Pierné: Cydalise et le Chèvre-pied & Ramuntcho

Gabriel Pierné was one of the most important figures of the ebullient French musical life at the turn of the 20th-century. January 15th marks the 100 years since the premiere of Cydalise et le Chèvre-pied’s at the Paris Opera. This supremely refined ballet, summoning the deities and spirits of nature in a luxurious instrumentation, is reminiscent of Daphnis et Chloé or the Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, but very rarely recorded. Jean-Baptiste Mari’s performance of the two complete suites was a premiere on record and is coupled with the overture of Ramuntcho after the adventure novel by Pierre Loti.