You'll never guess who owns Ravel's Bolero

daviddas.com -- In a crazy quirk of history, you'll never guess who the copyright holder of Ravel's Bolero is.
From Wikipedia:
Boléro is a 1928 work for large orchestra by French composer Maurice Ravel. It is one of Ravel's most famous compositions. It was also one of his last completed works before illness diminished his ability to write music.
The work's creation was set in motion by a commission from the dancer Ida Rubinstein, who asked Ravel for an orchestral transcription of six pieces from Isaac Albéniz's set of piano pieces, Iberia. While working on the transcription, Ravel was informed that Spanish conductor Enrique Fernández Arbós had already orchestrated the movements, and that copyright law prevented any other arrangement from being made. When Arbós heard of this, he said he would happily waive his rights and allow Ravel to orchestrate the pieces. But Ravel decided to orchestrate one of his own works instead, then changed his mind and decided to compose a completely new piece based on the bolero, a Spanish dance musical form.
While on vacation at St Jean-de-Luz, Ravel went to the piano and played a melody with one finger to his friend Gustave Samazeuilh, saying, "Don't you think this theme has an insistent quality? I'm going to try and repeat it a number of times without any development, gradually increasing the orchestra as best I can."
The composition was a sensational success when it premiered at the Paris Opéra on 22 November 1928, with choreography by Bronislava Nijinska and designs and scenario by Alexandre Benois. The orchestra of the Opéra was conducted by Walther Straram.
Boléro became Ravel's most famous composition, much to the surprise of the composer, who had predicted that most orchestras would refuse to play it. It is usually played as a purely orchestral work, only rarely staged as a ballet. According to a possibly apocryphal story from the premiere performance, a woman was heard shouting that Ravel was mad. When told about this, Ravel is said to have remarked that she had understood the piece.
The piece was first published by the Parisian firm Durand in 1929. Arrangements were made for piano solo and piano duet (two people playing at one piano), and later, Ravel arranged a version for two pianos, published in 1930.
The first recording was made by Piero Coppola for the Gramophone Company on 13 January 1930. Ravel attended the recording session. The next day, he conducted the Lamoureux Orchestra in his own recording for Polydor. That same year, further recordings were made by Serge Koussevitzky with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Willem Mengelberg with the Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Boléro is written for a large orchestra consisting of:
woodwinds: piccolo, 2 flutes (one doubling on piccolo), 2 oboes (one doubling on oboe d'amore), cor anglais, 2 clarinets (one doubles on E-flat clarinet), bass clarinet, 2 saxophones (sopranino and soprano doubling tenor), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon
brass: 4 horns, 4 trumpets (3 in C, one in D), 3 trombones (2 tenor and one bass trombone), bass tuba
3 timpani and 4 percussionists: 2 snare drums, bass drum, pair of cymbals, tam-tam
celesta and harp
strings
The instrumentation calls for a sopranino saxophone in F, which never existed (modern sopraninos are in E♭). At the first performance, both the sopranino and soprano saxophone parts were played on the B♭ soprano saxophone, a tradition that continues to this day.

[@michaelisaacson9735]

Nope. Would not have guessed that at all.

[@PixelPlayhouse]

woah that's wild

[@TheloniousCube]

Here's a piece of trivia for y'all: Ravel was so taken with Larry Adler's adaptation of Bolero for harmonica (yes, Adler was a harmonica virtuoso) that he granted him lifetime free performance rights. Supposedly, this came in handy later when Adler played at a benefit concert and someone dropped out or didn't show, so he was able to stretch his performance out by playing Bolero without adding to the charity's expenses. I'm not sure i believe that story because I would expect him to have played Bolero in any case, but who knows? kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKuUqKqkfqZpZtk

[@ElizabethRoseyomiz]

Wow!

[@brucefreadrich1188]

Very informative, Mr. Das. I don't think I have seen a photo of Ravel before. He was a pretty suave lookin' cat. Score KZbin algorithm. Exactly the strange historical trivia I love. Oddly the rights to "Conan the Barbarian" were held until 1999 by the writer's father's best friend's wife's daughter's cousin's widow's children.

[@chargen7224]

yes it's interesting. It was accidental but I spoke to the great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter of... Nicola Tesla. She did not imagine someone would notice or guess. Thats needing a whole lotta coretexis,... figurative for the number or count in human number system.. No less, nevertheless, the more immersive are these productions of great insight and depth, otherwise I wouldn't be here, but that is kind of a paradox, I don't like where this goes, where it was, started. they killed it.. it.

[@michaellaumusic]

This is great. People need to learn more about this stuff. And thanks to the Bono amendment, many of the works gained another 20 years. Very complicated.

[@prototropo]

Who didn't know this!😏

[@CoronadoBruin]

But it is out of copyright protection in most other countries, correct? Generally speaking, isn't EU copyright law life plus 70? Speaking of copyrights and music, one of the better stories is how the film It's a Wonderful Life lost its copyright protection but the studio had the copyright on the score, essentially extending the copyright on the film. Having just wrapped up the two estates of my parents it always amazes me how people have their hands out when there is money to be had, whether they deserve or earned it, or not. Would love to hear the copyright story of the Happy Birthday To You song. Haven't heard a definitive story on it yet.

[@daviddas]

Not sure about other countries. It may be.

[@brucefreadrich1188]

Oddly the rights to "Conan the Barbarian" were held until 1999 by the writer's father's best friend's wife's daughter's cousin's widow's children.

[@azvascos7542]

​@@brucefreadrich1188 Both Ravel and Conan's stories sound like the explanation of why Ferris Bueller wasn't in school. A flow chart is necessary!