BaL 12.02.22 - Ravel: Daphnis & Chloé

**Darloboy** · 01-02-22, 23:11

Last covered in April 98, when Jonathan Swain chose Boulez with the BPO. Prior to that, Paul Griffiths chose Dutoit in November 87. Roth would be my choice this time round but as it's Jeremy Sams I suspect it'll be a recording from an earlier era, such as Munch.

**Barbirollians** · 02-02-22, 07:18

Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View Post

9.30
Building a Library: Jeremy Sams recommends his favourite recording of Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé (complete ballet).

Maurice Ravel described his ballet, Daphnis and Chloé as a choreographic symphony. The story concerns the love between the goatherd Daphnis and the shepherdess Chloé. Ravel began work in 1909 after a commission from Sergei Diaghilev and it was premiered in Paris by his Ballets Russes in 1912. The orchestra was conducted by Pierre Monteux, the choreography was by Michel Fokine, and Vaslav Nijinsky and Tamara Karsavina danced the parts of Daphnis and Chloé. With rich harmonies and lush orchestrations it is one of Ravel’s most popular works.

Available recordings:-

London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus, Claudio Abbado

Salt Lake Vocal Artists, USA, Frauenchor des Glier-Instituts für Musik Kiew, Ukraine, Sinfonieorchester Aachen, Kazem Abdullah (SACD)

Les Choeurs de la Radio Suisse Romande (Lausanne), Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Ernest Ansermet

Schola Cantorum, New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein *

WDR Rundfunkchor & Beethoven Orchester Bonn, Stefan Blunier (SACD)

New York Philharmonic, Camerata Singers, Pierre Boulez (SACD)

Berliner Philharmoniker, Rundfunkchor Berlin Boulez

Tonhalle Orchester Zürich, Zürcher Sing-Akademie, Lionel Bringuier

Netherlands Radio Choir, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly *

Orchestra Philharmonique et Choer de Radio France, Myung-Whun Chung *

London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus, Valery Gergiev (SACD/DVD)

Chœurs René Duclos, Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, André Cluytens

Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, Stéphane Denève

Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Charles Dutoit *

Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Gustavo Gimeno (SACD)

SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, Michael Gielen

Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, Bernard Haitink *

Chicago Symphony Chorus & Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Bernard Haitink *
London Philharmonic Orchestra & John Alldis Choir, Bernard Haitink

Orchestre et Choeur de l’Opéra National de Paris, Philippe Jordan

London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Yoel Levi

Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor, Wiener Philharmoniker, James Levine

Orchestre National de Lyon & MDR Rundfunkchor, Leipzig, Jun Märkl

Orchestre de Paris, Jean Martinon

Boston Symphony Orchestra, New England Conservatory Chorus and Alumni Chorus, Charles Munch

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Choir, Yannick Nézet-Séguin (SACD)

Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, Seiji Ozawa

Bordeaux Opera Chorus & Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Laurent Petitgirard

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Simon Rattle *

Les Siècles & Ensemble Aedes, François-Xavier Roth

Seattle Symphony Chorale, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz *

Orchestre National de Lyon, Spirito, Leonard Slatkin

EuropaChorAkademie & Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Bramwell Tovey *

(* = download only)

The Monteux cannot be nla surely ?

**Barbirollians** · 02-02-22, 07:21

It’s still available as a download according to Presto. How appalling that it is no longer available on CD. Much the best recording I have ever heard .

**gradus** · 02-02-22, 09:35

Its Monteux for me, the recording is as vivid as his live performances of the piece with the LSO - those were the days.

**BBMmk2** · 02-02-22, 09:42

Originally posted by gradus View Post

Its Monteux for me, the recording is as vivid as his live performances of the piece with the LSO - those were the days.

I like the Monteux too. I also like Abvadwith the LSO on DG.

**Bryn** · 02-02-22, 09:46

QOBUZ have at least three different download options, with at least two different transfers, one of which is at 96/24 mono but quite likely from vinyl.

**Petrushka** · 02-02-22, 14:08

The LSO/Monteux should be in every library no matter what other choice is made. The Boston SO/Munch is also terrific.

For a modern digital choice I would unhesitatingly go for BPO/Boulez. His NYPO recording is also first class but the Berlin playing and recorded sound is on another level and is outstanding in every way. I'd be surprised if this isn't the BaL 'winner' again.

**makropulos** · 02-02-22, 15:15

There are two Munch/Boston recordings, both in stereo and included in the RCA/Sony complete Munch box. The 1955 one (in phenomenal sound) is the better known, but there's also a 1961 set. Both are tremendous. Another performance I like enormously is Cluytens (EMI, now Warner). And of course there's Monteux. I find it quite hard to look much beyond those four as they are all exceptional. Of more recent ones, I suppose I'm most drawn to Haitink/Boston and Chailly/Concertgebouw. I have to admit that Boulez has never quite done it for me in this piece.

**RichardB** · 02-02-22, 17:04

I got to know the piece (which is one of my favourite early 20th century orchestral pieces, and certainly by far my favourite Ravel) through Ozawa's recording, which I still like. Boulez too. But these days it's the Roth recording I reach for.

**Barbirollians** · 03-02-22, 08:09

The Cluytens is indeed very good.

**cloughie** · 03-02-22, 08:22

Originally posted by Barbirollians View Post

The Cluytens is indeed very good.

The PCO adds that extra Gallic charm - maybe a ‘hipp’ element. I have several Daphnis recordings I am happy to listen to - strangely and maybe on sound rather than performance I have two live Haitink recordings which disappoint!
Monteux is probably still my overall favourite but three other Decca recordings worth a listen are the stereo Ansermet, CO/Maazel and OSM/Dutoit. The earlier mono Ansermet is very good too!

…and for something a bit different the piano version played by Claire-Marie Le Guay in the Warner complete Ravel box.

**BBMmk2** · 04-02-22, 09:30

I do rather like this ballet. I have a fair few recordings of this work.

**Eine Alpensinfonie** · 04-02-22, 15:51

The Montreal/Dutoit was the first CD I ever bought, on 01.03.1983, the day they were first released in Europe. On the way home, I bought a CD player, on which to play it. I was staggered by both the performance and the top drawer Decca recording. I already had the Monteux on LP, but greatly preferred the more expansive Dutoit interpretation. Now both of these fine performances are download only.

**BBMmk2** · 05-02-22, 09:53

Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View Post

The Montreal/Dutoit was the first CD I ever bought, on 01.03.1983, the day they were first released in Europe. On the way home, I bought a CD player, on which to play it. I was staggered by both the performance and the top drawer Decca recording. I already had the Monteux on LP, but greatly preferred the more expansive Dutoit interpretation. Now both of these fine performances are download only.

Oh that’s one I have, plus the Abbado, LSO, Cleveland, Maazel, Les Siécles, & Haitink, Chicago.

BaL 12.02.22 - Ravel: Daphnis & Chloé

BaL 12.02.22 - Ravel: Daphnis & Chloé

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