Search - Maurice Ravel, Andre Previn, London Symphony Orchestra :: Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé/Boléro

A completely convincing Daphnis and Chloe from Previn's gold

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 07/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Seventies was Previn's golden age, when he and the London Sym., aided by superb analog sound from EMI's engineers, made a series of records he would never better. This Daphnis and Chloe, which sells on the used market for less than a cup of Mochachino Java, is a case in point. The textures are like gossamer, both from the LSO and their exemplary chorus. My only quibble is that EMI's digital transfer needs updating; it osunds a bit thin and brittle.



Previn plays the score "straight," without much eroticism, certainly without the tang and bite of a native French performance. But given that most collectors automatically reach for Charles Munch and the BSO in Living Stereo (RCA), it's surprising how satisfying this unknown and forgotten reading really is. Where else can your ears be ravished for under $5?"