L'Orchestre national de France Plays "Bolero"

April 2, 2020 6:06 AM

A powerful performance in a time of social distancing (SLYT)
posted by Ipsifendus (12 comments total)

No words, just the goosebumps I always get from "Bolero" and then some.

Thank you!
posted by jgirl at 6:20 AM on April 2, 2020

This is amazing. I never want orchestral music to not be like this, to be able to sit right next to everyone in the symphony at once watching them work. If you can watch this on a 4K screen, do so immediately.
posted by mhoye at 6:22 AM on April 2, 2020

How did they do that?

(As an aside, I got the tune for Bolero stuck in my head for, I dunno, a year? as a teenager before I finally heard it playing over at somebody else's place and asked them what it was called. They were amused at quite how overjoyed I was, but really, how else are you supposed to figure out a half-remembered snippet of wordless music if nobody can identify your hummed "da da da da da da da da da da da"?)
posted by puffyn at 6:57 AM on April 2, 2020 [1 favorite]

I find this piece of music so moving, it's such a beautiful melody, and also such an unusual melody, to me, so different to most melodies that I like. Also the whole of the melody is equally enjoyable to listen to. Most melodies I like are only short, the catchy part is only twenty seconds or so, but with this the melody continues on for several minutes and it's all equally entrancing and pleasurable. I find it very mysterious the way melodies can be so evocative and this is definitely one of the most mysterious. What is it about a progression of notes of different pitches and lengths that speaks so deeply to the human mind and brings such pleasure? It seems so arbitrary. What I find moving is partly just the fact that humans like music at all, considering how arbitrary is seems, and also the fact that a person could create such a great melody, that they would have that ability, and of course the emotion that seems to be in the melody somehow, the beauty it both describes and embodies, and how clearly it communicates something so profound and mysterious.
posted by mokey at 7:00 AM on April 2, 2020 [1 favorite]

That was just excellent! Thanks for posting.
posted by mumimor at 7:20 AM on April 2, 2020

This episode of Radiolab is a facinating listen after you finish the concert.
posted by beowulf573 at 7:58 AM on April 2, 2020 [1 favorite]

Oh, this is charming.
posted by desuetude at 8:36 AM on April 2, 2020

If you love the Bolero, make sure and watch a video of Bejart's ballet (here with Sylvie Guillem) or listen to the recording conducted by the composer, which is wonderful.
posted by less of course at 8:39 AM on April 2, 2020

Fantastic, thank you for posting.
posted by ellieBOA at 9:12 AM on April 2, 2020

How did they do that?
It's explained here (in French).
Deepl Translation:
Although everyone, of course, stayed at home to record their part of the song, the adventure kept them busy for several days. "We all had the same soundtrack with a "click" and "tops" on the synthesiser, to launch the different parts and be synchronized. We all played with an earpiece. We all filmed it on our own with our own phones and sent it all in. Then there was a great job by Dimitri Scapolan, from Radio France's video service, who did the editing. "

posted by elgilito at 9:47 AM on April 2, 2020 [3 favorites]

Sadly, Bolero will always make me think of "10."
posted by Lyme Drop at 10:48 AM on April 2, 2020

The snare player had his on a loop so he could get a snack and take a nap...
posted by jim in austin at 11:14 AM on April 2, 2020 [2 favorites]