Search - Ravel, Dutoit, Montréal Symphony Orchestra :: Complete Orchestral Works

The beauty and passion of Ravel's music are on these CDs!

10/19/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've listened to the music over and over again on these CDs and just can't get over how wonderful they sound and how moved I am by the magic that is Ravel's music. Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra are simply magnificent! Ma Mere I'Oye is played with such sweetness. Le Tombeau de Couperin conveys such swirling emotions. Daphnis et Chloe is simply spellbinding. The Bolero...wow! It is hard to convey the emotions of such a wonderfully performed and engineered collection of Ravel's works here. If you love Ravel's music, you will love what Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra have done here with this exquisite collection."

MSO/Dutoit: The Last Word in Ravel, Bar None.

01/18/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Every time I listen to this CD, it gets better. The quality of the recording is crystal clear, as shown by the ability of the listener to pick out all the inner melodies. The Prelude of the Tombeau de Couperin, for example, is simply beautiful. The technically perfect and musically inspired oboe leads and is solidly supported. In fact, the oboe sounds luminent wherever it appears on this CD. The conductor merits a special mention, since it is undoubtedly he who is responsable for having made *musicians* out of mere violinists, clarinetists, trombonists, etc. When I compare the MSO/Dutoit Ravel recordings to other CDs of Ravel, the latter do not hold a candle to this Canadian gem. For example, a recent Boston Symphony recording of Ravel's orchestral works was uninspired at best and student-level at worst. The tempi were slow and there were constant cracks in the winds -- something with which the MSO recording does not accost the listener. One simply begins to wonder, upon comparing the MSO recordings to the records of the "Big Five" orchestras, whether reputations are not a clear indication of actual ability."

If you Love Ravel or Dutoit, This is The One

Matthew Drummy | Vermont, USA | 11/30/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"And I love them both. . . .



Seriously, this is one of the great compilations of any genre. Dutoit is passionate about Ravel and somehow always jacked the OSM onto a higher level when they collaborated on the Little Genius's work. The highlights, in my very humble opinion, are "Ma Mere L'Oye" and "Daphnis et Chloe," both played in their full ballet versions.



"Ma Mere": It's all brilliant, but tears inevitably flow during "Apotheose" as it leads into "The Fairy Garden" (forgive my ignorance of French here!). The 2-3 minute passage is almost unbearably sad, yet one must survive it to truly appreciate the triumph of the ending.



As for "Daphnis et Chloe," he plays with tempo in both directions. The first 8 minutes, the sunrise scene (you'd swear there were birds in your living room), and the final Bacchanal are put across with such sweetness, fervor, and majesty that the close listener is literally overwhelmed. One mourns the breakup of Dutoit and the OSM all the more.



The rest of the discs are beyond reproach in terms of performance, commitment, and sound quality. "Une Barque sur l'Ocean" and the Piano Concerto for Left Hand are particular standouts in terms of their superiority to other versions I've heard.



Note that Scheherezade and Tzigane are not included here. They technically aren't "Orchestral Works," but you might expect them, so just be forewarned.



One of the great conductors conducting one of the great symphony orchestras as they cover the oeuvre of one of the greatest composers--and there's no slacking off anywhere. This is the One."