Daphnis et Chloe versus The Rite of Spring

[Heck148]

So which are the good versions of the complete Daphnis?

Bernstein/NYPO, Monteux/LSO; Abbado/LSO is very good also.

[Heck148]

Martinon is absolutely excellent.

I've not heard Martinon for complete D&C...what orchestra?? He did a splendid Suite #2 with Chicago.

Martinon was an absolutely first-rate Ravel conductor....right up there with Reiner. His Ravel discs with Chicago are great, top choices...

[Heck148]

With the onset of the Great War, they were not practical.

Stravinsky quickly adapted to the use of reduced forces - L'Histoire du Soldat and the Octet being to wonderful examples of his change in style and medium.

[PerfectWagnerite]

I've not heard Martinon for complete D&C...what orchestra?? He did a splendid Suite #2 with Chicago.

Martinon was an absolutely first-rate Ravel conductor....right up there with Reiner. His Ravel discs with Chicago are great, top choices...

By the timing I think disc 3 of this set is the complete ballet:

https://www.amazon.com/Ravel-Orchestral-Works-Maurice/dp/B000X4M28Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1475107855&sr=8-1&keywords=martinon+ravel

I listened to Dutoit/OSM today on youtube and found it very good. A detailed, nuanced reading with some excellent solo playing.

[Wanderer]

Daphnis et Chloé wins this vote for me, hands down. If it really was to be a difficult choice, it'd have to be put alongside Les Noces (a tie!).
The Rite of Spring is a tremendous work and up until recently I wasn't enamored by any of its recordings. The only one I really feel captures my view of its savage splendour is the recent one by Currentzis and MusicAeterna.

[mszczuj]

Well, there are two main works of Ravel I don't find fascinating. Daphnis et Chloe is one of them. (L'Heure epagnole is the other). And I would choose Rite for my top 10 favorite works of 20th century. Or even for top 1.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Well, there are two main works of Ravel I don't find fascinating. Daphnis et Chloe is one of them.

What do you not like about it? Wow there seems to be some negativity here regarding Daphnis and none versus The Rite. I wonder why?

[Mirror Image]

What do you not like about it. Wow there seems to be some negativity here regarding Daphnis and none versus The Rite. I wonder why?

I love Daphnis and don't understand any of the criticism of the piece, but it's always been a 'pet' work of mine. Le sacre is one of the first pieces of classical music I heard and my love for it runs much deeper than Daphnis, but this still doesn't mean that Daphnis isn't a marvelous work on its own.

[PerfectWagnerite]

I love Daphnis and don't understand any of the criticism of the piece, but it's always been a 'pet' work of mine. Le sacre is one of the first pieces of classical music I heard and my love for it runs much deeper than Daphnis, but this still doesn't mean that Daphnis isn't a marvelous work on its own.

I agree, there are so many magical moments in Daphnis, like the flute soaring above the orchestral murmur in the Pantomine in Part III. I can understand if the orchestral excess is not not some people's cup of tea but to say that it is their least favorite of Ravel's work strikes me as a bit extreme. In a good performance the piece ends with no less of a bash than the Rite.

I admire the suites from Daphnis; but to be honest, the full score is disappointing - and no match for the Sacre IMHO. I think I even prefer Pierné's Cyndalise in that case.

An interesting work that somehow never caught on for some odd reason. I do enjoy listening to it once it awhile.

[Mirror Image]

I agree, there are so many magical moments in Daphnis, like the flute soaring above the orchestral murmur in the Pantomine in Part III. I can understand if the orchestral excess is not not some people's cup of tea but to say that it is their least favorite of Ravel's work strikes me as a bit extreme. In a good performance the piece ends with no less of a bash than the Rite.

Many magical moments indeed. The section Danse suppliante de Chloé is one of my favorite moments in music. No joke! I always repeat this particular section because I find completely intoxicating and utterly ravishing. There's just nothing like it. As for people disliking Daphnis, that's fine, that's their right, doesn't mean I have agree of course and I obviously don't. Daphnis isn't one of my absolute favorite Ravel works, but, again, will never agree with any of the criticism of the work.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Many magical moments indeed. The section Danse suppliante de Chloé is one of my favorite moments in music. No joke! I always repeat this particular section because I find completely intoxicating and utterly ravishing. There's just nothing like it. As for people disliking Daphnis, that's fine, that's their right, doesn't mean I have agree of course and I obviously don't. Daphnis isn't one of my absolute favorite Ravel works, but, again, will never agree with any of the criticism of the work.

Yes, very creative in its extensive use the English horn, pitting it against the other winds.

Anyway sometimes I like to follow along albeit with the piano reduction which does not diminish how beautiful and complex this score is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYNlYMvFA5U

[Florestan]

Le sacre is one of the first pieces of classical music I heard

That´s it in a nutshell. On revient toujours à ses premiers amours.

I´m willing to bet my whole (inexistent) fortune that we all hold dearest and prefer above all the very first pieces of classical music we heard. It´s only too human! 

I have no doubt whatsoever that, had you heard D&C first, you´d have prefered it to LSDP.

[Monsieur Croche]

I also can not pick one over the other.

With all due respect, the OP is so fundamentally flawed in pairing these two masterpieces as an either/or deal, it is virtually ridiculous.

Couched in that ludicrous phraseology the likes of which there are far too many on music fora,
"Composer / Piece X vs. Composer / Piece Y" .... the report is:

Le Sacre, TKO eleven seconds into the first round.  If you arrived late, you missed it.

[Ken B]

With all due respect, the OP is so fundamentally flawed in pairing these two masterpieces as an either/or deal, it is virtually ridiculous.

Couched in that ludicrous phraseology the likes of which there are far too many on music fora,
"Composer / Piece X vs. Composer / Piece Y" .... the report is:

Le Sacre, TKO eleven seconds into the first round.  If you arrived late, you missed it.

That's why I predicted this won't be close. And that with GMG being a hotbed of Ravelism to start.

[Monsieur Croche]

So which are the good versions of the complete Daphnis?

My preferred (there is a broad general consensus on this choice, too)
Charles Munch, Boston Symphony. 
It is an older recording, the sound quality still more than a little fine,, and considered an archival 'must.'

https://www.amazon.com/Ravel-Daphnis-Chlo%C3%A9-Complete-Maurice/dp/B000003FKNhttps://www.amazon.com/Ravel-Daphnis-Chlo%C3%A9-Complete-Maurice/dp/B000003FKN


Best regards

P.s. FWIW, the suites are without the full chorus, and I think they are, truly, useless.

[Turner]

For the Suites of D&C, there´s a really great "Suite 2" by Stokowski/decca, and "Suites 1+2" by Celibidache,Munich PO/AS and other labels.

As for the whole ballet, I don´t have a definite, single favourite.

Among the more unusual Rite of Springs, there´s Ormandy/Philadelphia´s early mono on CBS/Sony, a performance lasting only 29mins, so very fast.

[PerfectWagnerite]

For the Suites of D&C, there´s a really great "Suite 2" by Stokowski/decca, and "Suites 1+2" by Celibidache,Munich PO/AS and other labels.

As for the whole ballet, I don´t have a definite, single favourite.

Among the more unusual Rite of Springs, there´s Ormandy/Philadelphia´s early mono on CBS/Sony, a performance lasting only 29mins, so very fast.

For the 2nd Suite the one in the 10 disc Martinon disc is excellent, also the Lenny/NYPO on SONY is about as exciting as it gets.

Anyone knows if this has the complete ballet? What is the orchestra?

[ritter]

Anyone knows if this has the complete ballet? What is the orchestra?

I don't own that edition, but from what I know, it is the full ballet. The orchestra is the NYPO (with the Camerata Singers).

Boulez had previously recorded the Suite No. 2 with Cleveland.

[knight66]

They are both ballets produced for the same company. But I have no idea why they would be compared and set against one another in this way. I don't like these topics that seem to require that to argue for one piece one needs to diminish the other.

Each is a great piece.

Mike

[Florestan]

I don't like these topics that seem to require that to argue for one piece one needs to diminish the other.

Each is a great piece.

The OP question was: Which do you enjoy more?

I should have thought we could enjoy some pieces more than others without ipso facto implying a judgment value on them.