This is the third installment in Stéphane Denève’s acclaimed
Roussel symphony cycle. I had the privilege of reviewing the
disc containing the Symphony No. 2 for this
website and am happy to have it again here. Whereas I was
not at all acquainted with the latter work, I have heard the
Symphony No. 1 a few times in the past, through Charles Dutoit’s
recording. Even more than the Second Symphony, this rarely performed
first effort on his part sounds little like the neo-classical
composer Roussel was to become in his later, and arguably greater
symphonies. Here the main influences are his teacher Vincent
d’Indy and especially Claude Debussy. Indeed, the symphony,
which has the title of Poem of the Forest, is more like an
impressionistic
four-part symphonic poem than a true symphony. The four movements
of the work portray the cycle of the seasons, as follows: The
Forest in Winter, Renewal, Summer Evening, and Fauns
and Dryads. Each movement is longer than the preceding
one, with the first movement lasting slightly more than five
minutes
and the last one over fourteen. The symphony has a somewhat
cyclic structure, too, something Roussel inherited from César
Franck, d’Indy’s teacher. The symphony ends quietly as it began.
While the symphony recalls Debussy in its delicate orchestration,
e.g., the flute and harp duet in the last movement, and its
generally impressionist mood, there are hints of the Roussel
to come. This is clear particularly in the last movement beginning
at about the 1:26 mark where one can hear a pre-echo of the
ballet The Spider’s Feast. In any case, whether one
considers this a true symphony or a symphonic poem, the work
has a lyric
beauty that sustains one’s interest throughout. Denève and
the Scottish orchestra do not disappoint either and capture
the
essence of the symphony in a performance of subtlety and warmth.
The other works on the disc are rarer still. The Symphonic
Prelude, “Resurrection”, was the first work with which Roussel made his
debut an orchestral composer. The work’s title comes from Leo
Tolstoy’s novel of the same name, but otherwise bears little
resemblance to the novel’s didacticism. It is as fully developed
in its ten-minute length and sounds much like a continuation
of the symphony with its flute and horn solos, though it is
more romantic than impressionistic in its mood. It contains
some memorable themes in the brass that call to mind Wagner’s Parsifal.
As with the symphony, it begins and ends quietly. The final
work on the disc is incidental music Roussel composed
for a pantomime, best translated as “The Sandman,” by the dramatist
George Jean-Aubry. Like the other pieces on the disc, gentleness
and a quiet mood predominate. The work is scored for flute,
clarinet, horn, harp and string quartet. Here the option of
using orchestral strings rather than a quartet is taken. Of
the three works, I found this the most like Debussy in its atmosphere
and orchestral color. It contains some ravishing horn, clarinet,
and flute solos that haunt the mind. However, listening to this
CD from beginning to end in one sitting can seem like too much
of a good thing. I think it is best to select each work separately
and pair it with a later Roussel opus or that of another composer.
As with the symphony, Denève and the orchestra do total justice
to both of these “fillers”. If I am not quite as enthusiastic
about this release as I was the earlier one in the series I
reviewed, it is largely because I did not find the programming
as interesting, as varied. The performances themselves leave
nothing to be desired. Thus, if you are collecting this series
— and all fans of Roussel should be — do not hesitate to add
this to your collection. Again, Richard Whitehouse provides
expert notes and the presentation with its cover reproduction
of The Valley of the Sedelle in Crozant by Guillaumin
is up to Naxos high standards.
Leslie Wright
see also review by Nick Barnard
Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Stéphane Denève 
