Gramophone Magazine
March 2025
Editor's Choice

London Symphony Orchestra, Tenebrae, Antonio Pappano

Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé, M. 57, Première partie
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé, M. 57, Deuxième partie
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé, M. 57, Troisième partie

While living in Paris at the turn of the century, Maurice Ravel was commissioned to write a ballet by the impresario and founder of the Ballets Russes, Serge Diaghilev. The result was music of fluid, delicate beauty—a languid drama of danger and desire.

The plot of Daphnis et Chloé is adapted from a second-century Greek erotic pastoral, and tells the captivating story of love and longing between the humble goatherd Daphnis and shepherdess Chloé. When Chloé is abducted by pirates, Daphnis calls upon higher powers to aid his pursuit. These forces of nature are mirrored in the score through Ravel's characteristic lush orchestration and vivid melodies. Interjections from a wordless chorus—sung in this performance by award-winning British ensemble, Tenebrae—perfectly capture the celestial might of the God, Pan, as he comes to the lovers' rescue.

Known for its rich harmonic textures and expansive scoring, Daphnis et Chloé is one of Ravel's largest and most loved orchestral masterpieces. Join the London Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor, Sir Antonio Pappano, on this dreamlike musical journey through Greek mythology, where passion, nature and divinity intertwine.

"The competition is fierce, of course, but Pappano’s account of this wonderful score has the smell of the theatre about it, and that has to be a good thing." - Gramophone Magazine, March 2025