Bolero

When I was a little girl my Dad had a recording of various pieces of classical music programmed into a Moog synthesizer.  The whole thing was really cool (the applause at the end was generated by the synthesizer as well) but my favorite piece was Bolero by Maurice Ravel.  For some reason I really loved listening to it and I requested it often (along with "Hey Jude" by the Beatles).  Tonight the Utah Symphony featured Bolero in a concert which was not part of my original season package.  Since Bolero is probably the very first piece of classical music I was exposed to I knew I had to get a ticket.  Then my Dad called me because he had heard the concert advertised on the radio.  I ended up going to the performance with my Mom, Dad, and Marilyn!  The orchestra gave lovely readings of pieces by Stravinsky and Saint-Saens (featuring an incredible soloist on piano) but the main event was Bolero.  It is an epic piece which begins, almost imperceptibly, with a snare drum.  Then various solo instruments repeat a theme until the entire orchestra is playing it.  The theme gradually escalates in intensity until it reaches a thundering crescendo some thirteen minutes later.  I loved it!  I have always loved it!  The orchestra gave an amazing performance (no need for a synthesizer to generate applause) and it was so much fun to be with my family!

 

Note:  Utah is in the middle of a huge winter storm so driving home from downtown was lots of fun!