Charles Munch & Boston Symphony Orchestra – Ravel: Bolero (LP, Analogue Productions)

Charles Munch was the opposite of the “intellectual” school of French conductors embodied by Pierre Boulez. He was a totally spontaneous artist, which made him the great Berlioz conductor of our time, and literally anything could happen when he was on the podium. It follows that his Ravel isn’t the kind of hyper-precise, calculated interpretation that many fans of the composer expect, but it’s bloody exciting. These three pieces are wisely chosen; they are the composer’s most extroverted works, and Munch pulls out all the stops in his performances. A classic recording and a great memento of a unique artist.