Latest news with #Boléro
Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Boo to Boléro! The classical music favourites we never want to hear again
There are more than 80 concerts in this year's BBC Proms season, spanning the gamut of baroque to modern, orchestral behemoths to delicate arias. You can, however, almost guarantee that certain pieces will always feature. That list of indestructible favourites includes Beethoven's Fifth, Holst's The Planets — and Ravel's 15-minute earworm, Boléro, due this month at the Albert Hall, which, put simply, I am becoming allergic to. I am not alone in finding that one ubiquitous piece of music sets my teeth on edge. With tens of thousands of gems from the classical repertoire — there's an excellent guide to 100 of them here — orchestras and radio stations spend a surprising amount of time beating the life out of shop-worn classics. Here, The Times music critics share their own bêtes noires, from the crashing chords of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No 1 to Delibes's Flower Duet. Which pieces of classical music would you prefer never to hear again? Let us know in the comments by Neil Fisher'I've written only one masterpiece,' Maurice Ravel confided in Arthur Honegger. 'Unfortunately there's no music in it.' The French composer — celebrated this year, 150 years after his birth — was being playful with the truth when he talked about Boléro, which was, regrettably, his biggest hit. I think he knew exactly what he was doing with Boléro — playing a musical game. Ravel was at heart a miniaturist (he was obsessed with intricate mechanisms like clocks and machinery). In Boléro he took a tiny idea, just two themes, and upscaled them into a repetitive, mechanistic crescendo; those two themes repeated 18 times, the orchestration growing purpler each time (the snare drum doesn't stop, playing the same rhythm 169 times, an exciting recipe for RSI if you are a percussionist). So to call the result sterile is a bit like calling custard gloopy. It's supposed to be. It has been claimed that Boléro is performed every 15 minutes somewhere in the world, so you probably needn't even wait until the BBC Proms performance on August 13 (its 57th outing at the festival) to hear it live next. My plea, especially in the year when Ravel gets his glow-up, is to pivot back to the work's roots: it's a ballet score. Conceived at the behest of the dancer, actress and belle époque siren Ida Rubinstein, the original choreography by Bronislava Nijinska cast Rubinstein's heroine as a sexual predator, dancing on a table, luring 20 young male performers to, er, her beat. The choreographer Maurice Béjart reinterpreted the premise in the 1970s, casting the central seducer as a man. And if Boléro got another turbo boost from Torvill and Dean's icy caperings in Sarajevo in 1984, the pair drew sensuousness and athleticism from the monotony. Bolero's endless repetitions, after all, mean that it's perfect soundtrack music. As for me, if it were banned from concert halls altogether, I'd be thrilled. • BBC Proms 2025 reviews: our music critics' verdicts on the concerts by Richard MorrisonI never used to hate Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto — you know, the one that starts 'parp, parp. parp, parp … crash!' My feelings were more of irritation that, having devised that spectacular opening, Tchaikovsky never brought it back for a bow anywhere else in the work. It's like tearing flamboyant wrapping paper off a birthday present and discovering a pair of socks inside. Then, about 12 years ago when it was still kosher to hobnob culturally with the Russians, I went to the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, in which that very concerto becomes a battleground for a keyboard joust between the world's most phenomenal young pianists. For hour after hour a poor old Steinway that had done no harm to anybody was pounded, punched and pummelled into submission by these 19-year-old 'prodigies', each apparently intent on playing faster, louder and frankly coarser than anyone in history. Meanwhile a baying crowd hissed non-Russian competitors as well as cheering their own. This wasn't music-making. It was war without guns, which I suppose is at least better than what the Russians are doing now. None of which is Tchaikovsky's fault, of course. But, as with people, you judge pieces of music by the company they attract. I can't listen to that concerto now without recalling that bear pit in Moscow. • Read classical reviews, guides and interviews by Rachel Halliburton Even Mickey Mouse had a bash at it. Rachmaninov's thunderous prelude, composed in 1892 when he was 19, quickly seized the popular imagination. Simultaneously epic and turbulent, it seemed to capture the spirit of a world on the brink of cataclysmic often, though, it's the party piece of amateur pianists intent on channelling their inner elephant. I've watched them repeatedly, steeped in pseudo-seriousness, egos maxed out because they're playing four at its worst it's a piece of musical masturbation. At its best? Well, that's the problem. It eclipses so much else. Full-bodied and romantic, it identifies Rachmaninov as a creature of the 19th century when he was one of the 20th century's most forward-thinking individuals. I'm in good company. Another person who hated the prelude's popularity was … Rachmaninov. Harpo Marx once drove him out of his hotel suite by repeatedly playing the first four bars. Far from being his calling card, it was his albatross. We owe it to him to explore his repertoire more imaginatively. by Rebecca FranksCan I blame my aversion to Pachelbel's Canon on it being a wedding favourite? Playing in an amateur string quartet many years ago, at receptions and charity events, certainly didn't endear me to it. Perform anything often enough and it might start to grate. That's not the entire reason I reach for the off button when I hear the Canon's familiar bass line start up. I also played Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik (which surely will be at least one reader's own classical nemesis) far too many times, and I'm not that bothered by hearing its chirpy theme nowadays. I'd contend that Pachelbel's Canon is an inherently annoying piece. Granted, the way in which this baroque composer uses imitation between the three violins to spin out the piece is admirably economical, but the stepwise theme isn't exactly scintillating. And while Purcell uses a ground bass — a repeating bass line — to write some of the most beautiful music in history, Pachelbel picks a circling sequence of eight notes that's especially prone to sounding like a dirge. Repeat that 28 times (or more, if you need to fill time at a wedding) and the sense of droning predictability looms large. If that opening cello solo drags, you're in for a long haul — pour yourself a prosecco. • Our review of this year's First Night of the Proms by Jessica DuchenTry again, they said. Give it another go, they said. You might like it this time. Well, I've tried. I've done everything: blamed the conductors, tried different orchestras, interviewed people, even written programme notes — but in the end there's a basic personality clash between me and Anton opening of his Seventh Symphony, a soaring sunrise on the cellos, is, honestly, one of the most beautiful things ever composed. But the wonder lasts approximately one minute (with just 69 more to go) before he trashes it with glum, ploddy dabbling. Eventually Bruckner goes into his usual shtick: building up and up, desperately trying to climax. Trying again. Trying again. And then giving up and doing something else adore Bruckner for (I'm told) his innocence, his religiosity, his amateurish enthusiasm, the fact that he tries so very hard. They hear ineffable mystery, grand Alpine landscapes and a good workout in the brass section. But I'd want to solve the mystery, climb the mountains and have a good laugh at the hot air. Instead, I can only sit there and squirm as that sad, portentous, humourless incel chunters on through sound and fury signifying … you guessed it. by Geoff BrownThere are certain singers, outside the classical sphere, that I'm desperate to avoid. Think Judy Garland, Édith Piaf: singers who to this reserved Englishman appear neurotically absorbed with their own emotions, living on their nerves and getting on mine. I'm not partial to Ethel Merman either, though that's more a matter of her decibel level and brassy tone. Perhaps this explains why I can't stand Tchaikovsky's Pathétique. It's a brilliantly engineered, imaginative and daring piece: I'm not blind to its power and singularity. But it's also Judy Garland in classical dress, throbbing so much with self-pity and melodrama, never allowing for a quiet reflection or any escape from subjectivity. If a big tune isn't mugging its way into your heart, you're being trampled by a blazing march. Arpeggios shriek like escapees from a horror movie; solo instruments are pushed to harmful extremes. Only the most judicious conductor can balance and shape the symphony's elements so that it doesn't seem a gargoyle. The audience really needs conducting too, if only to stop thunderous clapping after the whirlwind march when the maestro's panting for the slow, heartbreaking finale. Heartbreaking, that is, if the listener — well, me — is fully functioning at the close. by Daniel Lewis My mother worked for British Airways for 25 years, so this particular piece might be more of an irksome feature of my life than most, but it has felt near inescapable since the airline adopted, or co-opted it as its jingle, as well as its onboarding soundtrack, in the early Eighties. I don't really think there's anything wrong with the piece, laying aside the orientalism, but it is overexposed and liable to produce a Pavlovian response from me if I hear it in a concert. I'll start passive-aggressively fighting with the person next to me over the armrest, demonstratively checking for the nearest exits and wondering are we there yet. It could be worse: the piece is only five minutes long. And I think BA has since switched to something as untouchably wholesome as Dvorak's Serenade for Strings for its flights. But, back in the day at least, if you were stuck on the tarmac while they were refuelling or fixing the air conditioning or the pilots were finishing their game of Scrabble, you could be listening to this duet on repeat for as long as it might take to get to Paris. Shudder. • The best classical albums of 2025 so far by Mark PullingerI love Tchaikovsky. He's probably my desert island composer, as I'll have all bases covered: operas, ballets, symphonies, concertos, songs, string quartets. That said, there's one piece of his that doesn't press my buttons: the Rococo Variations. It's a non-concerto for cello and orchestra, a tame set of variations on a pretty dull theme, written vaguely in the classical style. It is 20 minutes of aimless doodling and it remains a mystery to me why cellists want to take it on. The work was written in 1877 for the German cellist Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, a fellow professor at the Moscow Conservatory. Tchaikovsky allowed Fitzenhagen to modify the solo part but was aghast when he discovered that, in performance, the cellist cut the 8th variation and reshuffled the order of the others. 'Fitzenhagen's been here. Look what he's done with my composition — everything's been changed!' When asked what action he was planning to take, a despairing Tchaikovsky replied: 'The devil take it! Let it stand as it is!' Perhaps, deep down, Tchaikovsky didn't particularly care much for the work either.
Fashion Network
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Après an AMI fashion moment, le déluge
Just when you thought you were about to expire for the lack of a dramatic shows in the current European runway season, along comes Alexandre Mattiussi, and the gods of light and rain, to provide a proper fashion moment. See catwalk Alexandre's location could not have been bettered. One of Paris's greatest roundabouts, the Place des Victoires, centered around a massive bronze equestrian statue of Louis XIV in all his glory. Underlining his growing reputation, and CEO Nicolas Santi-Weil's powers of persuasion, city hall let AMI close off the square for the day. Allowing Mattiussi to set up two wide circles of wooden school chairs for guests, while hundreds of fans gathered at windows in 18th century townhouses overlooking the show. A perfect setting provided the weather was inclement, which it was, just. Drops of rain speckled shirts and blouses even as the show began. The models circling the statues in tighter circles, before finally gathering at the base of the statue. It's a beautiful square, once graced by flagship stores for the likes of Mugler, Kenzo and Boss, where AMI now has its showroom and design studios. Mattiussi may not have the theatrics of certain designers, nor the draping skills of others, but what he does is a brilliant instinct for Parisian chic. Every single look in this co-ed show had pep and élan, in a first-rate fashion display. See catwalk Adding to the magic, Maurice Ravel's "Boléro" boomed out, in a particularly charged version from the Brussels Philharmonic. As the show opened with some great satin redingotes, jaunty blazers and crisp flared pants for women. While for guys, one got frilly checked shirts, suede second-skin overshirts or oversized artists smocks. Very savvily, Mattiussi conjured up a whole new cocktail dress with a mega side buckle matching the material, whether pale gray suede or faded gold. His skirts were wide and to the knee, sweaters were forgiving, but everything whispered cool, debonair and French. The mood was upbeat, even before the show, as the crowd applauded in hundreds of students to the standing section wearing black T-shirts reading Place des Victoires. The Sun King looking down benevolently, even as the sky grew darker and then black, as the cast stuck close to the statue. A huge burst of applause greeting Alexandre as he trotted around the square for his bow. Exiting just as an evil wind from the west, the sort one gets Paris late evenings in June, announced a thunderstorm. And the heavens opened in a torrential downpour. The audience scattering out of the show. Talk about a veritable deluge. Old Louis must have got a kick. See catwalk Talk about lucky timing. The gods of light and rain didn't so much bless Alexandre Mattiussi, as grab him in a loving embrace. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
Fashion Network
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Après an AMI fashion moment, le déluge
Just when you thought you were about to expire for the lack of a dramatic shows in the current European runway season, along comes Alexandre Mattiussi, and the gods of light and rain, to provide a proper fashion moment. See catwalk Alexandre's location could not have been bettered. One of Paris's greatest roundabouts, the Place des Victoires, centered around a massive bronze equestrian statue of Louis XIV in all his glory. Underlining his growing reputation, and CEO Nicolas Santi-Weil's powers of persuasion, city hall let AMI close off the square for the day. Allowing Mattiussi to set up two wide circles of wooden school chairs for guests, while hundreds of fans gathered at windows in 18th century townhouses overlooking the show. A perfect setting provided the weather was inclement, which it was, just. Drops of rain speckled shirts and blouses even as the show began. The models circling the statues in tighter circles, before finally gathering at the base of the statue. It's a beautiful square, once graced by flagship stores for the likes of Mugler, Kenzo and Boss, where AMI now has its showroom and design studios. Mattiussi may not have the theatrics of certain designers, nor the draping skills of others, but what he does is a brilliant instinct for Parisian chic. Every single look in this co-ed show had pep and élan, in a first-rate fashion display. See catwalk Adding to the magic, Maurice Ravel's "Boléro" boomed out, in a particularly charged version from the Brussels Philharmonic. As the show opened with some great satin redingotes, jaunty blazers and crisp flared pants for women. While for guys, one got frilly checked shirts, suede second-skin overshirts or oversized artists smocks. Very savvily, Mattiussi conjured up a whole new cocktail dress with a mega side buckle matching the material, whether pale gray suede or faded gold. His skirts were wide and to the knee, sweaters were forgiving, but everything whispered cool, debonair and French. The mood was upbeat, even before the show, as the crowd applauded in hundreds of students to the standing section wearing black T-shirts reading Place des Victoires. The Sun King looking down benevolently, even as the sky grew darker and then black, as the cast stuck close to the statue. A huge burst of applause greeting Alexandre as he trotted around the square for his bow. Exiting just as an evil wind from the west, the sort one gets Paris late evenings in June, announced a thunderstorm. And the heavens opened in a torrential downpour. The audience scattering out of the show. Talk about a veritable deluge. Old Louis must have got a kick. See catwalk Talk about lucky timing. The gods of light and rain didn't so much bless Alexandre Mattiussi, as grab him in a loving embrace. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
Fashion Network
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Après an AMI fashion moment, le déluge
Just when you thought you were about to expire for the lack of a dramatic shows in the current European runway season, along comes Alexandre Mattiussi, and the gods of light and rain, to provide a proper fashion moment. See catwalk Alexandre's location could not have been bettered. One of Paris's greatest roundabouts, the Place des Victoires, centered around a massive bronze equestrian statue of Louis XIV in all his glory. Underlining his growing reputation, and CEO Nicolas Santi-Weil's powers of persuasion, city hall let AMI close off the square for the day. Allowing Mattiussi to set up two wide circles of wooden school chairs for guests, while hundreds of fans gathered at windows in 18th century townhouses overlooking the show. A perfect setting provided the weather was inclement, which it was, just. Drops of rain speckled shirts and blouses even as the show began. The models circling the statues in tighter circles, before finally gathering at the base of the statue. It's a beautiful square, once graced by flagship stores for the likes of Mugler, Kenzo and Boss, where AMI now has its showroom and design studios. Mattiussi may not have the theatrics of certain designers, nor the draping skills of others, but what he does is a brilliant instinct for Parisian chic. Every single look in this co-ed show had pep and élan, in a first-rate fashion display. See catwalk Adding to the magic, Maurice Ravel's "Boléro" boomed out, in a particularly charged version from the Brussels Philharmonic. As the show opened with some great satin redingotes, jaunty blazers and crisp flared pants for women. While for guys, one got frilly checked shirts, suede second-skin overshirts or oversized artists smocks. Very savvily, Mattiussi conjured up a whole new cocktail dress with a mega side buckle matching the material, whether pale gray suede or faded gold. His skirts were wide and to the knee, sweaters were forgiving, but everything whispered cool, debonair and French. The mood was upbeat, even before the show, as the crowd applauded in hundreds of students to the standing section wearing black T-shirts reading Place des Victoires. The Sun King looking down benevolently, even as the sky grew darker and then black, as the cast stuck close to the statue. A huge burst of applause greeting Alexandre as he trotted around the square for his bow. Exiting just as an evil wind from the west, the sort one gets Paris late evenings in June, announced a thunderstorm. And the heavens opened in a torrential downpour. The audience scattering out of the show. Talk about a veritable deluge. Old Louis must have got a kick. See catwalk Talk about lucky timing. The gods of light and rain didn't so much bless Alexandre Mattiussi, as grab him in a loving embrace. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
Qatar Tribune
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Qatar Tribune
QPO set to celebrate French composers at Katara concert
Tribune News Network Doha The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO) will pay tribute to the rich legacy of French classical music in a captivating performance on Monday, May 12, at 7:30 pm at the Katara Opera House. The concert, conducted by the distinguished Elias Grandy, will present a programme that journeys through evocative soundscapes, fairy-tale imagination and rhythmic brilliance. The evening opens with Georges Bizet's L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2, a vibrant selection drawn from his incidental music for Alphonse Daudet's 1872 play L'Arlésienne. Although the play closed after only 21 performances, Bizet's music gained lasting popularity. The suite, especially the spirited 'Farandole', showcases Bizet's gift for melody and his deft use of polyphonic textures, illustrating the emotional turmoil of a young man caught between love and betrayal. Next, the Philharmonic will perform Paul Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice, a symphonic scherzo inspired by Goethe's 1797 poem. The work, premiered in Paris in 1897 under Dukas' own direction, narrates the comical and chaotic adventure of a young apprentice who unwittingly unleashes a magical disaster. This piece gained global fame after being featured in Walt Disney's 1940 film 'Fantasia', and remains a favourite for its dramatic tension and playful orchestration. After the intermission, audiences will be transported into a world of fairy tales with Maurice Ravel's Mother Goose Suite (Ma mère l'Oye). Originally composed as a set of piano duets for children in 1910 and later orchestrated, the suite draws inspiration from classic stories including Sleeping Beauty, Tom Thumb, and Beauty and the Beast. With delicate textures and imaginative instrumentation, Ravel's music paints a whimsical and enchanting soundscape that appeals to both children and adults alike. The concert will culminate in Ravel's Boléro, one of the most recognisable and hypnotic compositions of the 20th century. Characterised by its persistent rhythm and gradual crescendo, Boléro builds a powerful sense of anticipation that ultimately erupts in a triumphant finale. Originally composed as a ballet in 1928, it has since become a staple of orchestral repertoire and a testament to Ravel's ingenuity. With its thoughtfully curated programme and masterful performances, this Qatar Philharmonic concert promises an unforgettable evening that celebrates the timeless beauty and storytelling power of French music.
