More of the music of Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
- A vintage UK Decca pressing of Ravel’s complete Masterpiece that was doing everything right, earning INSANELY GOOD Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) grades throughout
- The sound is big and rich, lively and open, with TONS of depth and huge climaxes that hold together
- The voices in the chorus are clear, natural, separate and full-bodied — this is the hallmark of a vintage Golden Age recording: naturalness
- We know of no other recording of the work that does as good a job of capturing such a large orchestra and chorus
- Of course, Monteux is a master of the French idiom — his performance of the complete ballet here is definitive in our opinion
- There are about 150 orchestral recordings we’ve awarded the honor of offering the Best Performances with the Highest Quality Sound, and this record certainly has earned a place on that list.
Both sides here are BIG, with the space and depth of the wonderful Kingsway Hall that the LSO perform in. John Culshaw produced the album, which surely accounts for the huge size and space, not to mention quality, of the recording. The sound is dynamic and tonally correct throughout.