ROUSSEL: Symphony No. 2 / Pour une fete de printemps / Sinfonietta

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A perennial outsider in French music, Albert Roussel was the tutor of a whole generation of composers, including such diverse figures as Eric Satie and Edgard Var?®se. The three works included here outline the transitional phase in which Roussel's mature idiom took shape. Most important of these is his 'Second Symphony', with its densely intricate orchestration and its wide range of expression, while 'Pour une f?¬te de printemps' is a symphonic poem that could be thought of as preparation for the larger work. With the 'Suite in F', Roussel arrived at his mature style; the piece is taut and economical in design, with a distinctly 'contemporary' feel.