Jesus Lopez-Cobos proves himself a perceptive and idiomatic interpreter of some of Ravel's most popular works. A conductor with a fine ear and a style that lends itself more to elegance than brute force, he encourages his players to explore every nook and cranny of these colorful scores, without any sacrifice of energy or excitement. He's helped in no small degree by Telarc's excellent recording, which allows the music to build to a natural climax that conveys maximum impact without any sense of strain. There are many excellent Ravel discs out there, and this certainly deserves to be considered one of them. --David Hurwitz