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Bolero (arr. Howell)

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Maurice Ravel

Maurice Ravel (arr. Frank Zappa; trans. Matthew Howell)


Subtitle: For Chamber Winds and Percussion


General Info

Year: 1928 / 2020
Duration: c. 5:15
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Orchestra
Publisher: Matthew Howell
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - Unknown


Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute (doubling Piccolo)
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
Horn in F I-II
String Bass
Percussion (3 players), including:

  • Bass Drum
  • Glockenspiel
  • Rute Stick (optional)
  • Snare Drum
  • Suspended Cymbals (2: large and small)
  • Tambourines (2)
  • Vibraphone
  • Xylophone


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

Boléro is a one-movement orchestral piece by the French composer Maurice Ravel (1875–1937). Originally composed as a ballet commissioned by Russian actress and dancer Ida Rubinstein, the piece, which premiered in 1928, is Ravel's most famous musical composition.

Before Boléro, Ravel had composed large-scale ballets (such as Daphnis et Chloé, composed for the Ballets Russes 1909–1912), suites for the ballet (such as the second orchestral version of Ma mère l'oye, 1912), and one-movement dance pieces (such as La valse, 1906–1920). Apart from such compositions intended for a staged dance performance, Ravel had demonstrated an interest in composing re-styled dances, from his earliest successes -- the 1895 Menuet and the 1899 Pavane -- to his more mature works such as Le Tombeau de Couperin, which takes the format of a dance suite.

Boléro epitomizes Ravel's preoccupation with restyling and reinventing dance movements. It was also one of the last pieces he composed before illness forced him into retirement.

- Program Note from Wikipedia


This is the transcription of Frank Zappa’s rendition of Bolero from the 1995 recording of Omnibus Wind Ensemble. The players blend classical and jazz styles at ease, and players should acquaint themselves with the recording for the most accurate performance, especially the saxophonists.

- Program Note by arranger


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Southeastern Louisiana University (Hammond) Wind Symphony (Robert M. Schwartz, conductor) - 5 May 2022
  • Ball State University (Muncie, Ind.) Wind Ensemble (Thomas Caneva, conductor) - 23 April 2021
  • Oklahoma State University (Stillwater) Wind Ensemble (Joseph Missal, conductor) - 17 April 2021


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

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