Serge Diaghilev had the almost unique gift of discovering the doyens of early-20th-century composers before the rest of the world, and although he was primarily concerned with his Ballets Russes, he was responsible for much great music coming into being which otherwise may not have been composed at all. The first volume in this series offered his greatest of all promotional discoveries, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring (and also Debussy’s Jeux). Vol 2 now offers Ravel’s radiantly magical Daphnis et Chloé complete, in a glowing, ecstatic choral performance, with a glorious “Daybreak” and a thrilling closing “Danse générale”. Not long before he died Ravel went to a performance of Daphnis and he came out with tears in his eyes. “It really is beautiful,” he said. And so it is here, one of the most miraculously lovely, transluscent and sensuous 20th century scores.

Its coupling is Poulenc’s witty Les Biches (“girls of independent spirit and virtue”), and its catchily audacious opening trumpet theme and luscious Adagietto are part of a suite full of piquantly affecting nostalgia and sparkle. Some years ago the Royal Ballet mounted an unforgettable triptych of Diaghilev ballets at Covent Garden, including the original sets, costumes and (Nijinskaya’s) choreography for Les Biches, and we discovered that this centres on amorous diversions between a group of bathing belles and males, and notably some ridiculous antics on and around a sofa. The Hostess in the Rag Mazurka is somehow more of a madame than she at first seems, hinting at eroticism as only the French can titillate. How surprisingly well Poulenc’s frivolous music fitted the ridiculous action, yet how delectably it stands up away from the ballet, especially when played with such spirited insouciance and plangent lyricism as here. The recording of both ballets is justly colourful, full-bodied and vivid, and Vol 2 makes a splendid successor to Vol 1.