Search - Maurice Ravel, Charles Dutoit, Montréal Symphony Orchestra :: Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé, etc / Dutoit, Montreal Symphony Orchestra

Superb Performances at A Bargain

Henry Mautner | Ludlow, KY, USA | 07/08/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It was the the first installment of the celebrated Montreal/Dutoit Ravel cycle - Daphnis et Chloe - that propelled the Montreal Symphony of the early 1980's into the international limelight. The remainder of the cycle confirmed the promise of the initial release, which was that these would be the digital era's state-of-the art Ravel recordings both interpretively and sonically .At every turn, the Montreal Symphony astonishes with its virtuosity. In every passage, Dutoit finds something new and valuable in this very familiar music. And the engineering is stupendous - this is the closest we may ever come to having a great orchestra performing in our (temporarily resonant) living room. This easily qualifies as a "desert island" recording, and at a price that's truly a steal. Even the liner notes are unusually informative, providing fascinating insight into how Montreal became a part of the Decca/London orbit, and ultimately how these wonderful recordings were made."

A shimmering haze of sound

Bruce Hodges | New York, NY | 04/25/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This "Daphnis," now an unbelievable 20 years old, was a landmark recording in the short history of compact discs, and still holds its own among many fine versions available. The magic appears in the opening bars and never stops throughout this ravishingly beautiful disc. The score's intricacy and colors are exactly suited to Dutoit's strengths, as well as those of the glittering Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal. The end of the ballet also showcases the outstanding Montreal chorus, surging forward with power and precision.



The "Pavane" and "La Valse" are equally impressive, the latter building to a shatteringly satisfying conclusion. To my ears, Dutoit and Montreal are virtually unsurpassed in this repertoire, notwithstanding outstanding versions over the years by Andre Cluytens, Charles Munch, Claudio Abbado and others.



A technical note: Decca has improved on the original issue of "Daphnis" by helpfully dividing the piece into twelve tracks. (The original CD was, amazingly, a single track.)"