The Best of French Ballet

April 22, 2008 | By Doug In Classic Music |

The Best of French Ballet
Customer Review: Discover the rarely-recorded “Le Roi S’Amuse”
The title of this CD could have been “The Best of Delibes,” for all the tracks are highlights from Delibes ballets. I have the complete Bonynge versions of Coppelia, Sylvia, and La Source. But sometimes I enjoy listening just to the highlights on this CD - the stirring czardas and the tinkling dance of the mechanical toys from Coppelia, the pizzicato from Sylvia. Best of all, this CD adds the dances from “Le Roi S’Amuse,” and that makes it a valuable addition to my ballet library. My favorites are the stately gaillarde and pavane. But all seven tracks are worth listening to, with a richness that seems appropriate to a royal court and a liveliness that reminds us what a wonderful ballet composer Delibes was.