Roussel - Symphony No. 3
Roussel - Bacchus et Ariane
Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Denève
Naxos 8570245

Release date May 2007

The RSNO’s new music director Stéphane Denève has made no secret of his affinity with the music of his native land. Several concerts in the RSNO’s 2006/07 season included French works, among them Roussel’s Symphony no. 3. Albert Roussel studied with D’Indy and absorbed the Impressionist tendencies of such composers as Debussy and Ravel, but it is the influence of Stravinsky’s neo-classical music that comes across most clearly in this programme. The symphony is an immediately likeable work, driving rhythms alternating with expressively tranquil themes. The serene solo violin introduced towards the end of the second movement reappears in the last movement, enhancing the beauty of the music before the finale regains its momentum. The two suites that make up the ballet Bacchus et Ariane date from the same period (1930) and are similar in style to the symphony. Bacchus’s ultimately successful wooing of Ariane gives the composer plenty scope for energetic dances, interludes of sensuous languor and moments of uninhibited Bacchanalian frenzy. The RSNO, obviously inspired by its conductor’s enthusiasm for the works, gives pulsating performances. If you have not yet sampled any of Roussel’s music, this is the disc to start with!

Reviewed by Anne McAlister