Denève delves deep with Roussel

Stéphane Denève leads the Royal Scottish National Orchestra to a richly inventive performance of Roussel's finest pieces

Composer: Roussel
Repertoire: Symphony No.4; Petite Suite, et al. 
Artists: Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Denève
Rating:  4/5
Genre: Orchestral
Label: Naxos 8.572135

This fourth instalment of Stéphane Denève’s Roussel cycle is, if anything, even better than its predecessors. The music’s idiom, at once tight-reined and richly inventive, brims with opportunities for the woodwind and brass section principals which the RSNO’s classy line-up takes superbly. Though an impressive statement, the Fourth Symphony doesn’t appeal as much as the shorter works where Roussel lets his hair down more, with beautiful results in the Petite Suite and Concert for Small Orchestra.