Ravel’s Bolero
A classical symphonic programme featuring Ravel’s Boléro alongside works by Debussy and Luís de Freitas Branco at CCB – Centro Cultural de Belém.
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In the original choreography, Boléro is heard in an Andalusian tavern, where a woman dances with shawl and castanets atop a table, surrounded by lounging men in a dimly lit setting. The atmosphere is one of seduction, culminating in ecstasy. Since then, the music has emancipated itself, becoming an icon of popular culture and the foremost hallmark of Ravel’s name — yet he represents far more than that: he was a distinguished representative of the diffuse sonic textures characteristic of French music of his time, exemplified by the score he composed for the ballet Daphnis et Chloé , Debussy’s La mer , and Luís de Freitas Branco’s Artificial Paradises . These four masterpieces of the symphonic repertoire vividly recreate fantastical imaginary worlds with precision, fluidity, and apparent simplicity. Pre-concert talk by Rui Campos Leitão at 4:30 pm. El Corte Inglés supports the CCB’s Classical Music Mediation Programme.