This page attempts to gauge the relative popularity of Albert Roussel's music by comparing how often each piece has been recorded. Ever recorded, I should add; this isn't a listing of currently available works.

Be aware that this bean-counting method has definite limitations. For example, it says nothing about the artistic merits of a work; the Impromptu isn't a greater work than the Third Symphony just because it's been recorded more often — but it is, of course, cheaper to record one harpist than an entire orchestra. Also, the number of recordings is too small to support statistical analysis; for example, the fact that the Andante from the unfinished reed trio has gone from one recording to three in the last decade doesn't mean it's three times as popular now as before.

I've based these numbers largely on Robert Follet's "Albert Roussel: a Bio-Bibliography" (Greenwood Press, 1988), with additions from my own research into recordings made since 1988. My research is fallible (I do have a life beyond the Roussel home page), so don't consider the numbers I give as any sort of gospel. Consider them, instead, as an interesting sidelight on the acceptance Roussel's works have gained.

Below, then, are the top five pieces in each of several categories, followed by the number of times each pieces has been recorded. The final list includes the works in all categories, for this list only, ten pieces are given. I also combine here the recordings of the suites and complete ballets for Le festin de l'araignée and Bacchus et Ariane, as I feel this gives a more accurate portrayal of their level of popularity.