L'Orchestre de la Soclété des Concerts du Conservatoire de Paris (Ansermet): "La Vatse "—Poème Chorégraphique (Ravel). Decca K 186-8 (12 in. 13s. Sd.). Auto AK 1867.8.

La Valse was begun in 1914, just before the war, as a tone-poem about Vienna (Wien). In 191 7 Ravel transformed it into a" choregraphic poem" with the present title. Diaghilev was to have produced it as a ballet, but decided not to. Ravel, we are told, never forgave him. Ida Rubinstein took it up and danced in it.

With the left-hand concerto (also recorded this month) La Valse can be considered as Ravel's last notable work with the orchestra. He was a great craftsman, though decidedly (to my mind) he cannot be called a great composer, in any full sense of the adjective.

Cleverly contrived sonorities, in conception, performance and recording. Remarkably good working-up. It is all got onto the disc brilliantly. In one or two passages, one wonders just how near the edge of pitch the strings were. The whole thing is starrily clever ; but does it wear well ? It comes into the parodistic class. Of this matter I was speaking in the Berkeley review—in another sense.

London Symphony Orchestra (Piero Cop