Copyright expires on Bolero, world's most famous classical crescendo

Business Insider - AFP ^ | 4/30/2016 | Franck Iovene

[Borges]

Almost 90 years after it was first performed in Paris, the copyright runs out on Sunday on one of the most popular and unique pieces of classical music, Ravel's "Bolero".

"We are accustomed to say that a performance of Bolero begins every 10 minutes in the world. As the work lasts 17 minutes, it is therefore playing at all times somewhere," said Laurent Petitgirard of France's Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers (SACEM).

"And it is likely that we will hear it even more now, in advertisements or in films".

[JoeFromSidney]

Thanks for posting that. I played the bassoon in high school, but haven't touched one since 1949. However, I have a sizable collection of recordings of bassoon music.

[Larry Lucido]

Jeff Beck is definitely the talented one. The other Beck just goes by Beck.

[NewHampshireDuo]

You’re joking I hope? What do you think of Tristan and Isolde!

My mother thought Bolero was great. She thought Tristan was morally disgusting. I haven't listened to Bolero in many years. Tristan - I have a shelf full of recordings.

[Paisan]

One of the most boring pieces written.

[Political Junkie Too]

Torville and Dean perform Bolero for gold, Sarajevo, 1988.

-PJ

[Hawthorn]

>> I have a sizable collection of recordings of bassoon music <<

It’s a formidable instrument — and capable of sublime beauty.

But it has long puzzled me as to why nobody seems to have succeeded in playing any memorable jazz on the bassoon. Great jazz has been played on instruments as diverse as the accordion (Art van Damme), the harmonica (Larry Adler), the mellophone (Don Eliot), the violin (Stephane Grappelli) and the oboe (Bob Cooper). But why not the bassoon?

[Little Pig]

I dunno. Wagner, even “romantic” Wagner, just doesn’t have the sensuality that French and Italian (and Spanish) romantic music does. While it (Wagnerian music) does have passion, it’s more of the “great fervor and dedication” type of passion rather than sexual passion. “Bolero” isn’t much of a composition, if you’re looking at the melodic structure and the “story” the music tells, but as a work of Impressionism, where it conveys a concept or emotion, it works very well.

[Little Pig]

I would hazard the opinion that the timbre of the Bassoon doesn’t really lend itself to either the frenetic liveliness of hot jazz, or the warm intimacy of mellow slow jazz. It would be buried in a fast piece, and sounds too thin and plaintive for slow stuff?

[chajin]

But why not the bassoon?

Check out Paul Hanson

[greene66]

I think I remember a bassoon in Paul Whiteman’s 1928 recording of “Tain’t So, Honey, Tain’t So.” But I don’t think it was improvisational at all. Only thing I can think of.

[Sans-Culotte]

I’ve never been a big fan of the piece. I think even Ravel was rather dismissive of it. It’s way too repetitious for me. My former sister-in-law was a choreographer, and she imagined a staging of the piece as an Arab caravan setting up at an oasis. It would start with one person, and keep growing and becoming more spectacular visually as all the animals are on stage with tents and banners, etc. That would have worked.

[Kommodor]

Bassoon? Didn’t Spike Jones cover that?

Or was it Groucho Marx? :)

[Sans-Culotte]

Comedian Albert Brooks did a funny take on Bolero on his album A Star is Bought. It was a comedy album in which Albert had made record tracks that allegedly could played on any radio station format. For classical radio, he discussed the history of Bolero, and alleged that at its premiere, members of the horn section were caught masturbating; it was that sensual. He then goes on to say he has discovered hitherto unknown lyrics to Bolero, which he then performs. For the recording, they had to rope off the horn section, just to be safe. It was pretty funny.

[Fractal Trader]

Eric Dolphy on the Bass Clarinet comes close:

Eric Dolphy

I couldn't find a video, but I believe he also played the contrabassoon.

[Wilhelm Tell]

I find Bolero to be way too repetitive. To me there is a lot of repetition (But I repeat myself, and did I mention how repetitive it is? But it really repeats itself. And it is repetitive. And it goes on and on, repeating itself...) and for all that it does not really go anywhere. If you have heard 20 seconds worth of the piece, you have pretty much heard it all. I have always called it “Borelero.”

[IrishBrigade]

If you have heard 20 seconds worth of the piece, you have pretty much heard it all

come now...20 seconds worth does it no justice; two minutes would be better...

but for all that, is the melodic structure of the piece not as haunting as anything ever composed, with the elements of Middle Eastern mysticism combined with implied connubial bliss...?

[DUMBGRUNT]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJTUUKAdZDU

Not as photogenic, but a great back story.

To use only the left hand, must be excruciating.

[greene66]

That reminds me of some old post-war Stan Kenton piece that’s actually entitled “Monotony,” in which repetition is taken to bizarre level.

[Borges]

Toscanini was at a performance of ‘Tristan und Isolde’ and during the 40 minute love duet in Act 2 he turned to his wife and whispered “If they were Italian they would have three kids by now but they’re German so they just keep talking about it.”

[zeugma]

How does Disney keep its copyrights going?

The answer is quite simple. We have the best legislatures that money can buy.

Hundred-year copyright is absolutely insane.