Daphnis and Chloe was commissioned in 1910 by Sergey Diaghilev, head of the Ballets Russes in Paris, one of the most innovative dance companies. Like Ravel, Diaghilev also strived for new aesthetics, therefore it was no surprise that Ravel promised to compose the music for Diaghilev‘s newest ballet. Unfortunately it took a while before the work was seen on stage because Diaghilev and his choreograhper had a fight. The Sinfonieorchester Aachen under Kazem Abdullah show us that the music can stand for itself and is indeed one of the masterpieces of Ravel. The Sinfonieorchester Aachen is the concert and opera orchestra of the Theater Aachen. It consists of about 70 musicians and performs about 140 concerts annually. The regular symphony concerts take place in the Eurogress Aachen. Kazen Abdullah has led the ensemble since August 2012.