THE BOLERO OF MAURICE RAVEL: AN EXAMPLE OF REPETITION IN MUSIC

THE REPETITION Surely you have seen different examples of repetition in nature. Can you find any kind of repetition in this figure?

As you now, repetition is used in graphic art languages

Repetition exists also in musical language Listen this famous tune http://www.luiraffimarti.it/0pag2.asp?id=34

If you observe the tune of the beginning, you can find the repetition of four different modules ---------1--------- R1 -------2----- R2 -------3------- R3 ------4---- R4 Every module is repeated for two times. The letter «R» means «REPETITION».

So we have learned that in nature such as in art, a module that repeats itself builds a structure: a beehive, a picture, a tune.

You can also build a music on the repetition of rhythmic modules. In the Bolero of Maurice Ravel this kind of repetition is more evident than in any other musical work.

Bolero is a ballet music composed by Maurice Ravel in 1825. It’s structure is built on an ostinato.   Ostinato is an italian word that means testardo . In the musical language ostinato is a phrase or a tune or a rhythm that remains constant throughout the piece.

The structure of Bolero is built on the rhythmic ostinato you can see below:   This rhythmic figure is played by snare drums for all the piece, while the other instruments play the main motif in turn. Snare drums

LISTENING OF BOLERO Listen to Bolero and be careful to the ostinato of snare drums! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=djClkZIRf_4