Berio: Sinfonia - Boulez: Notations I-IV - Ravel: La valse, M. 72

Three major orchestral scores from the 20th century. Ravel’s intoxicating La Valse of 1920 portrays the gradual decay of society as seen through that quintessentially Viennese dance, the waltz. Morlot captures the work’s nightmare dissolution with real character. Written for piano in 1945, and orchestrated in 1977-78, Pierre Boulez’s four Notations are fascinating glimpses into his modernist mind, strikingly original yet owing much to the past. Luciano Berio’s masterpiece of 1968-69, Sinfonia, also draws on the past, yet does so with astounding virtuosity and wit. Morlot really gets under its skin and coaxes playing of great accomplishment from his musicians.