Pierre Boulez - Boulez Conducts Ravel (2000) [SACD]

As with other reissues in this series, Sony Classical engineers have worked wonders with the DSD transfer onto SACD of the original reel-to-reel master tapes. Columbia Masterworks LPs were notoriously poor, because they artificially boosted the mid-range to make the recordings sound better on mediocre equipment. This disfigured and masked the true audiophile qualities of the original recordings as realized in the studio. Later CD transfers rectified this problem but were subject to the sonic limitations of the medium. This SACD transfer sounds mind-bogglingly better than any CD version I have heard. It is incredibly realistic, allowing every texture of Ravel’s complex and multifaced orchestral tapestries to be heard. Because of the vintage of these recordings (1970s), there is not even very much of a tape hiss. It is frankly hard to believe that these recordings are not contemporary, so good is the sound.
This well-filled disc contains most of the well-known orchestral works of Ravel in exemplary performances by Boulez and the New York Philharmonic (and, in one case, the Cleveland Orchestra). He has since re-recorded much of this repertoire digitally for Deutsche Grammophon, but these earlier performances are in no way inferior, indeed they are in some ways more vital and viscerally exciting. There is also the bonus of the wordless chorus in the second “Daphnis et Chloe” suite, usually included in performances of the complete ballet but often omitted in the suite.
In sum, exceptional both in sound and performance quality, and recommended without reservation.


Tracks:

01.Bolero 15:32
02.La Valse 13:02
03.Rapsodie Espagnole - I. Prélude à la nuit 04:01
04.Rapsodie Espagnole - II. Malagueña 02:01
05.Rapsodie Espagnole - III. Habanera 02:42
06.Rapsodie espagnole - IV. Feria 06:07
07.Alborada Del Gracioso 07:36
08.Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2 - Lever du jour 05:40
09.Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2 - Pantomime 05:37
10.Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2 - Danse générale 04:19


Track 1 recorded 21 December, 1974.
Track 2 recorded 23 February, 1974.
Tracks 3-7 recorded 21 July, 1969.
Tracks 8-10 recorded 17-21 March, 1975.

Personnel:

Camerata Singers
New York Philharmonic
Cleveland Orchestra
Pierre Boulez (conductor)