Ravel, Maurice - Daphnis et Chloé - Gergiev, Valery (conductor)

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London Symphony Chorus
London Symphony Orchestra
Valery Gergiev, conductor

Music for the theatre has always formed a central part of Valery Gergiev's concert repertoire. His recent recordings have included an acclaimed performance of Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet and in November LSO Live releases a new recording of Ravel's score for the ballet Daphnis et Chloé.

Ravel was commissioned by Serge Diaghilev in 1909 to write the music for Daphnis et Chloé. Although he subsequently prepared orchestral suites of the score, the complete work is a magnificent orchestral showpiece in its own right. Ravel described it as a symphonie choréographique and it is essentially an extended tone poem. Luscious orchestral colours run throughout the work, portraying the passion of the two protagonists for each other.

By contrast, Pavane pour une infante défunte, composed by Ravel whilst he was still a student of Gabriel Fauré, harks back to the simplicity of the eighteenth-century music of Rameau. Boléro, one of his final works, highlights the Spanish influences and passion that pervade so many of his works.

Gergiev and the LSO perform in London during November before touring Japan. Gergiev has concerts in Paris with the Mariinsky Orchestra in December and tours again with the LSO in January and February, visiting Germany, Belgium and the US. His forthcoming LSO Live releases include a disc featuring Debussy's La Mer, Jeux and Prélude à l'apres midi d'un faune.