Ravel : Daphnis & Chloé, La Valse

Featuring

Philippe Jordan
Orchestre de l'Opéra National de Paris
Choeur d'enfants de l'Opéra National de Paris
Maurice Ravel

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Compositional Technique

Daphnis et Chloé is a "choreographic symphony" that achieves symphonic unity through the development of a small number of motifs, replacing the traditional "numbers" of classical ballet with continuous music and action.

Composition History

The inclusion of a chorus in Daphnis et Chloé caused significant conflict between Ravel and Sergei Diaghilev, the director of the Ballets Russes, who deemed it inappropriate.

Composition History

Ravel's La Valse, composed after 1918, was intended as a tribute to Viennese waltzes, which he saw as a poignant reminder of a world lost before World War I.

Critical Reception

The premiere of the complete choreographed Daphnis et Chloé in 1912 received a modest reception from both the public and the press, with some critics dismissing it.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Ravel intended his ballet Daphnis et Chloé to be a "vast musical fresco" that evoked the Greece of his dreams, similar to how 18th-century French artists imagined it.

Composition History

The idea for the ballet Daphnis et Chloé came from choreographer Michel Fokine, who wanted to adapt the ancient Greek romance by Longus.

Compositional Technique

Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé features lavish instrumentation, including quadruple brass, expanded percussion, and an aeoliphone (wind machine), creating a rich and subtle soundscape.