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Ravel, Bolero + La Valse

Sticky Notes: The Classical Music Podcast

CHAPTER

Ravel's Theme

There's a visceral kind of raw primal eroticism that goes throughout this piece. I once heard this piece described and I can't remember by who as the sexy rite of spring. Almost the entire orchestra gets to play the theme at some point in the piece except those bases, and it's at this point where the most musicians are playing the theme at the same time. With 3 minutes to go in the piece, the flutes, the piccolos, the oboes, the english horn, the clarinets, the violins, the violas, the cellos, the sopranos saxophone, and the trombone all join in together creating a magical color.

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