   bolÃ©ro is a one-movement orchestral piece by maurice ravel (1875â1937). 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.orenstein (1991), p. 99 before bolÃ©ro, ravel had composed large scale ballets (such as daphnis et chloÃ©, composed for the ballets russes 1909â1912), suites for the ballet (such as the second orchestral version of ma mÃ¨re l'oye, 1912), and one-movement dance pieces (such as la valse, 1906â1920). 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 like le tombeau de couperin (which takes the format of a dance suite). bolÃ©ro epitomises 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. the two piano concertos and the don quichotte Ã  dulcinÃ©e song cycle were the only compositions that followed bolÃ©ro. == composition == the work had its genesis in a commission from the dancer ida rubinstein, who asked ravel to make an orchestral transcription of six pieces from isaac albÃ©niz's set of piano pieces, iberia.orenstein (1991), p. 98 while working on the transcription, ravel was informed that the movements had already been orchestrated by spanish conductor enrique arbÃ³s, and that copyright law prevented any other arrangement from being made. when arbÃ³s heard of this, he said he would happily waive his rights and allow ravel to orchestrate the pieces. however, ravel changed his mind and decided initially to orchestrate one of his own previously written works. he then changed his mind again and decided to write a completely new piece based on the musical form and spanish dance called bolero. while on vacation at st jean-de-luz, ravel went to the piano and played a melody with one finger to his friend gustave samazeuilh, saying "don't yo
1928_ballet_premieres 1928_compositions Ballets_by_Bronislava_Nijinska Ballets_by_Maurice_Ravel Compositions_by_Maurice_Ravel Compositions_in_C_major Stefan_Zweig_Collection