# "Evocations " By Albert Roussel - A Neglected Masterpiece !



## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

The other day, I was listening to my Supraphon CD of Roussel's "Evocations " . for orchestra, chorus and solo singers . I can't understand why this amazing work is never played ( I can't think of any recent live performances anywhere ), and why are there so few recordings of it ( only two I can think of including mine ) ? 
"Evocations " is based on the composer's. adventures in the early 20th century to the great temples of Indo - China as well as to India , which inspired his equally amazing Hindu opera "Padmavati ". 
Th work is in three parts , and the third. calls for a chorus and. Alto, tenor and baritone soloists. with a text in French which is full of flowery symbolic language . 
The first. part is entitled. "The gods in the shadows of the caverns , the second is. called "The Pink City " and the last is called. "On the banks of the sacred river ".
Is this work truly evocative ? And how ! Roussel was a master of orchestration , and while not really an "impressionist " composer he uses a large orchestra to 
conjure up an ancient world of. magnificent Hindu temples with amazing vividness . His harmonies, however, a much more spiky and dissonant (. which describes his music in general. than his 
better known contemporaries Debussy and Ravel . And there is no. stereotypical. French pseudo orientalism . 
It's always a stunning experience to. hear my recording of. this sadly neglected masterpiece . 
The Supraphonn recording features the Czech Philharmonic conducted by the late Zdenek Kosler , and while you might not expect. a Czech conductor and orchestra in this work, they all do a superb job . The excellent Czech soloists are Marie Mrazova , tenor Zdenek Svehla and baritone JIdrich Jindrak . Unfortunately, I don't know how to put up the Czech diacritical marks above the letters .
The only other recording I know of is on EMI with Michel Plasson conducting the. Toulouse Capitole orchestra et al which is also excellent and which you can hear on Youtube .
. But if you enjoy early 20th century music, don't miss "Evocations ".


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