Masterpieces of the bolero. Recommended popular pieces in bolero form and outstanding performances.

tristezaBaden Powell

Baden Powell – tristeza

That song you often hear as TV background music, Tristeza, is actually a piece in the form known as Cuban bolero.

It is said to have been established in Cuba in the 1860s by José “Pepe” Sánchez, an Afro-Cuban singer-songwriter and one of the many trovadores who emerged across Cuba in the 19th century.

Its content differs completely from the rhythm of Maurice Ravel’s Boléro; the mainstream features include Black-influenced duple meter with strong accents.

Later, the style gradually declined in Cuba, and the center of its popularity shifted to Mexico.

「Bolero」Maurice RavelMaurice Ravel/Denmāku Kokuritsu Hōsō Kōkyōgakudan Seruju Cheribidakke shiki

Ravel – Bolero. Sergiu Celibidache 1971

Beginning with the regular melody of this Boléro, he was a composer who paid extraordinary attention to detail, was highly rational, and yet possessed remarkable expressive power—traits that have led to him being called an “exemplary composer.” He has also been dubbed a “genius of orchestration” and a “magician of the orchestra,” and Igor Stravinsky, the contemporary Russian composer known for The Rite of Spring and The Firebird, referred to him as a “Swiss watchmaker.” This is a slightly older performance from 1971.

「Bolero」Maurice RavelMaurice Ravel/Roshia Borishoi Kōkyō Gakudan Nishimoto Tomomi Shiki

Ravel: Bolero — Tomomi Nishimoto & the Russian Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra (Conductor: Tomomi Nishimoto)

Tomomi Nishimoto, who is currently drawing attention as one of the most charming female conductors in the world.

There are scenes of her performing with the Russian Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra.

Reactions will vary, but within a very relaxed, composed atmosphere, there are rounded tones scattered throughout—it might be a Boléro that makes you want to hear it in Russia.

In my personal opinion, the snare drummer is producing a really great sound!

「Bolero」Maurice RavelMaurice Ravel/NHK kōkyōgakudan Rorin Mazēru shiki

Ravel Bolero

Among Japanese symphony orchestras, the NHK Symphony Orchestra (N-Kyō) has an especially large fan base.

Known for a uniquely clear, crystal-like tone that reflects its Japanese roots, it also enjoys a strong following overseas, making it truly one of the country’s top ensembles.

Their performance of Ravel’s Boléro is conducted by Lorin Maazel, a maestro with a huge international following across major orchestral recordings.

The result is a piece that is highly refined yet, in the middle sections, features some of Maazel’s signature, brisk driving—an elegant yet playfully surprising rendition.

「Bolero」Maurice RavelMaurice Ravel/Fransu Kokkuri Kagengakudan Rorin Mazeeru shiki

Ravel: Boléro (Orchestre National de France)

Maurice Ravel’s ballet music Boléro by the French composer.

While an unchanging triple-meter rhythm is maintained throughout, two types of melodies are repeated and layered as the instrumentation changes, creating a distinctive sound structure reminiscent of ocean waves.

Premiered in 1928, it remains widely loved not only by ballet enthusiasts but as a classic masterpiece.

Boléro can differ greatly depending on the performer.

First, we will introduce Ravel’s Boléro in various interpretations by different performers, followed by related works.

Here is a performance by the Orchestre National de France under the baton of Lorin Maazel—renowned for his delicate yet dynamic conducting that evokes vast landscapes—recorded in September 1981.

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「Bolero」Maurice RavelMaurice Ravel/berurin firuhāmonī kangengakudan heruberuto fon karayan shiki

Ravel – Boléro, Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic, 1985

The exhilaration that Boléro brings to its audience is known to be exceptionally high—especially compared to other works—thanks to its regular repetition of phrases, its steady rhythmic recurrence, and the finely crafted design of the overall sound.

This is powerfully and dynamically performed by the Berlin Philharmonic under Herbert von Karajan in the New Year’s Eve Concert 1985.

Please enjoy this performance from the very heartland of classical music: December 31, 1985, at the Berlin Philharmonie.

「Bolero」Maurice RavelTokyo Firuhāmonī Kōkyō Gakudan Ōtomo Naoto Shiki

Countdown “Bolero”

Originally composed for the Russian ballerina Ida Rubinstein.

Its structure sustains an extremely distinctive, steady rhythm throughout.

On stage, this style is rarely adopted; especially in ballet, it’s common to layer highly complex rhythms and melodies to infuse the music with emotion.

In that sense, this piece turns its back on such conventions and feels strikingly mechanical.

However, simply by changing instruments as they enter in a kind of pursuit, and by varying the combinations of overlapping instruments, remarkable depth and expression emerge—making it a truly masterful and technically ingenious work.

This refers to the much-remembered performance at the end of 2015, when Sylvie Guillem—undoubtedly at the pinnacle among the world’s male ballerinas—danced Béjart’s choreography to Boléro at the Tokyu Silvester Concert, a year-end countdown tradition, as the final stage of her life.