"Boléro" is a one-movement orchestral piece by the French composer Maurice Ravel (1875–1937). Originally composed as a ballet commissioned by Russian actress and dancer Ida Rubinstein, the piece, which premiered in 1928, is Ravel's most famous musical composition.
The composition was a sensational success when it was premiered at the Paris Opéra on 22 November 1928, with choreography by Bronislava Nijinska and designs and scenario by Alexandre Benois. The orchestra of the Opéra was conducted by Walther Straram.
The piece was first published by the Parisian firm Durand in 1929.
See next link for complete score: Ravel_-_Bolero_Full_Score_Durand_1929_.pdf
The first recording session of the "Bolero" in 1930 by the Grand Orchestre Symphonique, directed by Piero Coppola, was attended by Ravel himself.
(o) Grand Orchestre Symphonique (dir. Piero Coppola) (1930)
Recorded January 7, 1930 Salle Pleyel Paris
Matrix CF 2710/13
Released on Disque Gramophone W 1067/68 (France)
Also released on Victor 13659/60 (USA)
Listen here:
The next day, Maurice Ravel conducted the Lamoureux Orchestra in his own recording session for the Polydor-label.
(c) Orchestre de l'Association des Concerts Lamoureux (dir Maurice Ravel) (1930)
Recorded January 8, 1930 in Paris
Matrix 1812/15
Released on Polydor 566030/1 (France) / Polydor 66947/8 (Germany) /
Also released on Decca CA 8015/6 (UK) / Brunswick 90039/40 (USA)
Listen here: www.phonobase.org/audio/AC-2010/2010-02_3132b.mp3
(c) Boston Symphony Orchestra (dir by Serge Koussevitzky) (1930)
Recorded April 14, 1930 at the Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts
Released on Victor 7251
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(c) Willem Mengelberg and his Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Recoorded May 31, 1930 at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
Released on Columbia LX 48/9 (UK)
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In 1934 George Raft and Carole Lombard starred in the film Bolero, which ended with them performing a dance to the music.
In 1977 "Allegro Non Troppo", a sophisticated parody of Walt Disney's Fantasia directed by Bruno Bozzetto, uses "Boléro" as the theme for a segment where an entire evolutionary sequence arises on an alien planet from the residue in the bottom of a Coke bottle discarded by a visiting human astronaut.
Watch it here:
In the 1979 movie "10", the character played by Bo Derek asks "Did you ever do it to Ravel's Bolero?", a reference to the idea that the work is a good accompaniment to lovemaking. A four-minute excerpt of Boléro is used during the subsequent sex scene.
(c) Tomita (1979)
A 7" and 12" single of "Bolero" was released in the UK by popular demand in the light of the success of the movie "10" starring Bo Derek and Dudley Moore. It actually hit the Top 75!
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Frank Zappa admired the piece, saying it "has one of the best melodies ever written", and performed an arrangement of it on his 1988 world tour. A reggae version of Ravel's "Boléro" is featured on his live album "The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life".
Watch it here:
(c) Gerard Joling (1989) (as "No More Boleros")
written by Peter de Wijn, but unmistakable influenced by Ravel's "Bolero"
Nr 1 Hit in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Listen here (at 3 min and 3 sec in the YT below)
Nintendo composer Koji_Kondo (credited as Konchan) had at first wanted to use "Boléro" as the title screen music for The_Legend_of_Zelda_(video_game). Due to copyright issues, however, he had to scrap the idea and compose original music of his own. He wrote a new arrangement of the overworld theme within one day.
Watch it here:
The theme was later revisited in Ocarina_of_Time's music "Bolero of Fire", which also uses the same snare drum ostinato
Listen here:
Japanese musician and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto reworked "Bolero" for the score of the 2002 Brian De Palma film "Femme Fatale", titled "Bolerish".
Listen here:
(c) Rufus Wainwright (2003) ( incorporated in "Oh What A World")
Listen here:
More versions here: Cover versions of Boléro written by Maurice Ravel | SecondHandSongs
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