Petrushka is a short work, and so it was followed this evening by Ravel's Daphnis*. I have never been much interested in modern French music, and hearing Daphnis did little to win me over to it. Undoubtedly this music possesses its own attractive aroma but there is so much water in it, its contours are so diffuse, that all in all it is not worth listening to. On top of this, the story of Daphnis is not very interesting, and Ravel has no notion of how to illustrate what is happening on stage. As long as we are deadling with poetic maidens and forest glades the music is affecting and relates to the images on stage, but when we get to dramatic images or Bacchante dances the impotence of the composer is all to clearly demonstrated.