Albert Roussel

Albert Roussel studied at École Navale, Collège Stanislas de Paris and Schola Cantorum de Paris. Training under Vincent d'Indy is recorded. Roland-Manuel and Bohuslav Martinů are recorded as having studied under Albert Roussel. The recorded working language is French. The field of work recorded is classical music. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are opera and symphony. Works named in the authority record are Les rêves. Distinctions recorded are Honorary Member of the International Society for Contemporary Music.

• Born — 5 April 1869 • Birthplace — Tourcoing Nord, France • Died — 23 August 1937 • Place of death — Royan, France • Occupation — Composer

Born in Tourcoing, Roussel's earliest interest was not in music but mathematics. He spent time in the French Navy, and in 1889 and 1890, he served on the crew of the frigate Iphigénie and spent several years in southern Vietnam. These travels affected him artistically, as many of his musical works would reflect his interest in far-off, exotic places. After resigning from the Navy in 1894, he began to study harmony in Roubaix, first with Julien Koszul (grandfather of composer Henri Dutilleux), who encouraged him to pursue his studies in Paris with Eugène Gigout; Roussel then continued his studies until 1908 at the Schola Cantorum de Paris, where one of his teachers was Vincent d'Indy. While studying, Roussel also taught. His students included Erik Satie and Edgard Varèse. During World War I, Roussel served as an ambulance driver on the Western Front. Following the war, he bought a summer house in Normandy and devoted most of his time there to composition. Starting in 1923, another of Roussel's students was Bohuslav Martinů, who dedicated his Serenade for Chamber Orchestra (1930) to Roussel. French composer and musicologist Yvonne Rokseth also studied with Roussel. His sixtieth birthday was marked by a series of three concerts of his works in Paris; the concerts also included the performance of a collection of piano pieces, Homage to Albert Roussel, written by several composers, including Ibert, Poulenc, and Honegger. • Illustration — Bust of Roussel Roussel died in Royan in 1937, and was buried in the churchyard of Saint Valery in Varengeville-sur-Mer.

• Le marchand de sable qui passe (The Sandman), incidental music for a verse play by Jean-Aubry, Le Havre, 16 December 1908, Op. 13 • Le festin de l'araignée, ballet in one act. f.p. 3 April 1913, Op. 17 • Padmâvatî, opera in 2 acts (1913–18, Louis Laloy, after T.-M. Pavie). f.p. Paris Opéra, 1 June 1923, Op. 18 • La naissance de la lyre, opera in 1 act, Paris Opéra, 1 July 1925, Op. 24 • Sarabande (1927; for the children's ballet L'éventail de Jeanne, to which ten French composers each contributed a dance) • Bacchus and Ariadne (ballet), ballet in two acts. f.p. Paris Opéra, 22 May 1931, Op. 43 • Aeneas, ballet for chorus and orchestra, Op. 54, 1935 • Le testament de la tante Caroline, opera in 3 acts, 14 November 1936 • Prelude to Act 2 of Le Quatorze juillet by Romain Rolland, Paris, 14 July 1936 • Elpénor, for chamber ensemble, radio score, 1947, Op. 59 (LAST FINISHED OPUS – 1937)

• Résurrection, Prelude for orchestra Op. 4 (1903) • Symphony No. 1 in D minor The Poem of the Forest, Op. 7 (1904–1906) • Evocations, for orchestra, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone and chorus, Op. 15 (1910–11) • Padmâvatî Suites (Nº 1 & 2), Op. 18 (1918) • Pour une fête de printemps, Op. 22, symphonic poem (1920) • Symphony No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 23 (1919–1921) • Suite for Orchestra in F major, Op. 33 (1926) • Concert for small orchestra, Op. 34 (1926–1927) • Petite Suite, Op. 39 (1929) • Symphony No. 3 in G minor, Op. 42 (1929–30), commissioned by the Boston Symphony for its 50th anniversary • Sinfonietta for String Orchestra, Op. 52 (1934) • Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 53 (1934) • Rapsodie flamande, Op. 56 (1936)

• Piano Concerto in G major, Op. 36 (1927) • Cello Concertino, Op. 57 (1936)

• A Glorious Day (1933), commissioned by the American Bandmasters Association

• Psalm 80 for tenor, choir, and orchestra, Op. 37 (1928)

• Quatre poèmes, Op. 3 (1903) • Quatre poèmes, Op. 8 (1907) • La Menace, Op. 9 (1907–1908) • Flammes, Op. 10 (1908) • Deux poèmes chinois, Op. 12 (1908) • Deux Mélodies, Op. 19 (1918) • Deux Mélodies, Op. 20 (1919) • Deux Poèmes de Ronsard, Op. 26 (1924) • Odes anacréontiques, Op. 31 (1926) • Odes anacréontiques, Op. 32 (1926) • Deux poèmes chinois, Op. 35 (1927) • Vocalise (1927) • Jazz dans la nuit, Op. 38 (1928) • Vocalise-étude (1928) • A Flower Given to My Daughter (1931) • Deux Idylles, Op. 44 (1932) • Deux Poèmes chinois, Op. 47 (1932) • Deux Mélodies, Op. 50 (1934) • Deux Mélodies, Op. 55 (1935)

• Piano Trio in E-flat, Op. 2 (1902, rev. 1927) • Divertissement for piano and wind quintet, Op. 6 (1906) • Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 11 (1907–1908) • Impromptu, for harp, Op. 21 (1919) • Joueurs de flûte, for flute and piano, Op. 27 (1924) • Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 28 (1924) • Segovia, for guitar, Op. 29 (1925) • Duo for bassoon and contrabass, without opus (1925) • Serenade for flute, string trio, and harp, Op. 30 (1925) • Trio for flute, viola, and cello, Op. 40 (1929) • String Quartet, Op. 45 (1931–1932) • Andante and Scherzo, for flute and piano, Op. 51 (1934) • Pipe for piccolo & piano, without opus (1934) • String Trio, Op. 58 (1937) • Andante from an unfinished wind trio, for oboe, clarinet, and bassoon (1937)

• Des heures passent, Op. 1 (1898) • Conte à la poupée (1904) • Rustiques, Op. 5 (1906) • Suite in F-sharp minor, Op. 14 (1910) • Petite canon perpetuel (1913) • Sonatine, Op. 16 (1914) • Doute (1919) • L'Accueil des Muses [in memoriam Debussy] (1920) • Prelude and Fugue, Op. 46 (1932) • Three Pieces, Op. 49 (1933)

Albert Roussel was recorded at birth as Albert Charles Paul Marie Roussel. The authorities additionally record the heading Albert Charles Paul Marie Roussel. His recorded language was French.

Albert Roussel is recorded as having received Honorary Member of the International Society for Contemporary Music.

• Nicolas Slonimsky, ed., The Concise Edition of Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 8th ed. (NY: Schirmer Books, 19930, • Damien Top, Albert Roussel 1869–1937, un marin musicien (Paris: Séguier, 2000) • Damien Top, "Albert Roussel", collection Horizons, (Paris: Bleu Nuit, 2016) • Henry Doskey, The Piano Music of Albert Roussel (Indiana University, 1981) • Basil Deane, Albert Roussel (London: Barrie & Rockliff, 1962; Greenwood Press Reprint, 1980) • Norman Demuth, Albert Roussel: A Study (United Music Publishers, 1946. Westport, CT: Hyperion Press, 1979)