philharmonie zuidnederland

One percussionist, one small drum, supreme concentration. And then that hypnotic Spanish rhythm. Immediately a sigh of recognition passes through the hall. Yes, even before the flute starts that famous melody, you recognise Ravel's Bolero. One of the most beloved orchestral works of all time. Ravel wrote it as an experiment: one grand crescendo, increasingly rousing, culminating in an overwhelming symphonic burst of sound. 'Even the vegetable sellers in the street will whistle it,' the French composer predicted in 1928.