Albert Roussel - Symphony No. 2, Op. 23 (1919-21)

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Albert Charles Paul Marie Roussel (5 April 1869 - 23 August 1937) was a French composer. He spent seven years as a midshipman, turned to music as an adult, and became one of the most prominent French composers of the interwar period. His early works were strongly influenced by the impressionism of Debussy and Ravel, while he later turned toward neoclassicism.
Symphony No. 2 in B flat Major, Op. 23 (1919-1921)
Dedication: Emmanuel Rhené-Baton
1. Lent (♩= 72) - Moins lent (♩= 84) - Lent - Moins lent - Modérément animé (♩= 108)
2. Modéré (♩‧ = 88) (15:20)
3. Très lent (♩= 44)- Moins lent (♩= 52) - Très lent - Modéré (♩= 84) - Très lent (♩= 48) - Moins lent - Modérément animé (♩= 96) - Plus animé (♩= 108) (23:11)
Orchestre National de France conducted by Charles Dutoit
Description by Aaron Rabushka [-]
This work is a grand and brooding symphony whose tone is mostly one of striving. It is in three movements, each of which includes fast and slow music.
The first movement starts out slowly, gets faster, then slows down again. The densely-colored introduction introduces a tonal conflict between D major and the title key, B-flat. Eventually violins come in with the first theme of the fast part, which is later taken up by flute and oboe. Both the theme and its accompaniment are nervous and insistent. Horns and violas announce the more sunny and optimistic second theme, after which both themes are worked over in an atmosphere of striving and conflict. Material from the introduction intercedes, as if to halt progress, and things slow down on the way to the conclusion, which, like the introduction, is in B-flat and D.
The second movement starts out fast, with woodwinds prominent. Shortly after the beginning the violins give out a gamboling theme over piquant harmonies and colors. Sometimes the gamboling becomes heavy-footed, informed by Roussel's characteristic gruffness. The coloristic felicities are too numerous to mention, although a high clarinet line over lusty horn parts seems noteworthy. The middle section is slower, and more reflective. A tad disturbed at first, it eventually works up to the striving mood of the first movement. The first part abrubtly dismisses the concerns of the middle section when it returns in a varied recapitulation.
The third movement starts out slowly, and returns to the striving tone and thematic materials of the first movement. The harmony eventually stabilizes into B-flat, resolving the tonal conflict if not the dramatic one. We may not be victorious, but we are at rest.

Пікірлер: 38

@RonaldRodman-d1t 6 ай бұрын

David Hurwitz mentioned this as an unjustly neglected work in the repertoire. He sure nailed it. Beautiful and interesting.

@gerardbegni2806 Жыл бұрын

This is typically the key score in which Roussel broke totally off a certain level of Debussyst influence to write in a typical style of his own

@johncase2408 2 жыл бұрын

Where Debussy gets inspiration perhaps from looking out at the sea, Roussel's inspiration seems to come from experiencing the physical nature of the sea.

@johncase2408 2 жыл бұрын

This is an outstanding piece of music.

@docbailey3265 6 ай бұрын

Debussy looks at the water. Roussel becomes one with fish.

@didierschein8515 Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for the score. It is a wonderful composition,

@christophedecalbiac495 Жыл бұрын

Qui connait Albert ROUSSEL? quelle merveille ! Un condensé de DE !BUSSY Ravel Fauré et les prémisses de Stravinsky !!! Mon Dieu que cette musique est belle !

@alleespach 5 ай бұрын

Les prémisses de Stravinsky en 1919 ? Le Sacre du printemps date de 1913.

@dariuszszymanski881 3 жыл бұрын

Tolles Stück. Erinnert mich in einigen Einzelheiten an Debussys "Nocturnes", ist aber dennoch sehr eigenständig. Roussel wird viel zu wenig gespielt....

@vincentlefebvre9255 3 жыл бұрын

Sie haben Recht. Seine Sinfonien sind wunderschön.

@PhilippeBrun-qy3st Жыл бұрын

Une oeuvre magnétique, aussi étrange que mystérieuse. Merci.

@Carl2791 Жыл бұрын

Quelle oeuvre magnifique ! et quelle interprétation admirable !

@davidecirillo9675 5 ай бұрын

Oh, wow! 12:25

@davidrehak3539 5 жыл бұрын

Albert Roussel:2.B-dúr Szimfónia Op.23 1.Lento - Piú lento - Lento - Piú lento - Moderamente animato 00:00 2.Moderato 15:21 3.Lento - Piú lento - Molto lento - Moderato - Molto lento - Piú lento - Moderamente animato - Piú animato 23:11 Francia Nemzeti Zenekar Vezényel:Charles Dutoit

@davidrehak3539 5 жыл бұрын

Köszönöm az értékelést

@didierschein8515 3 жыл бұрын

@@davidrehak3539 Igen.

@pierreboland8910 3 жыл бұрын

Une symphonie représentative de la deuxième période de Roussel. A l'impressionnisme concret fait place un pointillisme abstrait. Il n'empêche que le deuxième mouvement m'a toujours fait penser à une promenade en vélo sur la digue avec un moment d'arrêt pour contempler l'océan. Mais c'est personnel. C'est ma symphonie préférée des quatre.

@Alix777. 3 жыл бұрын

Superbe description.

@docbailey3265 6 ай бұрын

I ride my bike on the sea wall. I run over a fragment of sea shell. My tire goes flat. I do not know how to change a tire. I toss the bike into the sea. It was a cheap piece of crap, anyway. I walk home and get drunk.

@stephenhall3515 10 ай бұрын

This is a neglected masterpiece, somewhat ahead of its time and after Roussel had shaken off his Debussy influences. There remain elements of Ravel's use of woodwind but this beautifully balanced symphony seems to look ahead to some of the 'angst' works of the 1930s which appeared in Britain, the USA, some Nordic states and Switzerland during WW2. Roussel was mainly an abstract composer in his mature years (too few of them) and his musical career followed service in the French navy, mainly in French Indo-China and other exotic places. Though over service age in WW1, he volunteered as an ambulance driver. After resigning from the navy and settling with his wife in his home area on the Franco-Belgian border, Roussel became a noted conservatoire lecturer and counted Varese, Honegger, Satie and Martinu among his pupils. Despite sources such as Brittanica describing Roussel as "an impressionist composer" he was not except in early commissions for stage and his abstract legacy may be heard most in Honegger and Martinu. His later years were attenuated by poor health but family and friends suggested 'downsizing' his fertile ideas towards chamber and piano music, which could perhaps be revised for orchestra when his health improved. In this sense there is a parallel with Charles Ives who was in a similar predicament an ocean and there is a possibility (W Mellers) that the men corresponded via Carl Ruggles and his wife, who were painters and Carl put music second. It is known that American art exhibitions were held in Paris and Brussels between the world wars. Unfortunately Roussel's health continued to decline and he died in 1937 just after his 68th birthday. Great works of his final decade include his only string quartet and a rather deep string trio.