This Albert Roussel disc couples two of the composer"s most popular pieces, which are given authentic performances by the compatriot Orchestre de Paris under music director Christoph Eschenbach. It is the final in a successful cycle of three releases featuring the four symphonies and two ballets by the French composer. The Third Symphony, which was given its world première in Boston in 1930, is a true masterpiece and remains the most popular of Roussel"s symphonic works. Le Festin de l"araignée (The Spider"s Feast) was completed in 1913 and is one of Roussel"s two most celebrated ballets (the other being Bacchus et Ariane, which was featured on a previous release). While there are many accounts of the symphonic fragments, this disc contains the complete ballet music. The music is energetic, melodic, original, and pictorial, and the listener can easily imagine the action accompanying the music, helped by the choreographical annotations from the original score which are contained in the track listing of this CD. The booklet contains expert liner notes written by Damien Top from the Centre International Albert Roussel in France, as well as rare photographs. Conductor Christoph Eschenbach holds a reputation as one of today"s greatest champions of new and undiscovered repertoire. When recording Roussel"s Second Symphony he stated publicly: "this is one of the greatest musical discoveries I"ve made in years." Both previous Roussel releases have contributed to the rediscovery and recent revival of the great French composer"s music and have earned highest praise in the international press.