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Melbourne Symphony Orchestra presents Season Finale Gala: Boléro!
November 12, 2022 @ 7:30 pm - 9:15 pm
$75 – $131
Be transported to the landscape of Spain with vivacious and colourful works from Ravel, Rodrigo and de Falla.
Maurice Ravel had a lifelong affinity for Spanish culture and music; his mother hailed from Basque Country straddling the border of France and Spain. Rapsodie Espagnole was Ravel’s first composition for orchestra. A mysterious, intoxicating four-note motif dominates the opening, followed by two passages inspired by dance forms and a festive conclusion.
Classical and folk traditions converge in Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, featuring “the soul of the Spanish guitar” Pablo Sáinz-Villegas. Proving that inspiration can strike anywhere, the melody for the seductive second movement of this work came to Rodrigo whilst he was waiting for a tram!
de Falla’s Three Cornered Hat began life as the accompanying music of a pantomime play. At the encouragement of Serge Diagilev of the Ballet Russes, de Falla expanded the score into a full ballet. The two orchestral suites string together vignettes from the completed ballet in the original order.
Boléro is one of the most famous pieces in the orchestral repertoire. Ravel gradually builds a crescendo over fifteen minutes, floating winding melodies over a persistent snare drum.
*Please note: de Falla’s El Amor Brujo will no longer be performed as part of this program.
Price range
*Concession prices apply to Pensioners, Full-time students, Unemployed and Children under the age of 18
Dynamic pricing applies to this event. Ticket prices may be dynamically adjusted, either up or down, based on real-time market demand and without notice.