Ravel: La Valse, Rapsodie espagnole, Alborada del gracioso & Le Tombeau de Couperin

A rare encounter between the ‘Conductor of the Century’ and the soul of French impressionism. In these 1971 recordings, Karajan harnesses the unique, luminous timbres of the Orchestre de Paris to deliver a Ravel of extraordinary sensuality. Far from being overly Teutonic, his readings of Le Tombeau de Couperin and La Valse are masterpieces of orchestral transparency, proving that beneath the legendary “Karajan Sound” lay a deep, intuitive understanding of Ravel's refined shimmering textures.