Lectures For Lifelong Learners!

Although Maurice Ravel has a reputation for writing overrefined music that is too stylized for most listeners, his exotic Boléro of 1928 achieved immediate popular success with concert audiences, and it remains one of the most beloved orchestral pieces in the standard repertory. Ravel’s Boléro is famous for its simple construction that features two exotic musical themes in Spanish style that are repeated over and over with subtle changes of instrumentation. In this presentation, we’ll explore the historical background of Ravel’s Boléro (with its roots in ballet composition), and the composer’s ingenious techniques of varying his two themes without ever instilling boredom or weariness among audience members.