Daphnis and Chloe: Suites I and II in Full Score

by Maurice Ravel

Composed for Diaghilev and the Ballet Russes, Daphnis and Chloé was drawn from an ancient Greek fable about a pair of abandoned infants who grow up together, fall in love, and are delivered from the treachery of pirates by the god Pan. Upon receipt of the commission for this work, Ravel announced his intention to "compose a vast musical fresco, less scrupulous as to archaism than faithful to the Greece of my dreams, which inclined readily enough to what French artists of the late 18th century have imagined and depicted." The resulting "choreographic symphony" features a captivating combination of orchestral traditions and modern ideals.
Reproduced from authoritative editions, these two suites are extracted from the complete ballet. This affordable version is their first appearance in a single volume, promising convenience and value as well as the pleasure and enlightenment of Ravel's inspired vision.

Genres: Music

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

French composer known especially for his melodies, masterful orchestration, richly evocative harmonies and inventive instrumental textures and effects. Along with Claude Debussy, he was one of the most prominent figures associated with Impressionist music. Much of his piano music, chamber music, vocal music and orchestral music is part of the standard concert repertoire.

Ravel's piano compositions, such as Jeux d'eau, Miroirs, Le tombeau de Couperin and Gaspard de la nuit, demand considerable virtuosity from the performer, and his mastery of orchestration is particularly evident in such works as Rapsodie espagnole, Daphnis et Chloé and his arrangement of Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Ravel is best known for his orchestral work Boléro (1928), which he once described as "a piece for orchestra without music".

Reviews

[JDL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had the pleasure of reading through the score while hearing Salonen conduct the Philadelphia Orchestra in the full ballet live. My appreciation for Ravel's orchestration went up exponentially, even though it's already in my top 3 favorite orchestral pieces.

[Raúl · Rating 5 out of 5]

El mundo idílico y pleno de sensaciones de la lírica helenística, bajo la óptica ecléctica de Ravel.