Decca might seem to have a monopoly on Daphnis recordings, since it can boast superlative readings by Monteux, Ansermet, and Dutoit in its catalog. But in 1980, EMI taped this performance with Andre Previn, which is fully equal to the others. Previn hews a more classical path, which produces results slightly cooler but no less exciting than the competition. His reading is superlatively balanced and shimmers with radiant clarity throughout. The final Bacchanale is tremendously exciting and the sound is of generally high caliber, barring a trace of distortion in the biggest climaxes. Previn’s Bolero is one of the slowest in the catalog, but it doesn’t seem slow, just very sexy and sensual, unfoldling in a sultry and relaxed, yet somehow supercharged manner, allowing the virtuoso soloists of the London Symphony to make the most of their solo passages. The recording here is a bit warmer and more resonant. But this is an analog recording, whereas the Daphnis was very early digital.
