Orchestral Works
This two hours and 10 minutes of Ravel is a mixed bag. After a good-sounding, if not quite thrilling,Bolero, we get a wonderfulRapsodie Espagnoleand a warm-heartedPavane. TheValses nobles et sentimentalesgo by without a trace, andDaphnis et Chloéis a bit cool as well. CD two is much better.Le Tombeauis lively, and the other heavily scored orchestral works--Shéhérazade,Alborada del gracioso,La Valse, and three less-known pieces--are beautifully performed. As an intro to Ravel, this bargain can't be beat. Individually, though, there are betterBoleros out there--Karajan's, for one.--Robert Levine