Bolero
Volume 1 of the Ravel Edition is dedicated to Bolero. This scientific edition introduces never-before-published workings based on the 1928 full orchestral manuscript kept at the Morgan Library in New York, the composer’s preparatory manuscripts (Bibliothèque nationale de France, the British Library and the Palais de Monaco Archives), and numerous other sources presented for the very first time in this collector’s volume, such as “historic” parts owned by Maurice Ravel, Piero Coppola and Arturo Toscanini, and various correspondence.
This “1928 ballet” version, as restored by the Ravel Edition, was performed by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, under the baton of George Benjamin in January 2019.
Reading committee: Louis Langrée – Alain Pâris – Pascal Rophé
- A 9,45 × 13,39 in volume of 212 pages. Sewn binding. 4 oz (120 grams) papers.
- Illustrations: 22 photos (mostly unpublished). Facsimile reproductions of the 1928 manuscripts, unreleased details of the 1928 orchestral manuscript, letters of Maurice Ravel, historical scores (Maurice Ravel and Piero Coppola) and photos (Ida Rubinstein Ballet Company, Coppola’s recording session…).
- 104 pages of scores
- General foreword of 25 pages on the history of the work and its reception by Manuel Cornejo.
- Essay of Alain Pâris about the first recording of Bolero in comparison with the score.
- Full discography of Bolero (1930 to 1939) by Jean Touzelet.
- Critical Apparatus on 27 pages introducing all detailed sources and unpublished analysis on the 1928 orchestral manuscript located at The Morgan Library plus the orchestral sketches (Bibliothèque nationale de France). The Corrections and Notes (10 pages) list all editorial mistakes and problems from the first publications of the work.
- Texts and Critical apparatus available in French/English
Maurice Ravel, Bolero, Ballet Version 1928. Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse, Klaus Mäkelä. Toulouse, mai 2018.
BALLET VERSION 1928 (unpublished)
Editors : François Dru & Quentin Hindley
A reproduction of the 1928 version, performed for the first time by the Ballets Ida Rubinstein at the Opéra de Paris. Based on the manuscript conserved at the Morgan Library, this unprecedented edition replicates the exact musical notation and markings the composer himself left in the orchestral score he laid down in ink in 1928.
We have only considered the handwritten corrections left by Ravel in ink, as well as other scratched modifications introduced in 1928. Our aim was to intervene as little as possible, so as to offer an authentic presentation of the mistakes and absent-mindedness that define the composer’s own manuscript.
This faithful publication, which reproduces Ravel’s recurring markings and distinctive handwriting, is intended to be used as a documentary basis against which to gauge the editorial evolution that led to the creation of the first edition less than a year after the Parisian première.
CONCERT VERSION 1929
Editor : Quentin Hindley
A corrected edition based on Ravel’s own markings and other corrections introduced by illustrious conductors on the basis of the composer’s modern first editions.
We also considered the various letters, notes and improvements introduced by the composer and conductors, revealing the many editorial issues and engraving errors with which the score and parts have historically been peppered. For this 1929 version, a publishing committee formed of conductors Louis Langrée, Alain Pâris and Pascal Rophé were consulted regarding the various questions raised by our sources.
This editorial work was carried out in collaboration with the following institutions: Les Amis de Maurice Ravel, the Morgan Library in New York, the New York Philharmonic Digital Archives, the British Library, the archives at the Palais princier de Monaco, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, the archives at the Théâtre royal de La Monnaie in Brussels, and the Royal Library of Belgium.
The Ravel Edition Vol. 1 Bolero is on sale at a selling price of 71 euros Excl.VAT (shipping not included). The Full score and set of parts are available on sale from XXI Music Publishing : sales@21-music.be
The Ravel Edition Vol. 1 is not available in territories where the score is still under copyright.