On an extra-musical note, Enid has the better cover by far, an intriguing shot of the 12th century St. Valery church and maritime cemetery at Varengeville where Roussel is buried. (In the picture above I've circled Roussel's grave, which overlooks the sea he loved so much.)

Covers aside, an important consideration is the repertoire performed; because, although Roussel didn't write a lot for piano, he wrote more than will fit on one disk. Here's the music on the two compilations:

The difference lies in the secondary works included beyond the first four (which are as close to being in the standard repertoire as anything Roussel wrote for piano). What, then, does Enid offer that is new?

Des heures passent is Roussel's opus 1; very much a student work. Although the piece has charm, no less a critic that Basil Deane, Roussel's biographer, has suggested it proves that, at 29, Roussel was not yet ready for the permanence of print. L'accueil des Muses, on the other hand is a somber, emotion-laden work, written for an issue of La revue musicale commemorating Debussy. Both works are interesting additions to the Roussel discography. Nonetheless, I'll give the edge in repertoire to Eric; Doute and the Prelude are nearly as interesting as L'accueil des Muses, and it's very interesting to hear Segovia played on piano rather than guitar.

Another important variable is the quality of the performances. I'd be lying if I pretended to be a pianist; and furthermore, I've always been more interested in music rather than performances. With that disclaimer out of the way, both musicians are excellent. The Ronde from the Suite in f# is a thorough test of virtuosity: both musicians earn an "A". I prefer Enid's delicacy here more than Eric's bravura, but that is a matter of taste. On the other hand, I prefer Eric's interpretation of Rustiques, especially the first movement; he ceates a marvelously dreamy, impressionistic atmosphere. I applaud both performers; no edge here.

All in all, both disks are definitely worth hearing. I just wish Eric hadn't been cut.

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