Ravel - Daphnis et Chloé. La valse

Berlin Radio Chorus; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Pierre Boulez

DG 447 057-2GH Buy now

(71’ · DDD) 

Increasingly, for considering modern recordings of Daphnis, it seems you must banish memories of 1959 Monteux: put behind you the most playful, mobile, texturally diaphanous, rhythmically supple account of the score ever recorded, one that’s uniquely informed by history and selfless conductorial wisdom. For some, Monteux’s view may remain a rather moderate one – certainly in terms of basic tempo and basic dynamic range; and Ravel’s score suggests tempi and dynamics which modern performances, and especially recordings, have more faithfully reproduced. 

Boulez has acquired a wealth of experience of conductorial wisdom since his first New York recording of Daphnis. Here he has the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra on top form to sustain and shape melody within some of his strikingly slow tempi (such as the opening, and Part 3’s famous ‘Daybreak’), and who remain ‘composed’ in his daringly fast ones (the ‘Dance of the young girls around Daphnis’ and the ‘Danse guerrière’ – one of the most exciting on disc). Just occasionally, you feel that there are parts of the work that interest him less than others. But anyone who doubts Boulez’s ability to achieve, first, a sense of ecstasy should hear this ‘Daybreak’; secondly, a refined radiance, should try the first embrace (track 5, 2’49’; at this point, this is also one of the very few recordings where you can hear the chorus); or, thirdly, to characterise properly the supernatural, listen to the ‘flickering’ accents he gives the string tremolo chords in the Nocturne. 

The chorus-work, not least in the Interlude, is outstanding; the harmonic boldness of this passage was just as startling in New York, but the Berlin chorus, unlike the New York one, is here properly set back. In general, DG’s recording strikes exactly the right compromise between clarity and spaciousness, much as Decca’s did for Dutoit. With the added lure of an expansive and often massively powerful La valse (spectacular timpani), this is one of the most recommendable modern Daphnis recordings available.