Boulez Conducts Ravel, Vol. 3 (La Valse / Menuet Antique / Ma Mère L'Oye (Mother Goose) — Complete Ballet)

Released in 1975 under the CBS Masterworks label, this recording features Pierre Boulez leading the New York Philharmonic in an exploration of Ravel’s orchestral works. This volume was part of a broader, critically acclaimed series in which Boulez, a leading figure of the musical avant-garde, brought his trademark precision and analytical rigor to the core repertoire of the French impressionist canon. His approach sought to strip away the lush, overly sentimental interpretations that had become standard, opting instead for a transparent, structurally focused reading of the scores.

The album includes the complete ballet score for Ma Mère l'Oye, alongside the waltz and minuet. The design reflects the mid-seventies aesthetic of CBS Masterworks, prioritizing a clean, scholarly presentation that emphasized the conductor's reputation as a modernist intellectual. While initial critical reception was mixed among traditionalists who missed the warmth of older French conductors, the recording has since been recognized for its technical brilliance and its successful reclamation of Ravel as a master of clear, precise orchestration rather than mere atmospheric color.