Search - Ravel, Monteux :: Daphnis Et Chloe

The Other Daphnis et Chloe

john F. coughlin III | Saginaw, Michigan United States | 05/01/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Even though there are a few minor technical glitches, a tiny tape drop out etc., I treasure this recording more than my copy of the commercial 1959 recording that Monteaux made of Daphnis with The London Symphony for Decca. The Concertgebouw has, since the days it was under the baton of Mengelberg, always been one of the greatest ensembles in the world. This 1955 live recording confirms that fact. Monteux combines a beautiful reading of Ravel's ballet masterpiece, adding the electricity only to be found in a live performance. Add the superb voicing of the Toonkunst Koor, and you have the recipe for a recording that every fan of Monteux, or for that matter Ravel, must have in their collection! Victoria De Los Angeles adds delicious readings of Ravel's Sheherazade (poems by Klingsor) recorded in 1963. The recordings are mono, but high fidelity! A few minutes into the CD you will be lost in the music and won't care anyway!"