Best Bolero

[[e-mail]]

Haha- In 40 years it looks like nobody ever asked this. It's not really a serious question, an I'm not sure it is possible to have a favorite Bolero. But I did listen to a horrible one this morning- Maazel/VPO. Maazel down-shifts the tempo several times leading up to the finale, with one of them a lurching stumble-pause that almost sounds like an editing error. Just horrible.

Any thoughts, feel free to offer them.

If I had to reach for one, it would likely be Cluytens, and not because I recall what it sounds like. It's just where I place my trust.

[dk]

Post by ***@gmail.com
Haha- In 40 years it looks like nobody ever asked this. It's not really a serious
question, an I'm not sure it is possible to have a favorite Bolero. But I did listen
to a horrible one this morning- Maazel/VPO. Maazel down-shifts the tempo
several times leading up to the finale, with one of them a lurching stumble-
pause that almost sounds like an editing error. Just horrible.

No one has asked because the answer has been obvious for decades:

dk

[Herman]

There is this delightful story about Ravel running into a man who proudly told him he had a copy of the Bolero recording on a bunch of 78s.

He insisted on playing them to Ravel, who could not fathom why anyone would want to have these records.

Imagine this guy changing the records as the crescendo kept building in his mind.

The Bolero is a novelty piece composed so that Ida Rubinstein could perform a sexy dance (she was not a very good dancer, but she had a lot of money), and the orchestra could stun the audience with its power. In Ravel's mind this only worked in live.

[dk]

Post by Herman
There is this delightful story about Ravel running into a man who
proudly told him he had a copy of the Bolero recording on a bunch
of 78s.
He insisted on playing them to Ravel, who could not fathom why
anyone would want to have these records.
Imagine this guy changing the records as the crescendo kept building in his mind.
The Bolero is a novelty piece composed so that Ida Rubinstein could
perform a sexy dance (she was not a very good dancer, but she had a
lot of money), and the orchestra could stun the audience with its power.
In Ravel's mind this only worked in live.

The best Bolero quote is Ravel saying '"I've written only one masterpiece --
Bolero. Unfortunately it has no music in it."

dk

[Andy Evans]

Next it will be "best Pachelbel's Canon" and on to "best mushroom stew containing Amanita Phalloides"....

[dk]

Next it will be "best Pachelbel's Canon" and on to "best mushroom stew containing Amanita Phalloides"....

Pronto!

dk

[Bob Harper]

Post by Andy Evans
Next it will be "best Pachelbel's Canon" and on to "best mushroom stew containing Amanita Phalloides"....

No, according to a good friend of mine, the mushroom comparison would
apply to the music of Pfitzner. He observed to me once that the opera
'Palestrina' could suck all the oxygen out of a room :).

Bob Harper

[Alan Dawes]

Post by Andy Evans
Next it will be "best Pachelbel's Canon" and on to "best mushroom stew
containing Amanita Phalloides"....

The ultimate would be " the best John Cage 4'33" "

Alan

[dk]

Post by Alan Dawes

Next it will be "best Pachelbel's Canon" and on to "best mushroom stew
containing Amanita Phalloides"....

The ultimate would be " the best John Cage 4'33" "

Of course there is one -- I posted about it a while ago:

There is even an orchestral version! ;-)

dk

[dk]

Post by dk

Post by Alan Dawes

Next it will be "best Pachelbel's Canon" and on to "best mushroom stew
containing Amanita Phalloides"....

The ultimate would be " the best John Cage 4'33" "

http://youtu.be/0vzOWzxQDyA
There is even an orchestral version! ;-)
http://youtu.be/AWVUp12XPpU

Personally I find "Water Walk" far more exciting!

dk

[Andy Evans]

Post by dk
Personally I find "Water Walk" far more exciting!
http://youtu.be/gXOIkT1-QWY

dk

I'm speechless......

[dk]

Post by Andy Evans

Post by dk
Personally I find "Water Walk" far more exciting!
http://youtu.be/gXOIkT1-QWY

dk

I'm speechless......

You can always write an essay en lieu de parler! ;-)

Now we have hard evidence Cage was a real
composer! ;-)

dk

[dk]

Post by Andy Evans

Post by dk
Personally I find "Water Walk" far more exciting!
http://youtu.be/gXOIkT1-QWY

I'm speechless......

Like this better?

dk

[Andy Evans]

Post by dk
Like this better?
http://youtu.be/ShH-Td3ZiKs

dk

Sounds like something Debussy would improvise to put Chou-Chou to sleep.

[number_six]

Post by dk

Post by dk

Post by Alan Dawes

Next it will be "best Pachelbel's Canon" and on to "best mushroom stew
containing Amanita Phalloides"....

The ultimate would be " the best John Cage 4'33" "

http://youtu.be/0vzOWzxQDyA
There is even an orchestral version! ;-)
http://youtu.be/AWVUp12XPpU

Personally I find "Water Walk" far more exciting!
http://youtu.be/gXOIkT1-QWY
dk

I'm thinking the duck could've been miked more closely...

[dk]

Post by number_six

Post by dk

Post by dk

Post by Alan Dawes

Next it will be "best Pachelbel's Canon" and on to "best mushroom stew
containing Amanita Phalloides"....

The ultimate would be " the best John Cage 4'33" "

http://youtu.be/0vzOWzxQDyA
There is even an orchestral version! ;-)
http://youtu.be/AWVUp12XPpU

Personally I find "Water Walk" far more exciting!
http://youtu.be/gXOIkT1-QWY

I'm thinking the duck could've been miked more closely...

The pressure cooker would be a valuable addition to
any symphony orchestra!

dk

[JohnGavin]

Post by dk

Post by Herman
There is this delightful story about Ravel running into a man who
proudly told him he had a copy of the Bolero recording on a bunch
of 78s.
He insisted on playing them to Ravel, who could not fathom why
anyone would want to have these records.
Imagine this guy changing the records as the crescendo kept building in his mind.
The Bolero is a novelty piece composed so that Ida Rubinstein could
perform a sexy dance (she was not a very good dancer, but she had a
lot of money), and the orchestra could stun the audience with its power.
In Ravel's mind this only worked in live.

The best Bolero quote is Ravel saying '"I've written only one masterpiece --
Bolero. Unfortunately it has no music in it."
dk

Ravel was a genius, and Celi is fantastic - just my 2 cents.

[[e-mail]]

Post by dk

Post by Herman
There is this delightful story about Ravel running into a man who
proudly told him he had a copy of the Bolero recording on a bunch
of 78s.
He insisted on playing them to Ravel, who could not fathom why
anyone would want to have these records.
Imagine this guy changing the records as the crescendo kept building in his mind.
The Bolero is a novelty piece composed so that Ida Rubinstein could
perform a sexy dance (she was not a very good dancer, but she had a
lot of money), and the orchestra could stun the audience with its power.
In Ravel's mind this only worked in live.

The best Bolero quote is Ravel saying '"I've written only one masterpiece --
Bolero. Unfortunately it has no music in it."
dk

Ravel was wrong of course. Bolero is a fine piece of music.

Ray Hall, Taree

[Ricardo Jimenez]

Post by ***@gmail.com

Post by dk
The best Bolero quote is Ravel saying '"I've written only one masterpiece --
Bolero. Unfortunately it has no music in it."
dk

Ravel was wrong of course. Bolero is a fine piece of music.
Ray Hall, Taree

It might serve as a test to prove somebody is a truely great pianist.
Anybody who could give a solo performance that I wouldn't turn off by
the third repetition of the theme would be somebody really special.

[dk]

Post by ***@gmail.com

Post by dk
The best Bolero quote is Ravel saying '"I've written only one masterpiece --
Bolero. Unfortunately it has no music in it."
dk

Ravel was wrong of course. Bolero is a fine piece of music.
Ray Hall, Taree

It might serve as a test to prove somebody is a truly great pianist.
Anybody who could give a solo performance that I wouldn't turn off by
the third repetition of the theme would be somebody really special.

Bolero requires V8 engines with 4 valves per cylinder:

dk

[MELMOTH]

Post by dk
http://youtu.be/T2zZPsgpJhw

Absolute nonsense...

[Herman]

Post by ***@gmail.com
Ravel was wrong of course. Bolero is a fine piece of music.
Ray Hall, Taree

Obviously Ravel did not imply the music wasn't good.

What he meant was it was a show piece, to be heard rarely, in the concert hall.

[[e-mail]]

Post by Herman

Post by ***@gmail.com
Ravel was wrong of course. Bolero is a fine piece of music.
Ray Hall, Taree

Obviously Ravel did not imply the music wasn't good.
What he meant was it was a show piece, to be heard rarely, in the concert hall.

I know that. Similar to lots of pieces that are better played sparingly. I also am aware that Ravel was probably very tongue-in-cheek about his statement.

Ray Hall, Taree

[dk]

Post by ***@gmail.com
Ravel was wrong of course. Bolero is a fine piece of music.

Obviously Ravel did not imply the music wasn't good. What he
meant was it was a show piece, to be heard rarely, in the concert hall.

So we are not allowed to hear the work on YT on our computers?

My, my....

dk

[Andrew Clarke]

Post by dk
The best Bolero quote is Ravel saying '"I've written only one masterpiece --
Bolero. Unfortunately it has no music in it."

The best Bolero I know is this one:

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[KimDenmark]

dk and KimDenmark actually agrees! Cheers, Dan

[Andrew Clarke]

Post by ***@gmail.com
Haha- In 40 years it looks like nobody ever asked this. It's not really a serious question, an I'm not sure it is possible to have a favorite Bolero. But I did listen to a horrible one this morning- Maazel/VPO. Maazel down-shifts the tempo several times leading up to the finale, with one of them a lurching stumble-pause that almost sounds like an editing error. Just horrible.
Any thoughts, feel free to offer them.
If I had to reach for one, it would likely be Cluytens, and not because I recall what it sounds like. It's just where I place my trust.

Is Ravel's Bolero a bolero?

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

[gggg gggg]

Post by ***@gmail.com
Haha- In 40 years it looks like nobody ever asked this. It's not really a serious question, an I'm not sure it is possible to have a favorite Bolero. But I did listen to a horrible one this morning- Maazel/VPO. Maazel down-shifts the tempo several times leading up to the finale, with one of them a lurching stumble-pause that almost sounds like an editing error. Just horrible.
Any thoughts, feel free to offer them.
If I had to reach for one, it would likely be Cluytens, and not because I recall what it sounds like. It's just where I place my trust.

Didn't Mehta make film about Bolero?

[number_six]

Post by gggg gggg

Post by ***@gmail.com
Haha- In 40 years it looks like nobody ever asked this. It's not really a serious question, an I'm not sure it is possible to have a favorite Bolero. But I did listen to a horrible one this morning- Maazel/VPO. Maazel down-shifts the tempo several times leading up to the finale, with one of them a lurching stumble-pause that almost sounds like an editing error. Just horrible.
Any thoughts, feel free to offer them.
If I had to reach for one, it would likely be Cluytens, and not because I recall what it sounds like. It's just where I place my trust.

Didn't Mehta make film about Bolero?

I have not seen that, but the best (by far) cinematic use of Bolero I have seen is Zbigniew Rybczynski's extraordinary STAIRWAY TO LENIN.

Part of a longer film THE ORCHESTRA. Bozetto's ALLEGRO NON TROPPO comees in second.