Composer: Maurice Ravel
Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Lorin Maazel
Audio CD
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: FLAC (image+cue)
Label: RCA Red Seal
Size: 333 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 1
02. Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2
03. Rhapsodie espagnole: Prélude à la nuit
04. Rhapsodie espagnole: Malagueña
05. Rhapsodie espagnole: Habanera
06. Rhapsodie espagnole: Feria
07. La valse
08. Boléro
Thrilling to the experienced
When I bought this disk, I was looking for a “definitive account” of Ravel’s powerhouse orchestral pieces. It’s not definitive, and to someone unacquainted with these pieces, maybe not even that interesting.
But if you know Bolero, Rhapsodie Espagnole and La Valse, you’re in for a real treat, because Maazel and the Vienna Philharmonic flagrantly overplay everything on this disk. Phrases in La Valse and Rhapsodie are stretched nearly to their breaking points. The orchestrations in Bolero are Technicolor vivid.
What makes this disk especially wonderful is the sensation that each of the performances is the work of a single mind. The Vienna Philharmonic plays as though they were a unified extension of Maazel, and he’s a sharp one. The recorded sound is unbelievably lush.
If you want definitive, look to Munch’s recordings with the Boston Symphony or Dutoit’s with Montreal. When you’re ready for Ravel overload, come here.
many thanks
Thanks