Esa-Pekka Salonen Conductor
Olivier Latry Organ
Philadelphia Symphonic Choir
Gabriel Crouch Director
Saariaho Lumière et Pesanteur
Salonen Sinfonia concertante, for organ and orchestra
Ravel Daphnis and Chloe (complete ballet)
Famed Finnish conductor and composer Esa-Pekka Salonen returns with a pair of mesmerizing soundscapes. He leads the Orchestra in his own composition, Sinfonia concertante, for organ and orchestra. The history of the organ inspired him to “imagine ‘old’ music from a hypothetical world, an alternate universe,” drawing on Renaissance and baroque themes as well as contemporary sources such as organ riffs heard in NHL ice hockey games. It’s the perfect aperitif for the fantastic feast of music to come: the complete score of Ravel’s achingly beautiful Daphnis and Chloe.
Commissioned by early-20th-century ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev, whose famed Ballets Russes was the toast of Paris, Ravel’s work would follow a string of hits for the company: The Firebird, Petrushka, and The Rite of Spring, all composed by Igor Stravinsky. The new ballet was a rushed affair, nearly driving Ravel mad, as he wrote to a friend: “Almost every night, work until 3 a.m. What particularly complicates matters is that Fokine [Michel Fokine, the choreographer] doesn’t know a word of French, and I only know how to swear in Russian. Even with interpreters around you can imagine how chaotic our meetings are.” The story, based on a Greek myth, is pure romance: boy meets girl, they dance, and fall in love; girl is abducted by pirates, boy is desolate, but then the nymphs of Pan help her escape; and so the lovers are joyfully reunited. And the score? A triumph! Igor Stravinsky hailed Daphnis and Chloe as “not only Ravel’s best work, but also one of the most beautiful products of all French music.” With its transfixing lyricism and unique orchestration (including glockenspiel, wind machine, celesta, and a wordless chorus), this sensual and evocative classic conjures up a mystical world where love is all.