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In 1909, French composer Ravel was commissioned to write a new ballet for Ballets Russes, entitled Daphnis et Chloé. Based on a tale from Ancient Greece, the ballet tells the story of Daphnis and Chloé, two foundlings raised by shepherds and goatherds on the island of Lesbos.

The supernatural story unfolds through Ravel’s melodies and orchestration: eerie, haunting, lively, bright, vibrant and delicate all at once. Listen out particularly for the famous flute solo, which beautifully captures the mood of the ballet and showcases Ravel’s particular talent for woodwind writing.

This recording is from a performance of Daphis et Chloé which took place at St David’s Hall in 2016, with Â鶹ԼÅÄ NCW and Â鶹ԼÅÄ NOW’s Conductor Laureate, Tadaaki Otaka.