Ravel
Daphnis et Chloé
Sinfonia of London Chorus; Sinfonia of London/John Wilson
Chandos CHSA5327 (CD/SACD) 54:09 mins
Few composers were as meticulous as Ravel. Consequently, it is widely held that playing nothing more or less than what he wrote is the best policy in performing his music. With Daphnis et Chloé, though, numerous amendments made by the composer to the orchestral parts never made it to the published score. Hearty cheers, then, to John Wilson for spending lockdown remedying that with a new performing edition, played here with typical panache by his hand-picked ensembles the Sinfonia of London and Sinfonia of London Chorus.
This is, generally, a stunning performance, whether the kaleidoscopic wind colours of the part-one dances or ravishing glories of the part-three sunrise. Moreover, Chandos certainly know how to capture Ravel’s complex orchestral score, with an ideal combination of a warm glow and sense of space, without losing any of the minutiae. The Danse guerrière of part two is full of vigour, each tiny, insistent detail conveyed with unparalleled clarity, while the seductive lurches of Chloé’s Danse suppliante are ravishingly teasing. Perhaps most impressive is the precision of the tricky passages for unaccompanied voices.
On the surface, the end of the ballet is the epitome of all these things. Every note is there, with every nuance of the score observed with scrupulous fidelity. Except one – the title. Whether or not Ravel’s denials that it was orgiastic are believed, Danse générale (Bacchanale) implies some sense of abandon. In particular, there should be shaping of the voices’ wordless sighing and panting gestures. Rather than hair being let down, not a strand is out of place. Frustratingly, the performance’s formidable strengths cause it not quite to hit the mark of Ravel’s exhilarating conclusion. Christopher Dingle