Maurice Ravel; Igor Stravinsky - Daphnis et Chloé; Le sacre du printemps (Rafael Payare)

Information

Composer: Maurice Ravel; Igor Stravinsky

• Ravel - Daphnis et Chloé, M. 57
• Stravinsky - Le sacre du printemps

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

Rafael Payare, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Pentatone

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Under the direction of Music and Artistic Director Rafael Payare, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal presents two landmark scores composed for Sergei Diaghilev’s legendary Ballets Russes: Maurice Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé and Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. Highlighting the company's transformative impact on 20th-century artistic modernity, the recording showcases Ravel’s "choreographic symphony" with its rich orchestral colors alongside Stravinsky’s rhythmically groundbreaking evocation of ancient rituals. Released on PENTATONE, this album further expands the prestigious recording partnership between the orchestra and Payare, following their acclaimed previous releases of works by Mahler, Strauss, Schoenberg, and Berlioz.

Born in 1980 in Barcelona, Venezuela, Rafael Payare began his musical journey as a horn player in El Sistema at age 14, later becoming Principal Horn of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra. Mentored by José Antonio Abreu, Lorin Maazel, and Krzysztof Penderecki, he transitioned to conducting and has since led major Venezuelan and international orchestras. Winner of the 2012 Malko Conducting Competition, Payare has appeared with top ensembles across the U.S. and Europe, including the Vienna Philharmonic, London Symphony, and New York Philharmonic. Also active in opera, he has conducted at Covent Garden and Glyndebourne. He lives in San Diego and Montreal with cellist Alisa Weilerstein.