Customer Reviews

Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé / Rapsodie espagnole / Pavane ~ Monteux

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
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The merger of Deutsche Grammophon, Decca and Philips under the Universal corporate umbrella has led to the inevitable sharing of music and marketing plans. Now one of DG's most successful reissue programs, the mid-priced "Originals" line, has been expanded to include Decca titles, presumably in an attempt to streamline the company's overall look in the classical marketplace. While many of these initial releases don't appeal to me personally, one that I'm delighted to see available once again is Pierre Monteux's glorious 1959 stereo recording of Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloe." This performance has been previously available on CD in the old "Classic Sound" series, but it has been out-of-print for several years, and until very recently fetching absurd prices as a rare collector's item. Monteux's magnificent account of the complete ballet with the London Symphony Orchestra has to be considered one of the very best, along with renditions by Ansermet, Cluytens, Inghelbrecht and Munch (see my reviews). Included to round out this disc are Monteux's 1961 recordings of "Pavane pour une infante defunte" and "Rapsodie Espagnole," which were also part of the original "Classic Sound" CD, and more recently were available as part of the "Ravel Orchestral Favourites" Monteux title in the now defunct Philips "50" series. In all, these are priceless Ravel performances, finally for sale at a reasonable price.

This is the kind of re-release that can bring tears to the eyes of a grown man. Years ago I gave away my then copy of the first CD release assuming it would be easy to replace. I was wrong. I am glad Monteux's Daphnis is available again now, in its finest sonic reincarnation yet. It is the kind of legendary performance (and an audiophile delight, too!) that should never have been out of the catalogue in the first place. 'Nuff said...

Greetings from Switzerland, David.

Was any conductor better than Pierre Monteux at being in the right place at the right time? As the pit conductor for Diaghilev's Ballet Russe, he premiered Petruskha in 1911, Daphnis and Chloe in 1912, and the Rite of Spring in 1913--amazing. Here, nearly half a century later, his reading of Daphnis seems as authentic as it could possibly be. We get balletic rhythms, pointed French phrasing, an absence of sentimentality, and an intuitive feeling for Ravel's meshing of classic-erotic.

If you like Daphnis to be ultra lush, sexy, sweeping, or fervent, this isn't the recording for you. Monteux's Ravel is glittering but a bit brisk. There's a certain toughness that I like; it's totally at odds with the glib sophistication of Dutoit or the x-ray vision of Boulez. I can imagine living with only this account, especially given Decca's vintage sound, probably the best in the business in 1959. The only flaw I can hear is some overload in the loudest tutties. The LSO had picked up the Gallic style from Monteux, and quite often I could have sworn I heard ringers from Paris who had sneaked across the Channel.

Monteux wasn't reliably energetic and alert in his eighties, and the main filler, Rapsodie espagnole, from two years later, sounds a bit slack and slow. But his devotees will be happy to have it, and the Daphnis alone is worth the price of the CD, a classic in every way.

These performances from the late `50s/early `60s have been put on to one generously filled (total timing is 73:42) CD on Decca's "The Originals" imprint. The sound quality is excellent overall, although not really atmospheric--there is simply too much spotlighting, although part of that may stem from the interpretation, which seems a bit Technicolor in nature. This is not what most of us think of when we think of Impressionism; the overall sense here is more of Romanticism. Still, this is beautiful music, colorfully presented, and at a reasonably low price. This CD would make a wonderful gift for someone just starting to get interested in "classical" music.

I'm another one of those fanatics who has owned or heard dozens of recordings of this piece, so hopefully that at least qualifies me to write this review! Regardless of age, this is definitely one of the best, both in performance and sound quality. A great performance shouldn't come as a surprise, since Monteux premiered this work in 1912. The surprise is how great this recording sounds, being over 50 years old! If you must have a digital recording, try Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé or Maurice Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé / La Valse - Berliner Philharmoniker / Pierre Boulez, which are both excellent in every way. Another of my favorite analog recordings is conducted by Martinon, now available in this set: Ravel: Orchestral Works. You can hear details that are inaudible in most others. But there's something special in the Monteux that makes it unique and indispensable. It's hard to explain except with subjective terms like "magical"!