Roussel: The Spider's Feast

 

Two years after Naxos released a 4CD set of French composer Albert Roussel's four symphonies with accompanying orchestral works (BLOG), what a surprise to receive a further recording from the same orchestra and conductor. This was to be the fifth and last recording of Roussel from this team.

Most older-sourced recordings of the ballet The Spider's Feast provide the symphonic fragments version, a 15-minute roundup of various parts of the orchestral music. More recent recordings prefer the entire score to the ballet, and I must say there is nothing here which feels as if it should be cut.

Essentially, the ballet contains a collection of dances for various insects living their lives in a garden. This gives Roussel plenty of fodder to characterize entomological musical sequences of great variety. Stretched across the first portion are introductions to the bug society and each individual team of insects' roles within it. A stray butterfly becomes trapped in the spider's web, introducing the antagonist of the ballet. The second part deals with the lifespan of a Mayfly, a neat variation coming from the first part. The whole work concludes on an Arthropod funeral for the Mayfly, while the Spider is dealt away with by the Praying Mantis as well.

The music is expectedly a colorful score, yet is rather light in tone and texture. If Bacchus and Ariadne reminded me of Ravel, this one does too, but maybe without as strong of a musical profile in contrast. Yet, so too is the subject matter much lighter in tone than the Greek tragedies common of French ballets.

The playing of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra is predictably excellent, as has been the case in all of Stéphane Denève's volumes of Roussel. My one wish would be for a more present-sounding harp and celesta, instruments which simply get lost in the orchestral fray. With such delicate writing, this music cries out for a harp to find its way into the texture of the music.

Lest I forget, the two orchestral suites from the instrumental sections of the opera Padmâvatî are included. I can't say I know much about this piece, but coming from the same compositional time period as Spider from Roussel, the music continues to be decidedly atmospheric. There is an exotic element as well, inspired by the composer's travels to India, but any exoticisms are subtle or of Roussel's own talents, rather than anything derivative of Indian music for pure entertainment or cultural exploitation.

I am not surprised Le Festin de l'Araignée has become Roussel's most cherished score. It is completely charming music with enough story and characterful musical connections to the listener as to win over even the most jaded of us. I might not be a particular enthusiast of Impressionism in Classical Music, but Roussel, like Ravel, avoids many of that genre's traps successfully. Too bad this performance wasn't included in the 4CD symphony set on Naxos.

 

Works
The Spider's Banquet, op. 17 (32.26)
Padmâvatî, op. 18 (22.27)
  •  Suite no. 1 (12.16)
  •  Suite no. 2 (10.11)

Ensembles
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Stéphane Denève, conductor

Label: Naxos
Year: 2012
Total Timing: 54.53

 

  

 

Rather short timing, yet beautiful music making in rather lovely ballet scores. It is all rather light and charming in a more vivid, but Impressionistic influence.

Make another notch for the RSNO and Stéphane Denève!

 

 

 

 

Find more Roussel recordings HERE!