The premiere of Daphnis et Chloé on June 8, 1912, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, was not altogether successful. Ravel would not come onto the stage to acknowledge the audience, and critics were rather harsh, one describing the work as “tedious.”
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Yet Igor Stravinsky pronounced the work was “not only one of Ravel’s best works but also one of the finest works of French music.” His opinion is proven by the number of available recordings, with almost sixty of the complete ballet and over 150 of the second suite Ravel fashioned in 1913. So, this latest release enters a crowded and highly competitive field; in fact, by my count this is the sixth release of the full ballet played by the London Symphony Orchestra.
The first, recorded in 1959, was conducted by Pierre Monteux (who led the premiere performance in 1912) and is for many a classic account. Decca’s recording, made in London’s Kingsway Hall, remains fully competitive with more modern recordings. Abbado’s 1988 album is tremendously exciting, though the orchestral colors are sometimes overly saturated by DG’s echoey technicolor engineering. Gergiev’s 2015 recording (also on LSO Live) captures him at his best, fully attentive and connected to a score from which he draws unexpected sensitivity and finesse. Recordings by Previn and Nagano (both on Warner Classics) are solid, “middle of the road” readings.
Pappano, happily, is far more than that. His is a dramatic reading of inexorable sweep that held my attention throughout. Tension and energy never sag. Climaxes have tremendous power, the sound blossoming without ever crossing over into harshness (just sample the opening two minutes). The frisky lightness of “Les jeunes filles” (track 2) is answered by a dance contest that is both playful and delicate. The Pirate’s kidnapping of Chloé feels truly dangerous, as does Daphnis’s despair when he believes she is lost to him forever.
Even more impressive is how well Pappano balances this dramatic story telling with attention to Ravel’s masterful, sophisticated writing. First chair solos are unfailingly exceptional: concertmaster Roman Simovic’s pure flute-like tone at the end of the first track and the horn’s athletic arpeggios in Danse légère (track 4), two examples among many. Gareth Davies’ gorgeous rendition of the famous “Lever du jour” solo (track 8) could not be bettered. In fact, playing throughout, but particularly in this section, lets us hear every nuance in the score. If the climax of this section does not quite match what Boulez elicits from the Berlin Philharmonic (DG), it comes close.
Negatives? A total playing time of 54 minutes seems rather short – surely other works could have been included. The Tenebrae choir is excellent, but too small – the singers’ pristine English Cathedral approach, so perfect for much of the repertoire they sing, sometimes lacks the sensuousness this score needs.
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The engineered sound, from Barbican Hall, London, raises concerns: the choir is sometimes quite present in the sound, and at other times they almost disappear. Some of the tam-tam strikes underwhelm – Ravel uses the instrument judiciously, so that when it is struck, the sound should really alter the timbre, as it does in Boulez’s wonderful reading.
The ancillary materials are excellent, with erudite notes by Jeremy Thurlow and Jo Kirkbride, as well as rosters for both orchestra and choir. Despite minor reservations, the specialness of the interpretation and playing make this an attractive release.
Top image: ©️ Musacchio & Ianniello / Warner Classics
Recommended Comparisons:
Detoit | Boulez | Orbelian | Wilson
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Album Details |
|
|---|---|
| Album name | Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé |
| Label | LSO Live |
| Catalogue No. | LSO0899 |
| Amazon Music link | Stream here |
| Apple Music link | Stream here |
| Artists | Tenebrae, London Symphony Orchestra, Antonio Pappano |
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