Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé, M. 57

Description

Today this work is a monument to Impressionist orchestration, incorporating the narration within the sound material. Each instrument is treated in the most effective way possible. Remarkable are the strings' extreme divisi, their harmonics' glissandi, and other enigmatic effects, such as utilizing a wordless chorus. Individual performances without choir likely go back to a "makeshift arrangement" that Ravel produced "to facilitate performance at less prominent venues." The appendix to the Urtext edition includes this alternative version.

The Ravel specialist Jean-Francois Monnard edited this ballet with detailed attention to the customary Urtext standard. The preface and critical report include numerous references to both genesis and performance history as well as interpretation, correcting also previously handed-down errors. The large format of the conductor's score and orchestral parts are easy to read and support the clarity and transparency of the modern notation without any loss to the magic of Ravel's music.