Roussel: Le festin de l'araignée - Padmâvatî Suites

Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Stéphane Denève Naxos 8.572243****

Albert Roussel's 1913 ballet Le festin de l'araignée (The Spider's Banquet) takes place in the world of insects, the exceedingly voracious eponymous spider herself ultimately becoming a meal for a praying mantis. His 1918 opera-ballet Padmâvatî(first performed in five years later) was inspired by a visit to the ruins of the fort at Chittorgarh in Rajasthan. The delicate, often impressionistic Le festin de l'araignée, which calls for a smallish orchestra, became a success in the concert hall, usually in the form of a suite – the version here is complete. The darker and richer Padmâvatî,which embraced Indian musical practices and also attempted to resurrect the baroque spectacles of Rameau and Lully, has long been neglected, even in the form of the two suites recorded here. Stéphane Denève's sensitive performances should win both works new friends. url.ie/af6o