Maurice Ravel wrote the orchestral work Daphnis et Chloé, commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev.
Diaghilev commissioned the work for his Ballets Russes, and it was choreographed by Michel Fokine. Ravel composed it between 1909 and 1912, using a scenario based on the pastoral romance by the ancient Greek writer Longus. The ballet premiered in Paris at the Théâtre du Châtelet on 8 June 1912, with Pierre Monteux conducting.
Ravel described Daphnis et Chloé as a “symphonie chorégraphique,” or choreographic symphony. The score calls for a large orchestra and includes a wordless chorus, especially in the famous “Lever du jour” or “Daybreak” sequence. Ravel later made two orchestral suites from the ballet. It is sometimes grouped with Debussy’s impressionist music, but the work’s composer is Ravel and its orchestration reflects his distinctive precision and color.