TGIF – Unwind to Bolero!
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” (famous quote attributed to Albert Einstein, Mark Twain, Benjamin Franklin, Voltaire, Machiavelli, Socrates, and Nicolas Cage.)
French composer Maurice Ravel‘s (1875-1937) most famous piece is probably Boléro. The piece is basically a one-minute melody, repeated 17 times. The tempo (speed), rhythm, notes of the melody and the harmony remain virtually unchanged from the beginning to the end. Some might call this insanity (the snare-drum players definitely call this insanity, because they play the same two-measure idea over 150 times, unchanged, until the very end of the piece. If you don’t believe me, take a look!)
Oddly enough, people seem to enjoy this insanity. So what makes it exciting? First: each time the melody is repeated, Ravel changes what instruments are playing, exploring a wide palette of orchestral color. Second, the whole piece is one gigantic crescendo – it starts soft, and grows to a full blow-your-ears-off loud. Turn your speakers up and make sure your boss isn’t around.
More than one person (two, to be exact) have told me that they love to start this piece with the volume turned all the way up – and they see how long they can last until they HAVE to turn it down.
Thanks to Larry, who gave the little push I needed to start this blog!
If insanity is anything, it is that conductor.
The conductor is Gustavo Dudamel, the conductor of the LA Philharmonic. His hair could win awards.
I found myself thinking I would like to hear more of his conducting. It strikes me his sense of a piece of music is simpatico with mine.
I confess I’m guilty of listening to this really really loud. There. I said it.
Yes, best not to keep these admissions held in.
Never really appreciated Bolero until this listening. Thanks! Heretofore I had inappropriately dismissed it for its repetition – duh! Even though I was intrigued with the melody.
Don’t forget the famous Torvill and Dean ice skating routine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2zbbN4OL98 (wow I forgot how cheesy it was!!!!)
I didn’t know this existed! But now that I do, I can finally say that my life is complete.
Thanks for including link to Beethoven’s 9th. I had time to catch the 1st movement. Carried me away just as much as first time I heard it 9 years ago on CD walking my daughter’s dog in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Then I was listening to Leonard Bernstein and NY Philharmonic recorded in 1969.
Bolero I find comforting…having a touch of OCD
Doesn,t anybody remember the famous movie “10” with Bo Derek? Millions of americans were introduced to bolero with that!
I remember when it came out but I didn’t see it.
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