Roussel: 3 Pieces, Op. 49

Albert Roussel (1869–1937) was ideally placed to develop a unique musical style. His background was more colourful than most of his fellow composers (he initially studied mathematics and worked as a naval officer before devoting himself to music), while his early years as a composer saw him exposed to a barrage of rich but conflicting musical influences: the impressionist movement (spearheaded by Debussy) and the more traditional approach of the Schola Cantorum (championed by d’Indy and Franck).

Roussel absorbed the wide-ranging styles that he heard around him, blending and modifying them to establish his own distinctive voice – a voice that can be perceived clearly in his music for solo piano. Traditional musical forms are a frequent point of inspiration: in the Suite in F sharp Op.14, Roussel uses rustic dances as a basis to explore both counterpoint and tonal disintegration, while the Bach-inspired Prélude et Fugue demonstrates the neo-Classical style that he was drawn to in his later period. Above all, Roussel’s piano music is characterised by its unique synthesis of rationality and feeling.

This approach – exploring tradition while pushing boundaries – is captured expertly by the award-winning pianist Emanuele Torquati; his subtle yet vital performances make this two disc set a must-have for any enthusiasts of French music.

There is a great variety of performers, traditions, and composers represented in volume 4 of this pioneering series.

The pianists comprise the well known, the undeservedly neglected, and the tragic. One such is Rosa Tamarkina, a prodigiously talented musician, who died at 30. There is Liza Fuchsova, a brilliant Czech, who can be heard in a rare 1944 HMV disc. Lilly Dymont was recorded in Berlin in 1930, Marie-Thérèse Fourneau in wartime Paris, and Winifred Christie in London in 1921. Of volume 3 (8111217) Gramophone wrote: ‘a fascinating series… and brilliant assembly, which makes you look forward to volume 4.’

Following the death of Yvonne Lefébure (1986) the contents of this disc, of which Book 1 of Debussy’s preludes form the essential part, were released on the Vogue label. A few years later an English label, Coup d’Archet issued the same programme on LP! Recently however it has been discovered, purely by chance, that Yvonne Lefébure had in fact bequeathed all her recording rights to the Solstice label! So at last Solstice is able to release this fine recording that completes a comprehensive survey of her recordings, which without doubt, constitutes a first rate piano legacy.