# SS 18.01.20 - Roussel #2



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening!

For your listening pleasure this weekend:*

Albert Roussel (1869 - 1937)*

Symphony No. 2 In B-flat Major, Op. 23
1. Lent - Moins lent - lent - moins lent - moderement anime
2. Modere
3. Tres lent - moins lent - tres lent - modere - tres lent - moins lent - moderement anime - plus anime

---------------------

Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!


----------



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Another weekend is upon us and another symphony is up for your listening enjoyment. This weekend it's French composer Albert Roussel's Second Symphony. I'm not familiar with any of Roussel's works other than his third so I'm looking forward to giving this one a spin. I hope everyone can join in and give this one a try.

I'll be listening to this one:




Charles Dutoit/Orchestre National de France


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I have the Naxos CD conducted by Stephane Deneve.


----------



## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

Dutoit and Deneve are both good. I'll listen to Janowski as I haven't heard him do Roussel before.


----------



## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

I will listen this one.


----------



## Alfacharger (Dec 6, 2013)

This one of my favorite symphonies. I have this recording.


----------



## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

same Erato disc for me with Dutoit


----------



## Bill Cooke (May 20, 2017)

I like Roussel's symphonies quite a lot. Janowski AND Dutoit for me.


----------



## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

cougarjuno said:


> same Erato disc for me with Dutoit


Same here ............


----------



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

As others, I've gone with Dutoit (with a different cover). I like Roussel's symphonies.


----------



## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Mine is by Bernstein from this ..

View attachment 129124


View attachment 129125


----------



## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Double post for some reason. 

But I have now listened to it - a very fine work IMO.


----------



## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Enthusiast said:


> Double post for some reason.
> 
> But I have now listened to it - a very fine work IMO.


Are you sure that you've heard Roussel symphony No. 2 Enthusiast ?
The back says otherwise.


----------



## Rtnrlfy (Apr 26, 2016)

Currently listening to the Janowski recording... Roussel's work is new to me so looking forward to this.


----------



## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Rogerx said:


> Are you sure that you've heard Roussel symphony No. 2 Enthusiast ?
> The back says otherwise.


Ha - I'm getting senile it seems. I listened to #3. Too late for today but I seem to remember liking 3 most so not really a loss! Maybe tomorrow for #2 ... it'll be Dutoit's.


----------



## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Orchestre Collone/Pierre Dervaux. I like the work, but if I'm honest I prefer the more economical 3rd and 4th.


----------



## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I'm listening to the Naxos recording. I've been dithering on purchasing this set for about a month, so thanks for the incentive to hear this one.


----------



## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Merl said:


> As others, I've gone with Dutoit (with a different cover). I like Roussel's symphonies.
> 
> View attachment 129123


That's the set I have - time to dig it out.


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I was totally unfamiliar with this symphony. Listened first to Dutoit/Orchestre National de France and then a second time to Denève/Royal Scottish National Orchestra. The latter seemed to have clearer sound and was easier to follow.

This is a big beefy symphony with three movements, a span of over half an hour, and a somewhat unremitting seriousness. There’s plenty of variety, a lot of good ideas, sometimes striking orchestration, and certainly the ability to hold one’s attention. But if it’s not in the first rank of symphonies of its time, there may be some good reasons: First, there are few spots where the music leaps out at you with really startling new ideas; second, it’s hard to sense the often interesting detail as arising from a larger underlying musical logic; and third, due to the frequent changes in tempo and time signature (or for whatever reason) it’s difficult to discern a strong overall musical narrative at all.

Which is not to bash the symphony – it’s pretty good, but (to me) definitely second-tier. Kudos, though, for some really good work in the fast parts of the scherzo!


----------



## Dirge (Apr 10, 2012)

Symphony No. 2 (1921)
:: Jean Martinon/Orchestre national de l'ORTF [Erato '69]





This is an extremely eclectic and varied 40-minute symphony into which Roussel throws everything, including the kitchen sink. It's a Janus/transitional work with charactistics of all of Roussel's music-past, present, and future-present in various measures and states of development. Indeed, it often sounds like an internal tug of war to the death between the Late Romanticism/French Impressionism of the composer's past and the gruff chromatic neoclassicism of his future. With every tug this way or that, the dense, intricate music morphs into some new hybrid of these opposing forces that's more complex and interesting and compelling for the internal strife. I'm rarely sure of what form the outer movements are in at any given moment, but they have a constantly striving/struggling feel about them within a brooding and despairing moody atmosphere. The middle movement is effectively a scherzo & trio that's lighter in mood, but there's always a sense that Roussel is skating away on the thin ice of the new day. There are some less-tense and even cathartic episodes to be found here, the work's ending being the most profound instance, but tension/anxiety never entirely dissipates even then.

Whatever form the music takes, almost every episode reminds me, however slightly and tenuously, of some other music or composer: Debussy, Ravel, d'Indy, Dukas, Bartók, Prokofiev, Sibelius, Stravinsky, Bax, Bridge, Vaughan Williams, Shostakovich, even Roussel himself, all come to mind at one time or another, as do others. Nothing sounds derivative or paraphrased, however; it's often just a similarity in orchestration or telltale rhythmic or harmonic traits here or there, but it's just enough to kindle a fuzzy sense of recognition.

Martinon manages tension masterfully and leads the most purposeful and expressively dramatic account of this work that I've heard, generally sounding a bit less polished and suave, more rugged and elemental than the competition-Dutoit [Erato], Dervaux [EMI], Janowski [RCA], Eschenbach [Ondine], Denève [Naxos], and probably others. The recorded sound is very good on the whole, and the ORTF plays about as well as I've heard it play.


----------

