Classical Music I Adored As A Teenager
After recent auditions, I discovered that too few of my youth orchestra students regularly listen to classical music. I recently came up with the idea to share with them the music that set me on fire when I was their age. Perhaps it might open new worlds for them too. Then it occurred to me, even you confirmed classical music lovers might enjoy reliving some of this music you probably know very well. Maybe you’ll want to share some of your favorites in the comments to these next few blogs.
To begin, I decided to share the piece that changed Leonard Bernstein’s life—Ravel’s Bolero. I learned this from an exhibit several years ago at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles that had memorabilia from his early life, including his upright piano and records from his collection. My exposure to Bolero was at age 13, when I saw a magnificent documentary titled The Bolero. .I found a link to this short film that I’ve posted below. If you haven’t seen it before, you’re in for a treat.
Here is the first email I sent to my students:
Dear Los Angeles Youth Orchestra,
With this email, I'm starting a series to introduce you to music that changed my life. But first, I want to share with you the piece that changed Leonard Bernstein's life...
When Leonard Bernstein was a teenager, he heard Ravel’s Bolero and went nuts. He played it full volume on his record player over and over for 2 solid weeks, driving his parents crazy! He couldn’t stop listening. That feeling inspired him to become a conductor. And he became one of America’s most important musicians.
This summer, I want to share with you, my students, the music that I fell in love with when I was your age. These are all pieces that made me feel deep emotion. Music I listened to over and over for weeks. Not every piece may grab you. Remember, too, you often have to hear a classical piece several times before it sinks in. I guarantee you, though, that all these pieces I share are worth knowing.
But first, let’s find out what the big deal was for Leonard Bernstein with Bolero! It was a big deal to me as well, and maybe it will become your new favorite piece for awhile as well.
Russell
FIRST PIECE
Bolero became Ravel’s most popular piece and he became worried that he would only be remembered for a “15 minute piece that has no music in it.” That isn’t true of course that it has no music in it. What Ravel meant is that Bolero has no thematic development. There's really no other piece like it. It's a masterful study in orchestration and the possibilities of sonic color that repeats u just one hypnotic theme 18 times, in one long gigantic crescendo! Yet its emotional buildup is irresistible.
The theme itself is very carefully composed, and conveys a remarkable exotic Eastern mysticism. It is a sinuous melody—that is, it curves like a snake with quite unpredictable patterns. The first part is purely diatonic (C major notes only), setting up a serene meditative atmosphere. The second part of the tune explores the subdominant in an earthy, more exotic mode that combines qualities of major and minor (F-G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F and F-G-Ab-Bb-C-Db-Eb-F). The tune alternates between these two parts, always using a different orchestration. As you listen, you’ll find yourself waiting for the next “good part..”
Accompanying the tune throughout is a snare drum that plays a bolero rhythmic pattern over and over:
There are real magic tricks in Bolero. As the piece builds, Ravel combines instruments together that create absolutely unique sounds. Other interesting things: Bolero is one of the few orchestra pieces that use saxophones and the strings, usually the most prominent part of the orchestra, mostly pluck through the piece and only get to play the tune with using full bows near the end.
I fell in love with Bolero when I was 13. We watched a documentary called The Bolero in school. It featured Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. At the beginning, Zubin Mehta is upset that he is scheduled to conduct Bolero again. He is sick of the piece. Then the different musicians in the orchestra all talk about their solos and what it means to them. Finally the whole orchestra performs Bolero and everyone, even Zubin Mehta, gets caught up again in the ecstasy that Ravel creates. It’s irresistible. You just want to hum the tune over and over. Hey, I just found the documentary for you on Vimeo. Check it out!
Documentary from 1973–THE BOLERO
And here is a performance with Leonard Bernstein himself.