Ravel - Bolero (Daniel Barenboim)

第一次聽時，我也很想快轉，但現在不會了 :) 而且我發現如果搜尋bolero的圖片，會發現一大堆bolero jecket，原來這麼美的小外套是來自法國畫家洛特雷克所畫的波麗露舞者身上穿的小外套，喔！我也有一件呢！

以下中文介紹節錄劉岠渭老師的"默觀無限美"

這是一首典型的"問題作品"，拉威爾設計了兩個八加九小節的樂句，共十七小節(另一十八小節說法應是加上一小節的鼓），彼此不斷循環，因為前後樂句很相像，所以整曲十五分鐘我們聽到的，似乎只在重複一個相同的旋律。但有趣的是，這個唯一的旋律每次出現時，拉威爾會透過樂器的添入，來加重音量、加深彩度。曲終前的臨頂點，聽眾會因這慣性的長期刺激而意識恍惚，瀕臨崩潰。可是事後想想：拉威爾最拿手的管弦樂法在此完全獲得了最有利的證明，此外，也讓我們聽了一個音樂史上最長的、歷時約十五分鐘的漸強樂句，這是何等不尋常的體驗！

以下分析來自wikipedia 

Boléro is "Ravel's most straightforward composition in any medium". The music is in C major, 3/4 time, beginning pianissimo and rising in a continuouscrescendo to fortissimo possibile (as loud as possible). It is built over an unchanging ostinato rhythm played on one or more snare drums that remains constant throughout the piece:

On top of this rhythm two melodies are heard, each of 18 bars' duration, and each played twice alternately. The first melody is diatonic, the second melody introduces more jazz-influenced elements, with syncopation and flattened notes (technically it is in the Phrygian mode). The first melody descends through one octave, the second melody descends through two octaves. The bass line and accompaniment are initially played on pizzicato strings, mainly using rudimentary tonic and dominant notes. Tension is provided by the contrast between the steady percussive rhythm, and the "expressive vocal melody trying to break free".^[12] Interest is maintained by constant reorchestration of the theme, leading to a variety of timbres, and by a steady crescendo. Both themes are repeated a total of eight times. At the climax, the first theme is repeated a ninth time, then the second theme takes over and breaks briefly into a new tune in E major before finally returning to the tonic key of C major.

The melody is passed among different instruments: 1) flute 2) clarinet 3) bassoon 4) E-flat clarinet 5) oboe d'amore 6) trumpet (with flute not heard clearly and in higher octave than the first part) 7) tenor saxophone 8) soprano saxophone 9) horn, piccolos and celesta 10) oboe, English horn and clarinet 11) trombone 12) some of the wind instruments 13) first violins and some wind instruments 14) first and second violins together with some wind instruments 15) violins and some of the wind instruments 16) some instruments in the orchestra 17) and finally most but not all the instruments in the orchestra (with bass drum, cymbals and tam-tam). While the melody continues to be played in C throughout, from the middle onwards other instruments double it in different keys. The first such doubling involves a horn playing the melody in C, while a celeste doubles it 2 and 3 octaves above and two piccolos play the melody in the keys of G and E, respectively. This functions as a reinforcement of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th overtones of each note of the melody. The other significant "key doubling" involves sounding the melody a 5th above or a 4th below, in G major. Other than these "key doublings", Ravel simply harmonizes the melody using diatonic chords.

This table here shows how the composition is actually played by what instruments (in order):

The accompaniment becomes gradually thicker and louder until the whole orchestra is playing at the very end. Just before the end (rehearsal number 18 in the score), there is a sudden change of key to E major, though C major is reestablished after just eight bars. Six bars from the end, the bass drum, cymbals and tam-tam make their first entry, the English horn returns, and the trombones and both saxophones play raucous glissandi while the whole orchestra beats out the rhythm that has been played on the snare drum from the very first bar. Finally, the work descends from a dissonant D-flat chord to a C major chord.