Ravel's Boléro

I was previously familiar with the work, and I have enjoyed looking at it in more detail. This piece is approximately 15 minutes long, and features a rhythmic ostinato played on snare drum for the entire duration:

Over the top of this, two alternating melodies (or a single melody in two parts) are played. Interestingly it appears that the first melody is diatonic, in the key of C Major, but the second melody has jazz influences, being in Phrygian mode.

Ravel maintains interest for the listener by changing the instrumentation for these two melodies, offering different and sometimes unusual instrumental timbres. This often also gives different atmospheres to the sound, with some combinations sounding 'brighter' than others, and some more conventional sounds than others. A specific group that I enjoyed and thought created a unique sound was the combination of horn, celesta and piccolo.

The piece begins pianissimo (very soft), and throughout the work builds a very gradual crescendo, ending in fortissimo possibile (as loud as possible). Apart from the instruments themselves playing louder, this crescendo is also achieved by the gradual addition of more instruments playing each melody. The snare drum for example begins playing the ostinato rhythm very softly, and very near to the rim of the drum. As the piece progresses, the drummer strikes nearer and nearer to the centre of the drum which in itself creates a louder sound, and also strikes with more force. In addition, near the end of the piece another snare joins in,  so both drums are playing simultaneously.

I noticed when watching an orchestral performance of this piece that Ravel scored for a lot of auxiliary instruments. Some of the instruments he makes use of are the oboe d'amore (which I first mistook for the cor anglais), E-flat clarinet, sopranino saxophone and piccolo trumpet.

I think it is fascinating the way that Ravel uses an array of instrumental combinations on top of a very limited rhythmic, melodic and dynamic structure to create such a diverse piece in terms of timbre and the overall effect. The ostinato pattern is very effective at providing a regular platform for the other instruments to portray their individual shades, and showcase the vast palette of tone colours available to the orchestra.