Ravel: Orchestral Works/ Abbado, Boston SO, London SO

Price 13.49 - 22.20 USD

This two hours and 10 minutes of Ravel is a mixed bag. After a good-sounding, if not quite thrilling, Bolero, we get a wonderful Rapsodie Espagnole and a warm-hearted Pavane. The Valses nobles et sentimentales go by without a trace, and Daphnis et Chloé is a bit cool as well. CD two is much better. Le Tombeau is 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 better Boleros out there--Karajan"s, for one. --Robert Levine