariadne, Still Asleep, Dances With Bacchus
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 1: Bacchus Lays Ariadne On The Rock
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 2: Ariadne Sleeps
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 2: Ariadne Awakes. She Looks About Her And Believing She Has Been Abandoned, Tries To Through Herself Into The Waves
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 2: She Falls Into The Arms Of Bacchus. They Relive Their Dream Dance, Ariadne Now Awake
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 2: Bacchus Dances Alone
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 2: The Kiss
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 2: The Dionysian Spell
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 2: The Worshippers Of Bacchus Process
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 2: Danse d'Ariane
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 2: Danse d'Ariane et de Bacchus
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 2: Bacchanale
Bacchus et Ariane, Op.43: Act 2: The Coronation Of Ariadne
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: Prelude
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: A Garden. The Spider Sits In Her Web. She Surveys Her Surroundings
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: Entrance Of The Ants. They Find A Rose Petal
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: With Great Effort They Lift The Petal And Carry It Away
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: The Spider Daydreams And Watches The Garden
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: The Spider Mends Her Web
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: Entrance Of The Dung-Beetles
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: The Ants Return... A Butterfly Appears
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: Dance Of The Butterfly
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: The Spider Invites The Butterfly To Dance Close To Her Web
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: The Butterfly Is Caught In The Web And Struggles. Death Of The Butterfly
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: The Spider Rejoices. The Spider Frees The Butterfly From Her Web And Takes It To Her Larder
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: The Spider Dances
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: Suddenly Fruits Come Crashing Down
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: Entrance Of The Fruit Worms
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: Warlike Entrance Of The Two Praying Mantises
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: The Ants Circle
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: The Mantises Challenge Each Other To A Duel. The Mantises Fight.
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: The Mantises Become Caught In The Web. The Spider Dances
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: Hatching Of The Mayfly
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: The Dance Of The Mayfly
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: The Mayfly Stops, Exhausted. The Insects Pay Their Respects. He Rejects Their Advances
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: The Ants Leave
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: The Worms Come Out Of The Fruit
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: Dance Of The Mayfly And The Fruit Worms
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: Death Of The Mayfly
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: The Spider Prepares To Begin Her Feast, But One Of The Mantises, Freed From The Web, Slips Behind The Spider And Kills Her
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: Death Throes Of The Spider
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: Funeral Of The Mayfly
Le festin de l'araignee, Op.17: The Funeral Cotege Sets Off And Disappears Into The Distance. Night Falls On The Deserted Garden.

Amazon.com

These two ballet masterpieces belong with the works of Ravel and Stravinsky at the pinnacle of French dance music from the interwar period. They are very different sounding. The Spider's Feast, as befits an "insect" piece, is a delicate impressionist tone poem painted in musical watercolors. Bacchus, by contrast, is a symphonically constructed epic told in pungent melodies and clear-cut, stamping rhythms. The second half of the ballet, also known as Suite No. 2, has long been popular at orchestral concerts, and builds up to a smashing ending. Yan Pascal Tortelier's performances of both works are the best available, both as interpretations and sound. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Two Great Ballets.......2002-03-06

Bacchus and Ariane (Ariadne), like his Third Symphony, is a late work. Albert Roussel was at the height of his powers when he wrote this ballet for a lavish production at the Paris Opera. It was a gala affair with sets designed by Giorgio de Chirico and choreography by Sergei Lifar.

The story concerns the adventures of Ariadne on the island of Naxos after she fled Crete with the hero Theseus, having outwitted the Minotaur. The ballet is in two acts and is characterized by spiraling melodies of great beauty and energy. The second act was performed as a concert piece and was very popular.

The other work on this disc, The Spider's Feast, is a ballet from 1913. The scene is set in the corner of a garden and depicts the goings on of the insect life. Roussel loved the natural world and his inspiration shows in this work. The insects are meant to represent human emotions with the spider, with an insatiable appetite, done in by his own excesses. The music is very charming and impressionistic in its writing, sounding as if influenced by Debussy.

Customer Reviews:

Cluytens FOREVER!!.......2006-04-23

About 20 years ago, I was a musician wannabi and anxious to find unknown but cool French music. I was a big fan of Cluytens also. French music is so tasty when it is played by French musicians.
Then I met it. Albert Roussel played by Cluytens and Orchestre de la Soci?t? des Concerts du Conservatoire. C'est parfait!

Albert Roussel is not as a famous composer as Debussy or Ravel but his music has something which most of music by French composers doesn't have. His orchestration is heavy that give his music vividness. However there is a sense which connects to impressionism.
His music is like, I think, between impressionism and late romanticism such as Wargner or Shoenberg in his early days.

Then Cluytens. As I experienced he and Orchestre de la Soci?t? des Concerts du Conservatoire, no conductor and no orchestra touches in my mind to listen to la musique francais. It is pity because both of them do not exist any more.

My favorite pieces in this CD are Symphony Nos.3 and Bacchus et Ariane. The beginning of Symphony Nos.3 was very strong and impressive, that is very different from typical French music sound. Bacchus et Ariane has more impressionism sound, the theme of the ballet is often composed by French composers, Greek myths. There is, however, not only impression of shadow of myth but also dynamics of the story.

Another Testament to Great Reissues.......2003-06-01

In this era of homogenized classical collections, it is great to see a label like Testament rescue gems from the vaults of labels like EMI and reissue them on CD. This CD presents orchestral pieces by under-appreciated French composer Albert Roussel, performed by the great Andre Cluytens and the Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire in golden stereo recordings from the mid-1960s. Cluytens had a great reputation as an interpreter of French music, and it shows here. I only have a few other Roussel CDs (there aren't a lot of choices out there), but I prefer Cluytens' performances of the Symphonies to those I own by Karajan, Bernstein and Munch. These are my first recordings of the Bacchus et Ariane Suite and the Sinfonietta, and they are delightful (though note that they were previously issued on CD by EMI on the Andre Cluytens "Artist Profile" collection). In all, this disc is yet another "testament" to a great reissue program.

Roussel: Festin de l'araignée Op17; Bacchus et Ariane Op43

Average customer rating:

A Great Roussel Collection

Roussel: Festin de l'araignée Op17; Bacchus et Ariane Op43

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000J7OU
Release Date: 1999-06-08

Tracks:

Le Festin de l'Araignee, Pantomime Ballet Op. 17 - The Spider's Feast: Part One, Prelude - Various Artists
Le Festin de l'Araignee, Pantomime Ballet Op. 17 - The Spider's Feast: Part Two, - Various Artists
Sinfonietta For String Orchestra Op. 52: Allegro molto - Various Artists
Sinfonietta For String Orchestra Op. 52: Andante - Allegro - Various Artists
Bacchus et Ariane, Ballet In Two Acts Op. 43: Act I - Various Artists
Bacchus et Ariane, Ballet In Two Acts Op. 43: Act II - Various Artists

Tracks:

Pour une Fete de printemps Op. 22 - Orchestre National De L'O.R.T.F.
Petite Suite Op. 39: Aubade - Orchestre National De L'O.R.T.F.
Petite Suite Op. 39: Pastorale - Orchestre National De L'O.R.T.F.
Petite Suite Op. 39: Mascarade - Orchestre National De L'O.R.T.F.
Suite In F (F-dur - fa majeur) Op. 33: Prelude - Orchestre National De L'O.R.T.F.
Suite In F (F-dur - fa majeur) Op. 33: Sarabande - Orchestre National De L'O.R.T.F.
Suite In F (F-dur - fa majeur) Op. 33: Gigue - Orchestre National De L'O.R.T.F.
Aenas, Ballet In One Act Op. 54: Aeneas, Ballet In One Act Op. 54 - Orchestre National De L'O.R.T.F.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Roussel Collection.......2007-04-06

This two-disc collection of the music of Albert Roussel has been released on other CDs (I had the Dutoit disc). These are marvelous performances of Roussel's music. The first piece - Le festin de l'Araignee (or the Spider's Feast) - was composed in 1912. It is an example of Roussel's music that describes nature that he became known for and earned him the label of an "Impressionist." The ballet consists of a series of scenes having to do with insect life in a garden with the spider as the main focus of attention. One by one, insects are trapped in the spider's web, and the spider performs a dance when he captures each victim. However, alas for the spider, he falls prey to a mantis. The ballet was a brilliant success and contains some beautiful music evoking the garden and the creatures that inhabit it.

The Sinfonietta is a pleasant short work for string orchestra, cast in two movements. It was composed in 1934 and has no stated program but seems to have been inspired by French Baroque dances. The ballet Bacchus et Ariane (1930) is among Roussel's masterpieces and for a time vied in popularity with Maurice Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe. The ballet, composed in 1930, is in two acts and is characterized by ravishing melodies and an imaginative use of brass and percussion. The story of the ballet comes from the ancient story of Ariadne, who is left on the island of Naxos, asleep, by Theseus on the voyage home to Athens from Crete after the slaying of the Minotaur. In the second act, Ariadne is desperate over her plight and attempts suicide when she is rescued by Bacchus, who falls in love with her. The ballet ends with a thrilling Bacchanale as the god crowns Ariadne with stars. This performance of the ballet by Charles Dutoit and the Orchestre de Paris is among the best and remains my favorite for the dynamic quality of the performance.

The second disc begins with three shorter works: Pour en Fete de printemps (1920), the Petite Suite (1929) and Suite en Fa (1926). Pour en Fete de printemps has an air of mystery: a slow introduction gives way to a dance that becomes more energetic as the music progresses. Then, the music slows becoming more reflective before the tempo quickens and the music slowly dies away. The Petite Suite is in three short movements and is Roussel at his most playful and engaging. The movements are fast, slow Pastorale, followed by a fast and stately Mascarade. The Suite en Fa is based on French baroque dances and consists of a Prelude, Sarabande and Gigue. It is a lively suite that is pure Roussel with inventive harmonies and bracing rhythms. The ballet Aeneas (1935) is about 40 minutes long and makes use of a chorus with a large orchestra, and is about the trials that the Sybil orders the Trojan hero to perform. The hero must face solitude and Dido figures as the main temptation and her dance is scored with a solo viola. The chorus has a major role in the ballet and the music is more astringent and reflective than Roussel's previous ballets but contains some remarkable melodies, among them the warrior's dance that concludes the Prelude. Aeneas has not been a popular ballet which is perhaps due to its theme of the renunciation of earthly pleasures.

Both discs are well-filled with over 75 minutes of music. The performances, conducted buy Jean Martinon, Charles Dutoit and Jean-Francis Paillard, are excellent and well-recorded although the sound for Pour en Fete de printemps is a bit dry. This is a must-have disc for anyone interested in Albert Roussel's music.

Ibert: Divertissement, Escales / Faure: Pavane, Pelleas et Melisande

Average customer rating:

For the Ibert Ports of Call
Fun French Collection

Ibert: Divertissement, Escales / Faure: Pavane, Pelleas et Melisande

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Opera & Vocal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000029RV
Release Date: 1996-09-24

Tracks:

Divertissement - Un chapeau de paille d'Italie: Introduction. Allegro Vivo - Philadelphia Orchestra
Divertissement - Un chapeau de paille d'Italie: Cortege. Moderato molto - Animato subito - Philadelphia Orchestra
Divertissement - Un chapeau de paille d'Italieene Ormandy: Nocturne. Lento - Philadelphia Orchestra
Divertissement - Un chapeau de paille d'Italie: Valse. Animato assai - Tempo di valzer - Philadelphia Orchestra
Divertissement - Un chapeau de paille d'Italie: Parade. Tempo de marcia - Philadelphia Orchestra
Divertissement - Un chapeau de paille d'Italie: Finale. Quasi cadenza - Vivo ( Tempo di galop) - Philadelphia Orchestra
Divertissement - Un chapeau de paille d'Italie: Palermo. Calme - Assez anime - 1 Mouvement - Philadelphia Orchestra
Divertissement - Un chapeau de paille d'Italie: Tunis - Nefta. Modere tres rythme - Philadelphia Orchestra
Divertissement - Un chapeau de paille d'Italie: Valencia. Anime - Legerement moins anime - Modere - Mouvement du debut - Philadelphia Orchestra
Pelleas et Melisande, Op. 80: Prelude. Quasi Adagio - New Philharmonia Orchestra
Pelleas et Melisande, Op. 80: La Fileuse, Andantino quasi Allegretto - New Philharmonia Orchestra
Pelleas et Melisande, Op. 80: Sicilienne (de Pelleas et Melisande) Allegretto molto moderato - New Philharmonia Orchestra
Pelleas et Melisande, Op. 80: Molto adagio (La mort de Melisande) - New Philharmonia Orchestra
Pavane, Op. 50: Andante molto moderato - New Philharmonia Orchestra
Bacchus et Ariane, Suite No. 2: Act II - Philadelphia Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

For the Ibert Ports of Call.......2005-12-02

In the opening of the Ibert Escales Ormandy and the Philadelphia string section leave all other versions in the dust, including the Boston version. The only version that remotely compares is by (Surprise!) Stowkowski, who created the Philadelphia as a major orchestra. The other performances are good, but it's the opening string passage from the Ports of Call by Ibert that has crossed over into phonograph history.

Fun French Collection.......2001-04-01

This Sony Essential Classics disc collects the works of three late nineteenth and early twentieth century French composers -- Jacques Ibert, Gabriel Faure and Albert Roussel. The CD opens with Ibert's "Divertissement," a whimsical piece of incidental music from a comedy called "Un chapeau de paille d'Italie." Next is the collection's most recognizable composition, Ibert's "Escales," or as it is also known, "Ports of Call." The performance here by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra is every bit the equal of Charles Munch's version on the magnificent RCA Living Stereo album featuring Saint-Saens' "Organ" Symphony. Next is the only non-Ormandy conducted piece, Faure's incidental piece "Pelleas et Melisande," performed by Andrew Davis and the New Philharmonia Orchestra. Faure's delightful, lyrical "Pavane" is next, and the collection concludes with Roussel's atmospheric "Bacchus et Ariane, Suite No. 2." In all, this might not be the most "Essential" of the Sony Essential Classics series, but it is an enjoyable disc all the same.

Roussel: Bacchus et Ariane Suite No. 1; Suk: Ripening; Martinu: Concerto Grosso

Average customer rating:

Roussel: Bacchus et Ariane Suite No. 1; Suk: Ripening; Martinu: Concerto Grosso

Manufacturer: Multisonic Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000026001
Release Date: 2000-07-25

Average customer rating:

Roussel: Bacchus et Ariane; Suite en fa

Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000E6T0
Release Date: 1989-03-21

Roussel: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4; Bacchus & Ariane: Suite No. 2; Sinfonietta

Average customer rating:

Tempi too fast!

Roussel: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4; Bacchus & Ariane: Suite No. 2; Sinfonietta

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3 in G Minor, Op. 42: I. Allegro vivo
Symphony No. 3 in G Minor, Op. 42: II. Adagio - Andante - Adagio molto
Symphony No. 3 in G Minor, Op. 42: III. Vivace
Symphony No. 3 in G Minor, Op. 42: IV. Allegro con spirito
Bacchus et Ariane Op. 43: Second Orchestral Suite
Sinfonietta, Op. 52: I. Allegro molto
Sinfonietta, Op. 52: II. Andante
Sinfonietta, Op. 52: III. Allegro
Symphony No. 4, Op. 53: I. Lento - Allegro con brio
Symphony No. 4, Op. 53: II. Lento molto
Symphony No. 4, Op. 53: III. Allegro scherzando
Symphony No. 4, Op. 53: IV. Allegro molto

Amazon.com

Here is the essential Roussel, on one well-filled disc. You get his two most popular orchestral masterpieces--the Third Symphony and Bacchus-- along with two more major late works. Both symphonies are among the finest examples of the form by a French composer, being short, compact, intensely rhythmic neoclassical essays of great expressiveness and power. The ballet suite is simply a knockout--some 18 minutes of pure physical motion translated into sound. Finally there's the witty and elegant Sinfonietta--a tiny little celebration for string orchestra. Neeme Järvi's performances are as direct and exciting as can be. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Tempi too fast!.......2006-10-03

Jaervi can be wonderful with this kind of repertory -- I heard an overwhelming live performance of the Prokofiev Third Symphony with the NY Philharmonic some years ago, with tremendous kinetic power and orchestral brilliance -- but he takes these pieces far too fast for them to breathe. Even Boulez, not known for his Romantic slowness, is less brisk than Jaervi (Boulez' first two movements of Symphony No. 3 are each a minute slower than these performances). Consequently the climaxes, esp. in the 4th Symphony, feel terribly rushed and robbed of power. Munch or Cluytens are preferable. Technically good, but interpretatively not the best. Roussel needs more leisure for his earthy, Flemish strength to be felt, and for the harmonic, contrapuntal and coloristic richness to be properly heard. (There is also a deep elegiac sadness to the 4th Symphony which doesn't come out at these speeds.)