Ravel was a man who delighted in mechanical toys and things in miniature but who also loved cats and nature. A man who was a great mimic and a generous host but also an intensely private person. These contrary characteristics flavour his music too. He had a great appetite for fantasy and fairytales, worked with immense detail, but he also loved the mechanics of music.
Unraveling Bolero (22 min) podcast tells a story about obsession, creativity, and a strange symmetry between a biologist and a composer that revolves around one famously repetitive piece of music…