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Track Listings
| 1. Complete Ballet - Royal Scottish National Orchestra |
| 2. Padmavati Ballet Suites - Royal Scottish National Orchestra |
Product Description
Review
During Stéphane Denève s almost completed reign as music director, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra has become a persuasive advocate of French Romantic music. This disc completes its invaluable five-album survey of Albert Roussel, a contemporary of Debussy and Ravel. You can hear that as well as exotic Eastern influences in his ballet-pantomime,The Spider's Banquet, and two suites from Padmavati, his opera-ballet. These are idiomatic, genial performances of attractive and unfairly neglected early 20th-century repertoire. *** --Sunday Times,08/01/12
Roussel's personal perspective on Impressionism, which colours what is perhaps his most familiar work, The Spider's Banquet, is laced with exotic inflections in the five pieces from his opera-ballet, Padmâvatî, based on Hindu legend and inspired by Roussel's sojourn in India and south-east Asia. Both are given vibrant life by the RSNO and Denève, with plenty of graphic detail deriving from Roussel's skilful musical depiction of everyday war and peace in the insect world. **** --Telegraph,13/01/12
One of the great colourists of the 20th-century French school, Albert Roussel (1869-1937) was thought old-fashioned because he followed in the path of Debussy and Ravel. But as can be heard from this gorgeous disc his contribution was highly individual. The opera Padmâvatî is famed more for its music than its drama, and the two suites are nicely exotic. The real find here is Roussel's 1913 ballet-pantomime The Spider's Banquet, which used to be heard quite often. It captures the insect life of a garden: ants, butterflies, spiders, buzzing mayflies, cheerful ants; there's even an entrée for dung beetles. Stéphane Denève's sprightly RSNO matches Roussel's sophisticated inventiveness. --Observer,15/01/12
It is wonderful to hear the Suites in such stylish performances. Performance **** Recording **** --BBC Music Magazine,Feb'12
One of the great colourists of the 20th-century French school, Albert Roussel (1869-1937) was thought old-fashioned because he followed in the path of Debussy and Ravel. But as can be heard from this gorgeous disc his contribution was highly individual. The opera Padmâvatî is famed more for its music than its drama, and the two suites are nicely exotic. The real find here is Roussel's 1913 ballet-pantomime The Spider's Banquet, which used to be heard quite often. It captures the insect life of a garden: ants, butterflies, spiders, buzzing mayflies, cheerful ants; there's even an entrée for dung beetles. Stéphane Denève's sprightly RSNO matches Roussel's sophisticated inventiveness. --Observer,15/01/12
Roussel's balletic expose of seething life in the insect world receives a vibrant performance from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Stephane Deneve, completing their five volume survey of Roussel's orchestral music...syncopated rhythms, exotic melody and the stark gestures apt to a tale of savagery and sacrifice, graphically defined in this performance. --Gramophone,Mar'12
One of the great colourists of the 20th-century French school, Albert Roussel (1869-1937) was thought old-fashioned because he followed in the path of Debussy and Ravel. But as can be heard from this gorgeous disc his contribution was highly individual. The opera Padmâvatî is famed more for its music than its drama, and the two suites are nicely exotic. The real find here is Roussel's 1913 ballet-pantomime The Spider's Banquet, which used to be heard quite often. It captures the insect life of a garden: ants, butterflies, spiders, buzzing mayflies, cheerful ants; there's even an entrée for dung beetles. Stéphane Denève's sprightly RSNO matches Roussel's sophisticated inventiveness. --Observer,15/01/12
This finely judged ,beautifully played performance-blessed with clear and immediate sound-is the bee's knees, which demonstrates much painstaking work on the musician's part to bring expressive meaning and clarity of scoring to such charming, imaginative and skilled music. This is a first-class issue. --IRR,Feb'12
One of the great colourists of the 20th-century French school, Albert Roussel (1869-1937) was thought old-fashioned because he followed in the path of Debussy and Ravel. But as can be heard from this gorgeous disc his contribution was highly individual. The opera Padmâvatî is famed more for its music than its drama, and the two suites are nicely exotic. The real find here is Roussel's 1913 ballet-pantomime The Spider's Banquet, which used to be heard quite often. It captures the insect life of a garden: ants, butterflies, spiders, buzzing mayflies, cheerful ants; there's even an entrée for dung beetles. Stéphane Denève's sprightly RSNO matches Roussel's sophisticated inventiveness. --Observer,15/01/12
Roussel's personal perspective on Impressionism, which colours what is perhaps his most familiar work, The Spider's Banquet, is laced with exotic inflections in the five pieces from his opera-ballet, Padmâvatî, based on Hindu legend and inspired by Roussel's sojourn in India and south-east Asia. Both are given vibrant life by the RSNO and Denève, with plenty of graphic detail deriving from Roussel's skilful musical depiction of everyday war and peace in the insect world. **** --Telegraph,13/01/12
One of the great colourists of the 20th-century French school, Albert Roussel (1869-1937) was thought old-fashioned because he followed in the path of Debussy and Ravel. But as can be heard from this gorgeous disc his contribution was highly individual. The opera Padmâvatî is famed more for its music than its drama, and the two suites are nicely exotic. The real find here is Roussel's 1913 ballet-pantomime The Spider's Banquet, which used to be heard quite often. It captures the insect life of a garden: ants, butterflies, spiders, buzzing mayflies, cheerful ants; there's even an entrée for dung beetles. Stéphane Denève's sprightly RSNO matches Roussel's sophisticated inventiveness. --Observer,15/01/12
It is wonderful to hear the Suites in such stylish performances. Performance **** Recording **** --BBC Music Magazine,Feb'12
One of the great colourists of the 20th-century French school, Albert Roussel (1869-1937) was thought old-fashioned because he followed in the path of Debussy and Ravel. But as can be heard from this gorgeous disc his contribution was highly individual. The opera Padmâvatî is famed more for its music than its drama, and the two suites are nicely exotic. The real find here is Roussel's 1913 ballet-pantomime The Spider's Banquet, which used to be heard quite often. It captures the insect life of a garden: ants, butterflies, spiders, buzzing mayflies, cheerful ants; there's even an entrée for dung beetles. Stéphane Denève's sprightly RSNO matches Roussel's sophisticated inventiveness. --Observer,15/01/12
Roussel's balletic expose of seething life in the insect world receives a vibrant performance from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Stephane Deneve, completing their five volume survey of Roussel's orchestral music...syncopated rhythms, exotic melody and the stark gestures apt to a tale of savagery and sacrifice, graphically defined in this performance. --Gramophone,Mar'12
One of the great colourists of the 20th-century French school, Albert Roussel (1869-1937) was thought old-fashioned because he followed in the path of Debussy and Ravel. But as can be heard from this gorgeous disc his contribution was highly individual. The opera Padmâvatî is famed more for its music than its drama, and the two suites are nicely exotic. The real find here is Roussel's 1913 ballet-pantomime The Spider's Banquet, which used to be heard quite often. It captures the insect life of a garden: ants, butterflies, spiders, buzzing mayflies, cheerful ants; there's even an entrée for dung beetles. Stéphane Denève's sprightly RSNO matches Roussel's sophisticated inventiveness. --Observer,15/01/12
This finely judged ,beautifully played performance-blessed with clear and immediate sound-is the bee's knees, which demonstrates much painstaking work on the musician's part to bring expressive meaning and clarity of scoring to such charming, imaginative and skilled music. This is a first-class issue. --IRR,Feb'12
One of the great colourists of the 20th-century French school, Albert Roussel (1869-1937) was thought old-fashioned because he followed in the path of Debussy and Ravel. But as can be heard from this gorgeous disc his contribution was highly individual. The opera Padmâvatî is famed more for its music than its drama, and the two suites are nicely exotic. The real find here is Roussel's 1913 ballet-pantomime The Spider's Banquet, which used to be heard quite often. It captures the insect life of a garden: ants, butterflies, spiders, buzzing mayflies, cheerful ants; there's even an entrée for dung beetles. Stéphane Denève's sprightly RSNO matches Roussel's sophisticated inventiveness. --Observer,15/01/12
Product Description
Le festin de l'araignée - Padmâvatî / Royal Scottish National Orchestra - Stéphane Denève, direction
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By BRAVONIUM
Format:Audio CD
I heard an excerpt from this recording on C D Review on Radio 3 last Saturday and knew immediately that I had to have it !!! This brand-new CD duly arrived with me a few days ago and I can honestly say that this is going to be my record of the year. I doubt very much if anything could displace it in the months to come. I have listened to excerpts of all the other recorded works by Albert Roussel on iTunes since I ordered this disk, and "The Spider's Feast" does seem to be quite by far the most approachable of Roussel's works, with a most delightful scenario - and above all it contains some truly ravishing music right from the very beginning. The whole thing is utterly magical. Stéphane Denève is on stunning and sparkling form and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra plays absolutely beautifully. But perhaps the greatest accolade ought to go to the the producer and recording engineer Tim Handley. The sound is ravishing - and the dynamic range is astonishing and brilliant. I would rate the recorded sound as quite the best in my entire record collection to date - it is that good !!! The Padmâvatî Suites are a good coupling but the Composer does not equal the extraordinary degree of inspired writing which he achieved in "The Spider's Banquet". It is good to have them none-the-less. I ordered this marvellous CD from Amazon.com ( UK ) for £4.68 ( post free ) - which I must rate as my bargain of the Century so far !!! I recommend this recording to you unreservedly - I am sure you will be as amazed and thrilled as I certainly am !!! Bravo to all concerned !!!!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.7 out of 5 stars
3 reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential for fans of 20th Century French music
11 Feb 2012
By B. Guerrero
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD
What a find! There have been a few blast-from-the past recordings of "The Spider's Feast", most notably a Supraphon one with Serge Baudo leading the Czech Philharmonic (I have no idea of its current status). But this one surpasses any that I've heard previously in every respect. The conducting and playing are thoroughly idiomatic for Roussel's interesting combination of French delicacy - much in the manner of Debussy or Ravel - and Stravinsky-like, neoclassical rhythmic 'chugging'. As David Hurwitz points out in his review for Classicstoday.com, Roussel gets an astonishing range of colors out of a relatively small orchestra.
What puts this release over the top for me is the inclusion of an equally interesting suite from Rossel's pseudo/quasi-oriental opera "Padmavati". You won't hear any gamelan music as in Benjamin Britten's "Prince of the Pagodas", but there are some slight hints of eastern exoticism. In a sense, it's almost like hearing another "Spider's Feast", but completely different from a thematic (melodic) standpoint. Anyone who gets the slightest enjoyment out of Debussy, Ravel, Chabrier, Dukas, Massenet, etc. (not to mention Roussel's own 3rd symphony), should add this disc to their collection. There's nothing in this release not to like.
What puts this release over the top for me is the inclusion of an equally interesting suite from Rossel's pseudo/quasi-oriental opera "Padmavati". You won't hear any gamelan music as in Benjamin Britten's "Prince of the Pagodas", but there are some slight hints of eastern exoticism. In a sense, it's almost like hearing another "Spider's Feast", but completely different from a thematic (melodic) standpoint. Anyone who gets the slightest enjoyment out of Debussy, Ravel, Chabrier, Dukas, Massenet, etc. (not to mention Roussel's own 3rd symphony), should add this disc to their collection. There's nothing in this release not to like.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Roussel's "Spider's Banquet" provides an aural feast
14 Feb 2012
By Digital Chips, Inc.
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Audio CD
Stéphane Denève and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conclude their survey of Roussel's orchestral music with two important stage works: La festin de l'araignée, and the suites from the opera Padmâvatî. The previous four volumes from Naxos each focused on a Roussel symphony, filling in with shorter orchestral works.
This time the centerpiece is his most popular ballet score, La festin de l'araignée (The Spider's Banquet). This 1912 ballet-pantomime depicts insect life in a garden (especially those trapped in the spider's web). Its impressionistic score reminds me somewhat of Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, only in sharper focus.
The performance features the complete score, and the 32-minute work moves along briskly. Denève and RSNO dig into the lush harmonies and sparkling orchestration with gusto. It's easy to understand the popularity of the work based on their performance.
The remainder of the album is devoted to two orchestral suites Roussel extracted from his opera-ballet Padmâvatî. Based on a tragic Indian legend, the score is full of exotic color and melodies. As might be expected, the music is much more serious and dramatic than the lighthearted Spider's Banquet. The orchestral suites are full of appealing music, though it sometimes sounded to me like Mussorgsky with a French accent.
If you've been following Denève's Roussel cycle, you'll be happy to know this release makes a fine conclusion to the series. The ensemble and conductor turn in some fine performances that match the quality of those in the previous volumes.
If you're not familiar with Roussel, this disc might be a good place to start. The Spider's Banquet just may entice you into Roussel's charming musical web.
This time the centerpiece is his most popular ballet score, La festin de l'araignée (The Spider's Banquet). This 1912 ballet-pantomime depicts insect life in a garden (especially those trapped in the spider's web). Its impressionistic score reminds me somewhat of Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, only in sharper focus.
The performance features the complete score, and the 32-minute work moves along briskly. Denève and RSNO dig into the lush harmonies and sparkling orchestration with gusto. It's easy to understand the popularity of the work based on their performance.
The remainder of the album is devoted to two orchestral suites Roussel extracted from his opera-ballet Padmâvatî. Based on a tragic Indian legend, the score is full of exotic color and melodies. As might be expected, the music is much more serious and dramatic than the lighthearted Spider's Banquet. The orchestral suites are full of appealing music, though it sometimes sounded to me like Mussorgsky with a French accent.
If you've been following Denève's Roussel cycle, you'll be happy to know this release makes a fine conclusion to the series. The ensemble and conductor turn in some fine performances that match the quality of those in the previous volumes.
If you're not familiar with Roussel, this disc might be a good place to start. The Spider's Banquet just may entice you into Roussel's charming musical web.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Get this for the "Padmâvatî"
29 April 2013
By Classic Music Lover
- Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase
I love this recording. It's part of a series of Roussel orchestral works from NAXOS featuring conductor Stéphane Denève and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Maestro Denève is a "natural" in this music, and his entire Roussel series has been uniformly excellent.
The Spider's Feast is given here in the complete ballet version, which contains about twice as much music as the more famous "symphonic fragments" extracted by the composer shortly after the ballet's premiere. In my opinion, the "fragments" contain the best music in the score. In those selections, Maestro Denève is on par with some of the great French conductors who have seen fit to record this music over the years - Cluytens, Paray, Prêtre and others. Still, it is very nice to have a new recording of the complete ballet, and this performance is right up there with Jean Martinon's account on EMI that dates back 30+ years.
Despite the considerable charms of the Spider's Feast ballet, it's the two suites from Roussel's "opera-ballet" Padmâvatî that are the main reason to nab this recording. Simply put, they are stunning pieces of music, and they're given a stunning performance here by Denève and his orchestra. This is music that's mesmerizing and thrilling - and you'll find yourself returning to it again and again. It proves that Saint-Saens and Florent Schmitt weren't the only French composers writing compelling music based on oriental themes - in this case, inspired by the Indian sub-continent.
For "total completists" who would like to investigate the entire opera, the EMI recording featuring Marilyn Horne, Nicolai Gedda and José van Dam with Michel Plasson and the Toulouse Capitole Orchestra is essential. But these two suites prepared by the composer shortly after the work's premiere in 1923 were an attempt to ensure that some of the most exciting dance bits would have a future in the concert hall.
Roussel's hopes were not realized, as the Padmâvatî Suites have had precious little attention over the years - and no other recordings that I'm aware of. This makes conductor Denève's recording so very welcome - and doubly so since the performance is terrifically exciting - really top-drawer in every respect.
Kudos to NAXOS for releasing yet another winning recording - and for making it possible for music lovers to explore such rarefied repertoire at a very modest price. In short, this one is a winner.
The Spider's Feast is given here in the complete ballet version, which contains about twice as much music as the more famous "symphonic fragments" extracted by the composer shortly after the ballet's premiere. In my opinion, the "fragments" contain the best music in the score. In those selections, Maestro Denève is on par with some of the great French conductors who have seen fit to record this music over the years - Cluytens, Paray, Prêtre and others. Still, it is very nice to have a new recording of the complete ballet, and this performance is right up there with Jean Martinon's account on EMI that dates back 30+ years.
Despite the considerable charms of the Spider's Feast ballet, it's the two suites from Roussel's "opera-ballet" Padmâvatî that are the main reason to nab this recording. Simply put, they are stunning pieces of music, and they're given a stunning performance here by Denève and his orchestra. This is music that's mesmerizing and thrilling - and you'll find yourself returning to it again and again. It proves that Saint-Saens and Florent Schmitt weren't the only French composers writing compelling music based on oriental themes - in this case, inspired by the Indian sub-continent.
For "total completists" who would like to investigate the entire opera, the EMI recording featuring Marilyn Horne, Nicolai Gedda and José van Dam with Michel Plasson and the Toulouse Capitole Orchestra is essential. But these two suites prepared by the composer shortly after the work's premiere in 1923 were an attempt to ensure that some of the most exciting dance bits would have a future in the concert hall.
Roussel's hopes were not realized, as the Padmâvatî Suites have had precious little attention over the years - and no other recordings that I'm aware of. This makes conductor Denève's recording so very welcome - and doubly so since the performance is terrifically exciting - really top-drawer in every respect.
Kudos to NAXOS for releasing yet another winning recording - and for making it possible for music lovers to explore such rarefied repertoire at a very modest price. In short, this one is a winner.
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4.7 out of 5 stars
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