Which composer wrote the orchestral work Boléro, premiered in Paris in 1928?

Maurice Ravel wrote the orchestral work Boléro, premiered in Paris in 1928. He originally composed it as a ballet for the dancer Ida Rubinstein, who commissioned a Spanish-themed work. Its single, steadily intensifying melody is repeated many times over an unchanging rhythm and harmonic foundation.

Ravel described Boléro as an experiment with a very limited musical idea. Rather than developing several contrasting themes, he builds momentum mainly through orchestration. Instruments enter one by one, gradually expanding the color and volume until the final modulation and climax.

The premiere took place at the Paris Opéra on 22 November 1928, with choreography by Bronislava Nijinska. The piece soon became better known as a concert work than as a ballet, and it remains one of Ravel’s most frequently performed compositions.

A common mistake is to describe Boléro as a traditional Spanish folk tune. Ravel used the name and rhythmic character of the Spanish dance, but the melody and orchestral design are his own composition.