Music: The secrets of the heady mechanics of Ravel's Boléro

It's a haunting rhythm, a captivating melody and a global hit for almost a century. Ravel's Boléro is played every ten minutes. It's also adapted into the most improbable versions.

To perform the famous music, the Paris orchestra arranged itself in a spiral. In the middle, there is a yellow dot, it is the instrument that sets the gears in motion. “At the center is the heart of the project. It is the snare drum, the percussionist. He launches an ostinato that he will play 169 times, without stopping. This is a first in the history of music,” explains Pierre Korzilius, the curator of the “Boléro” exhibition.

The haunting motif that begins the Boléro was found by Ravel when he entered a factory. He imitates the noise of the machines. This hypnotic base gradually puts the listener into a state of trance.

Back to the spiral of the Paris orchestra. Around the yellow dot, in blue, is the second floor of the Boléro. The musicians who compose it set the pace. They advance the piece like workers tirelessly repeating the same gestures. For 18 minutes, the instruments join together to make the orchestra grow in power.

Watch the full report in the video above.