h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well done!

I recall a few years ago someone came up with a theory that the repetitive rhythm of Bolero demonstrates the early onset of mental illness (which he later suffered from more severely). He was not a fan of this piece. I must have heard about this on Radio 4.

Mental or not, I like this piece - and it's great for practising Flamenco dance rhythm patterns - a complete drum sequence consists of 12 'beats', which is very common in Flamenco

However unwell Mr Ravel may have been feeling I have to say this is one of my faves ... the crescendo when seemingly every instrument is playing never fails to make the hairs on the back of my neck go "pa-doi-oi-oing" ... got to pity the poor snare drummer though!

My music instructor, who at one time majored in percussion, tells me one technique used by snare drummers at the quiet beginning is to play with pennies. Then presumably moving through dimes, nickels, ... I guess the British version would require translation

About ten years ago the Bolero was used in a chocolate commersial in Denmark. I believe it was highly succesfull. Imagine sitting in the dark looking up at the giant screen which is completely black. Then the music begins. And slowly and stately the giant chocolate/marcipanbar starts gliding across the screen. Really mouthwatering. That was all. Very simple.
The funny thing is that they soon came up with a new version. They now played the film backwards, and it was still easy to recognise the music as the Bolero. I do not believe this can be done with very many pieces, but in this case it worked well.
A fact wich is probably quite useless.

Cissdur -

Interesting, Bolero backwards is still Bolero. I have around here somewhere a medieval composition by Guillaume de Machaut (I think) titled something like "My End Is My Beginning" (in translation, the title is either French or Latin). Exactly halfway through the piece, the music reverses, note for note, and proceeds back to the beginning/end. And it sounds pretty interesting.

(What do you get if you play an hour of New Age music backwards? Another hour of New Age music.)

Yawn, a very big yawn - probably one of the most uninteresting and over long pieces of music ever written. As previously said, the only variation is in the volume, hardly an involving dramatic effect - hardly a dramatic effect!

Yawn? YAWN?!

Well, I feel sorry for you it that is the only opinion you have to offer on this subject!

You must admit that once you've heard the themes a couple of times it has nothing else to offer. Maybe it was written purely for dance, to add interest, that might explain it - but that hardly excuses such a lack of imagination; maybe his 'illness' made him get bored quickly and want to move on to another project...

Not everybody likes the Bolero, but exactly because it consists of so few elements it forms one great, uninterupted line and it can have an almost hypnotic effect. At least when it is played live.

I think Ravel wrote the piece as an exercise in orchestration. As a mainly piano-orientated kind of guy, he wanted to explore the orchestra and how you could create different 'colours'. So he just stuck with virtually one melody and rhythm throughout and kept changing the instruments. Apparently he learnt a lot in the process. So it wasn't really done for the audience. Bit self-indulgent?

OMG! I was forced to play this song in band in 6th grade! I know refer to it as "The Song of Death"! I don't recomend playing it at all!

That reminds me of the all-author rock band, "Rock Bottom Remainders", with author members like Stephen King, Dave Barry, Amy Tan, and others. They conned Al Kooper, famed guitarist and also organ player for Bob Dylan, into being their "music director" (and band member - he did write a book once). He was understandably nervous about the reaction the group might expect. Dave Barry quotes him as saying in rehearsal, "I don't think you should play in this part of the song." Then, "I don't think you should play in this song." Then, "I don't think we should do this song."