Roussel Home Page Introduction

Welcome to the Albert Roussel website, dedicated to one of the greatest yet least-known French composers of the twentieth century. If you aren't familiar with Roussel's music, you owe it to yourself to become familiar (don't worry, we'll help). If you're already familiar with Roussel — then welcome, kindred spirit.

Albert Roussel (1869-1937) was the dominant French composer between World Wars. He is arguably the greatest French symphonist and the greatest French ballet composer. Some Frenchmen rate him their second-greatest composer of this century, behind Debussy but ahead of Ravel. Nonetheless, he is more often heard about than heard; you have to really listen to Roussel, not just have the music on as background noise.

The images on the home page introduce you to many different aspects of Roussel's music:

	The spiderweb background stands for Roussel's most famous work, the ballet Le festin de l'araignée (The Spider's Feast). In a larger sense, it stands for his interest in nature. And on a more mundane level, of course, it also indicates that this is a website devoted to Roussel.
	The classical Greek pillar also stands for more than one thing. First, for Roussel's use of classical forms and neo-classical style. Second, for his use of classical subjects in works such as the ballets Bacchus et Ariane and Aeneas, and the opera La naissance de la lyre. And finally, for Roussel as a man: modest and retiring, yet a pillar of integrity, decency and honor.
	The odd-couple dancers point out that Roussel wrote great ballets — and also integrated other cultures into French music. At left is a Flemish peasant (Roussel was from French Flanders) by Breughel, whose paintings exemplify Roussel so well that they're a theme of this website. On the right is Shiva, a Hindu goddess. Roussel used oriental elements in masterpieces such as Padmavati and Evocations.

To learn more, follow the links at the bottom of the page.

Get Roussel's music at Amazon.com.
Read the new novel by the creator of the Roussel home page -- featuring a hero named Roussel.


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