La Tribune 30.06.24 - Ravel: Boléro

[oliver sudden]

I made it all the way through this one! Some nice tips here up which I shall be following. And he is also clearly a fan of version D, which if I remember right he called the best recording by its illustrious conductor (words to that effect, anyway).

https://youtu.be/dUW4PQCTZjs?feature=shared

[richardfinegold]

Bolero was the finale of the last concert I ata few weeks ago. I hadn’t heard it live in a long time and was really thrilled by it

[HighlandDougie]

I made it all the way through this one! Some nice tips here up which I shall be following. And he is also clearly a fan of version D, which if I remember right he called the best recording by its illustrious conductor (words to that effect, anyway).

https://youtu.be/dUW4PQCTZjs?feature=shared

God, the horror! The horror! Click the link and who is that. Rasputin?

[oliver sudden]

God, the horror! The horror! Click the link and who is that. Rasputin?

Strangely enough my sheer incredulity at the opening moments was such that I was too dumbfounded to stop the thing, and by the time I recovered my senses there was some actual information being imparted, so, credit where it’s due.

One thing he said struck a chord: for him there are certain moments that have to be right for him to enjoy a Bolero. One of them is the polytonal bit for horn, celesta, and piccolos, which has to blend properly. Fair enough. For me if I don’t hear the snares on the snare drum right from the beginning that’s a serious problem, and I had that problem with some of the recordings the Tribune were assessing.

Anyone else have such ‘hurdle’ moments that a recording has to clear?

[Quarky]

Agreed that a listener has to catch the very start of the piece, rather like getting on a train.

However, SM-P on Music Map this afternoon gave this piece a very fine analysis of very many influences, in my view. Clearly, Ravel's trip to America was not all that signficant to the composition.

I didn't post this on the Music Map thread, as that seemed a bit miserable.

[Nick Armstrong]

Yes, I too was baffled by all those constant references to factories! At one point one of the lady critics got so lost in telling us how she heard and saw references to the USA, Spain and France that Jérémie too was lost and quickly moved on!

Exactly - she annoyed me by the end!

Just finished a listen on a road trip this morning: interesting edition of the programme.

I own none of the performances - I have to say I fancied version D (Boulez) from the start, and more and more with each extract - fab trombone solo - and especially the peroration with the bass drum thwacks! Very worthy winner I think.

I’m ashamed to say I didn’t spot the ‘historic instruments’ of Immerseel & AE … nor did I hear voices in the conclusion of version F!

[MickyD]

I must admit I probably wouldn't have heard the period instruments either, Nick, had I been listening to it blind like you. I do think the programme is a really good listen in which one can immerse oneself.

[Pulcinella]

I must admit I probably wouldn't have heard the period instruments either, Nick, had I been listening to it blind like you. I do think the programme is a really good listen in which one can immerse oneself.

So anything conducted by Jos van Immerseel gets automatic approval, does it?

[oliver sudden]

I must admit I probably wouldn't have heard the period instruments either, Nick, had I been listening to it blind like you. I do think the programme is a really good listen in which one can immerse oneself.

I also wouldn’t have spotted the ‘historical instruments’ but I’m not particularly troubled by that because there are recordings that exist from when the piece was new and they sound nothing like it. There’s a lot more work to be done in reconstructing early 20th-century sounds than any of the existing attempts have put in, alas.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The Music Map description of the work seemed to mistake the work’s structure. Far from being endless repetition of two tunes, it’s a binary form construction with repeats: AABB. (Definitely not two tunes.) This is then repeated 3 times, with an extended coda.

[MickyD]

So anything conducted by Jos van Immerseel gets automatic approval, does it?

Ha ha, that was totally unconscious on my part!

[Sir Velo]

So anything conducted by Jos van Immerseel gets automatic approval, does it?

In fact, it might be said to get the Immer-seel of approval.

[MickyD]

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[Sir Velo]

One of the most memorable of performances of Bolero ends with a football terrace like chant from members of the LSO in mock celebration at the piece finally coming to an end.

[cloughie]

Many thanks for your summary, Micky.
The 'winner' is the only one of the six on my shelves.
I'll give it a spin during the coming week.

I own up to having 5 out of six - the Immerseel being the missing one - however I did not buy any for the Bolero but for the Ravel gems which always accompany the dreadful Bolero on CD.