Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé

Featuring

Aziz Shokhakimov
Choeur de l'Opéra national du Rhin
Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg
Maurice Ravel

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Critical Reception

Less than a year after its premiere, Daphnis et Chloé faded from memory due to the overwhelming impact of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring premiere in May 1913.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Ravel wrote the scenario for Daphnis et Chloé himself to ensure choreographers would not misrepresent his work, moving away from its Mediterranean origins towards a pantheistic universe.

Notable Performances

The ballet Daphnis et Chloé premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet on June 8, 1912, with critics praising dancer Vaslav Nijinsky's performance.

Composition History

Sergei Diaghilev, head of the Ballets russes company, commissioned Maurice Ravel's 'choreographic symphony' Daphnis et Chloé in 1909.

Cultural Impact

The work was definitively established in the orchestral repertoire after its London premiere in 1914 and its first performance at the Paris Opéra in 1921.