Le festin de l’araignée (The Spider’s Banquet), Op. 17

Quick Facts

A ballet score illustrating the lives of various bugs and insects in a garden based on a story by writer Gilbert de Voisins.
Written for the Théâtre des Arts between 1912-13
Premiered in 1913 conducted by Gabriel Grovlez
- That same year, Roussel arranged excerpts from the ballet into an orchestral suite.
The score is organized into 12 sections:
- Part 1
  - 1. Prélude – A garden
  - 2. Très animé – Entrance of the ants
  - 3. Modéré – Entrance of the dung beetle / Butterfly dance
  - 4. Lent – The spider rejoices / Spider dance
  - 5. Assez lent – Entrance of the fruit worms
  - 6. Solennel – Warlike entrance of the two praying mantises
  - 7. Assez vif – Round of ants
- Part 2
  - 8. Assez lent – Hatching of the mayfly
  - 9. Animé – Dance of the mayfly
  - 10. Très modéré – The mayfly stops, exhausted
  - 11. Très lent – Death of the mayfly
  - 12. Modérément lent – Funeral of the mayfly¹

*The title of the piece in English is referred to as both “The Spider’s Banquet” and “The Spider’s Feast”

About the Piece

Musically, The Spider’s Banquet represents the conclusion of Roussel’s “first period,” in which impressionism profoundly influenced him. Following his experiences in WWI, the composer will turn towards a “purer, less cluttered” neoclassical sound.
The ballet was an immediate success and helped propel the composer’s career to new heights. The orchestral suite version of the piece is among Roussel’s most frequently performed works.²
Here’s a more detailed synopsis of each “scene” of the ballet.

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