Maurice Ravel - Bolero | Alondra de la Parra | WDR Sinfonieorchester
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Published 2022-04-01
Maurice Ravel - Bolero
WDR Symphony Orchestra
Alondra de la Parra, conductor
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The idea of pursuing a career as a musician came early and was supported by his parents: At the age of 13, Maurice Ravel receives lessons at a private music school and studies immediately afterwards. There is little motivation left when Ravel fails his intermediate exam and has to leave the master class right away.
Nevertheless, one work in particular composed by Ravel, the "Boléro", is one of the best known and most frequently played pieces of music in the world. Ravel not only works on the Boléro with the greatest care and attention to detail, he often takes a long time to complete his works - due to the complexity and accuracy of his works, he is also called the "Swiss watchmaker" among composers.
Regarding his orchestral work "Boléro" - eponymous with the dance genre - Maurice Ravel commented one day: "My masterpiece? The Boléro, of course. It's just a pity that it contains no music at all".
Beginning with the probably best-known, always constant (ostinato) rhythm, the snare drum opens the piece in pianissimo.
It accompanies the two 16-bar melodies (melody A and B) throughout, which are repeated eighteen times - first solo, then by several registers in unison. They occur in the form AA BB until the last two repetitions. In the climax of the climax, A and B follow each other "undoubled". The melodies are varied only in the shaping of the instrumentation - and thus the timbre - resulting in a majestic crescendo until the end of the boléro.
All Comments (21)
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And the drummer! To keep the tempo and the right volume for 15 minutes... absolutely insane. Much, much respect!
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This is what YouTube is made for. I am so grateful for people who post these.
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Bolero, by Marice Ravel, TODAY I am 77 years old, I have been listening to it since I was 16, in moments of some distress, I listen to it, and it fills me with harmony and peace. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. HUGS FROM MY SALTA LA LINDA IN ARGENTINA.
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The conductor is a mighty queen, leading her royal army into a great battle!
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The conductor is an absolute joy to watch.
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I've always said that this is one of the hardest symphonies for a drummer to perform. Holding the same rhythm for 15 minutes straight is brutal if you asked me. I think I'd mentally collapse within a few minutes of doing the same 10-15 beats over and over again. This is a job for AIs, not for humans. Mad respect for the drummers that have to perform Bolero and still pull it perfectly!
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This is why I love music. How Bolero just keeps on building and growing in intensity is almost orgasmic.
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Alondra de la Parra... ¡Orgullo de México!... Gracias por compartir!!
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Jesus Christ, what was that???? I've played with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for a very long time, we've played the Bolero with almost every famous conductor. And now there's this version ... and it's new, fresh, incredibly great dance music, a new composition by Ravel unlike anything I've ever heard. Let's all praise Alondra de la Parra! She's beyond amazing, she created with the WDR Orchestra a new masterpiece!
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Music is a gift from heaven. ❤
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All the different instruments keep getting added into the music until their is a whole orchestra playing. It was genius!
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Best version ever! Bravo Alondra🌟
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The only who should only be recognized for this is the snare drummer. To play that long at a steady tempo takes slot of concentration. So Bravo to the snare drummer :)
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Alondra is the perfect conductor for Ravel's sensual masterpiece--She exhibits grace and power and above all passion for the work which the classic so richly conveys--providing us with harmony for our senses
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Correction: This is mostly likely the very best rendition of Ravel's Bolero yet to hear.
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I saw once a philarmonic drummer playing this in London. The orchestra played it jointly with musicians from the army. The other drummer lost the tempo during almost all the time, and the philarmonic drummer kept it perfectly all the time in spite of that. Amazing power of concentration.
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Watching de la Parra conductor is special, her grace and involvement in the music is amazing
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I remember, a few years back I was driving my pickup truck down the highway with Bolero blasting through my speakers. I enjoyed that😍. I came across an accident, stopped AND the look on the Police Officer's face as he approached my truck and hearing Bolero, was priceless.🤩 He wasn't expecting a classical song coming from a ranch truck.🤔 I giggled all the way home just replaying that scene in my mind. 😀😁😁
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Diese wunderschöne Musik wurde jahrelang auf der Promenade von Westerland auf Sylt im Seegartenpavilon passend zum Sonnenuntergang gespielt. Ganz präzise wurde der Anfang so begonnen, daß bei dem Untergang der Sonne am Horizont dieses Lied zu Ende ging. Es war bei vielen Sylt Urlaubern Tradition diesem Musik Genuss all abendlich beizuwohnen. Danke für die unvergessene Zeit ☀️
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As a brit, this always takes me back to watching Torville and Dean ice dancing to that gold medal in 84
