Daphnis and Chloe

The romantic tale of Daphnis and Chloe, told by the Greek author Longus, deals with the simple and peaceful lives of shepherds in the country. A young boy named Daphnis and a girl named Chloe are abandoned by their parents and raised by shepherds on the Greek island of Lesbos. The two meet and gradually fall in love as they grow up. After various trials, including Daphnis's capture by pirates, Daphnis and Chloe are reunited with their families and married to each other.

The popular story spread to Europe in the 1500s. It was the main source for The Winter's Tale by Shakespeare and inspired various musical compositions, including the 1910 ballet Daphnis et Chloé by the French composer Maurice Ravel.

* See Names and Places at the end of this volume for further information.

Daphnis et Chloé. Ballet (choreographic sym.) by Ravel in 3 scenes, choreog. Fokine, comp. 1909–12 to commission from Diaghilev, prod. Paris 1912, London 1914. Two concert suites arr. Ravel, No.1, 1911, No.2, 1913. Score incl. part for wordless ch.