Roussel: Bacchus et Ariane & Suite en fa

The creation of Bacchus and Ariadne, with music by the true master in ballet Albert Roussel (Aeneas, The Spider’s Feast) was one of the main artistic events of 1931 in France. Choreographed by Serge Lifar, former member of the Ballets russes and newly appointed as dance master of the Paris Opera (which he would run for almost thirty years), it is one of the finest compositions of Roussel’s maturity, and remains very popular. This version by Charles Dutoit and the Orchestre de Paris notably features the entire ballet (otherwise often performed only as suites).