Albert Roussel was born in 1869, after Debussy but before Ravel, and died in the same year as the latter composer; 1937. However, most of his work, whether for the theatre or symphonic, belongs to another stream of French music. No doubt this artist, whom Martin Cooper once called a ''typical Northerner'', found his right training with Vincent d'Indy in the Schola Cantorum, Paris, where he spent no less than ten years as a student from 1898 and also taught counterpoint.
The three chamber works on the Erato release are all from the last dozen years of his life: the String Trio dates from July 1937, when he was suffering from the cardiac condition (angina pectoris) that caused a fatal heart attack a mere month later. This Trio is curiously full of dissonance and pain, and yet written with a kind of twisted elegance: we may perhaps compere it to Ravel's Duo Sonata (though that is more vehement, and this somehow strives towards resignation), for it is true that these two composers' styles were not so dissimilar towards the end of their careers. Harry Halbreich's booklet-note calls the Trio ''a kind of testament'' and refers to its feu interieur; but without disagreeing I find it uncomfortable to listen to, although moving as a human document. I think, too, that the jig-like finale does not quite convince and that the proportions are odd, with the powerful Adagio lasting longer than the outer movements put together. But the playing is committed, intelligent and skilful and I commend the work to the attention of all who care about this composer.
The Flute Trio is 1929 is another rarity (''Rousselian classicism at its height'', says the note), and it is good to have two performances coming our way this month; but though, once again, this is a well-crafted piece, on Erato the playing is a bit heavy with an over-close recording adding to this impression, making this a serviceable rather than distinguished version. In addition, the Andante is too slow (a minute slower than on the Adda CD) and therefore seems too long. The third work, the Serenade, offers the performers more chance to shine with its wry charm and neat counterpoint. It is nicely played, but the Prometheus Ensemble, more atmospherically recorded on ASV, are (dare I say) still more Gallic and, with their excellent flautist Richard Blake, bring out more of the work's colour, sparkle and dance quality.
The Adda disc brings us more unfamiliar music, and with success. The Marchand de sable incidental music is early Roussel, written in 1908 for a tale about the sandman of nursery lore. If it doesn't quite work as a concert piece for chamber ensemble, it's still agreeable and has a quiet charm, not least in the final scene. The playing by the Paris Instrumental Group is thoughtful and shapely under the direction of Annick Minck, who also plays the piano in one work, namely the Divertissement. The harp Impromptu is unusually chromatic for this instrument, but attractive and persuasively played, and I like the Flute Trio more here than in the Erato account; it has greater vivacity and tonal variety, not least from the elegant flautist Xavier Aragau, though the ensemble becomes a little ragged near the end of the first movement. The soprano Evelyne Razimovsky copes well with the difficult high line of the two Ronsard settings (1924) for the unusual combination of voice and flute, though her words are not wholly clear and one could wish that the text of these sixteenth-century poems were provided.
Elpenor is what is here called a poeme radiophonique, composed for a radio play of 1937 (not 1947, as the work list in Grove has it). It is nicely crafted for flute and string quartet, and is pleasant music without having a real three-movement shape as such. The Divertissement for piano and wind quintet (1906) is the earliest piece here; delightfully witty and tender by turns, and receives stylish playing. Finally, the Andante for three reed instruments (not Adagio as the back of the case reads) was written after the String Trio; it is thus actually Roussel's last music and all that exists of a wind trio that may have been planned as a companion piece. It is uniformly serious but makes no strong impression; on this listener at least—the note suggests that this is ''understatement in a typically Gallic manner''. The recording of all this music is nicely balanced, with a very natural sound.'