Maurice Ravel plays and conducts his own works

★★★✰

   Maurice Ravel's Bolero occupies an unquestionable place in the history of music as the most famous and indeed one of the most outstanding works of the early twentieth century. Despite the apparent simplicity of form and content, this work has everything that characterizes the final break with 19th-century music and sets new directions in symphonic music. The Bolero effect, as well as the music for Daphnis and Chloe, were the result of the composer's talent and sonic sensitivity. His achievements in the field of orchestration, however, changed the approach to instrumentation and harmonics, and as a result had an impact on later symphonic music, and indirectly also on the shaping of modern jazz harmonics. Ravel's Bolero is in the repertoire of every symphony orchestra, not to mention hundreds of more or less simplified or complicated popular, rock and jazz arrangements, to mention the excellent recording by Jacques Loussier, a pianist known for his jazz remakes of Bach's music, but also many other composers. Therefore, it is particularly important to know Ravel's interpretation of this work.

   Bolero was Ravel’s last ballet music. It was commissioned by famous dancer Ida Rubinstein who premiered this ballet November 22, 1928 in Paris Opéra in choreography by Bronislava Nijinska. The conductor of the first performance was Walter Straram. After the premiere Ravel was informed about an unknown woman, who was heard screaming Au fou, Au fou! (Madman! Madman!), Ravel replied: That lady… she understood. The idea of this work was unusual. First, whom Ravel revealed it was his friend and music critic Gustave Samazeuilh.  Composer said he promised ballet music for Ida Rubinstein. Playing melody with one finger Ravel asked: Don’t you think that has an insistent quality?And then he said about the idea of a new work: I’m going to try to repeat it a number of times without any development, gradually increasing the orchestra as best I can. He composed this work in a considerably short four months period July through October 1928.
 

Maurice Ravel – Bolero (1930)

   First working title of the new work was Fandango, but when composer realized that fandango's characteristic acceleration would be contradictory to his idea, he changed the title to Bolero. As consequently this was made, the work is a magnificent orchestral crescendo increasing tension only through orchestration. Bolero shortly became the most famous of his works. Ravel was not convinced about the value and musical potential of this “experiment”. In an interview for The Daily Telegraph he stated: I am particularly desirous there should be no misunderstanding about this work. It constitutes an experiment in a very special and limited direction and should not be suspected of aiming at achieving other or more than it actually does. Nevertheless, Bolero is his most frequently performed composition.
   Almost immediately Bolero appeared in the symphonic repertoire. Less than a year after the ballet premiere, November 14, 1929 Bolero was played as a concert performance by the New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arturo Toscanini. Two months later, on January 11, 1939 Orchester des Concerts Lamoureux conducted by composer gave Bolero the European concert premiere in Paris. And two days after this premiere Piero Coppola recorded a World premiere recording of Bolero with Grand Orchestre Symphonique du Gramophone. This recording was made onstage at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. Later, but still in January 1930 Ravel recorded his Bolero for Polydor conducting the same Orchester des Concerts Lamoureux. Three months later, on April 30, Serge Koussevitzky recorded Bolero with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. With these renditions, the position of Bolero as concert work was firmly established.

Maurice Ravel — Bolero (rec.1930)

   Ravel’s recording shows some significant features we have to consider trying to catch the composer's idea. First of all he is executing the whole performance almost in metronomic steady tempo. General change of dynamics works as a wide growing crescendo built by volume of sound and articulation but the main factor of change is timbre of instruments, which is also connected with articulation and sound expression. There were some doubts if Ravel was the only conductor and interpreter of his work. It is true Ravel called for some help from conductor Albert Wolff, but this was only technical assistance as rehearsal conductor. In spite of some writers looking for sensation, Ravel was a competent conductor, and pianist. Pressed by Turnabout album of Ravels historic performances includes orchestral recording of Bolero conducted by Ravel and three piano works played by composer: La Vallee Des Cloches, Chansons Madecasses with singer Madeleine Grey and Pavane Pour pour une infante defunte. Despite some technical imperfections, this recording can be confidently recommended to anyone, and for those interested in Ravel's work, it is a must-have.