Maurice Ravel, Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2
In 1909, Ravel was approached about writing a ballet score for Sergei Diaghilev during his stay in Paris, to be choreographed by Michel Fokine, with set design by Léon Bakst. They chose to write this ballet around the famous Greek love story of Daphnis and Chloé, drawing from not only the sentimentality of the story, but also its exhilarating dance-like qualities and magical, pastoral setting. However, the ballet’s premiere in 1913 received very mixed reviews, leading to a short run on the stage and its relative obscurity within the staged ballets of today. Ravel revealed that he believed the ballet’s underperformance was due to his Romantic musical contribution being “somewhat at odds to the sensibilities of my collaborators,” referencing the “primitive barbarism” of Léon Bakst’s sets and the ultra-modern choreography of Michel Fokine. Instead, he called it a “great choreographic symphony.” He eventually extracted two suites from the ballet’s original score, which are frequently used in concert settings. The Second Suite features primarily the final sections of the ballet, centered on celebration. Generally, the Second Suite follows three sections: Lever du jour (Daybreak), Pantomime, and Danse générale. During its release, Ravel also provided an abridged plot of the ballet, set for the events captured by Suite No. 2:
"No sound but the murmur of rivulets fed by the dew that trickles from the rocks. Daphnis lies stretched before the grotto of the nymphs. Little by little the day dawns. The songs of birds are heard. Afar off a shepherd leads his flock… Herdsmen enter, seeking Daphnis and Chloé. She at last appears encircled by shepherdesses. The two rush into each other’s arms. Daphnis observes Chloé's crown. His dream was a prophetic vision: the intervention of Pan is manifest. The old shepherd Lammon explains that Pan saved Chloé, in remembrance of the nymph Syrinx, whom the god loved.
Daphnis and Chloé mime the story of Pan and Syrinx. Chloé impersonates the young nymph wandering over the meadow. Daphnis, as Pan, appears and declares his love for her. The nymph repulses him; the god becomes more insistent. She disappears among the rocks. In desperation he plucks some stalks, fashions a flute, and on it plays a melancholy tune. Chloé comes out and imitates by her dance the accents of the flute.
The dance grows more and more animated. In mad whirlings, Chloé falls into the arms of Daphnis. Before the altar of the nymphs he swears on two sheep his fidelity. Young girls enter; they are dressed as Bacchantes and shake their tambourines. Daphnis and Chloé embrace tenderly. A group of young men come on the stage. Joyous tumult … a general dance."
—Maurice Ravel (1913)
The Suite begins with fluttering woodwinds and a rising string melody that brings the world to life. Foreshadowing turns in the lower strings give way to the rising sun, finally signaled by the heavy, triumphant drumming from the percussion. Oboes and an English horn set the story into motion as Chloé and Syrinx wander through a meadow and Daphnis calls out to his love. A fervent piccolo and sweeping harp lead the characters into a fast, spinning dance that leaves Chloé out of control. Across the dialogue of instrumental solos, mimicking the drama across the stage, Ravel’s drama is always characterized by its light, motion-filled, magical qualities. Only in the final drama do pointed woodwinds and crashes from the brass and percussion intersect with the constantly fluttering motion of the woodwinds and strings. Giving in to the boisterous tendencies of Ravel's collaborators, the suite ends in exhilarating swirls, flutters, and explosions from the orchestra that pull the audience into the overwhelming ecstasy of the celebratory dance.
—Christopher Copley