Repetitive, sexual music of ‘Boléro’ in Surrey concert by VSO
Published 9:00 pm Thursday, February 19, 2026
The pulsing, iconic beat of “Boléro” is showcased in Surrey by Vancouver Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, March 1.
The afternoon concert will feature Scottish virtuoso percussionist Colin Currie and VSO musicians conducted by Naomi Woo, 3:30 p.m. start at the Sullivan Heights theatre.
Haydn’s “Drumroll” Symphony (No. 103) kicks off the Surrey Sundays series concert, alongside Nicole Lizée’s “Blurr is the Colour of My True Love’s Eyes” and then Maurice Ravel’s “Boléro,” which boasts a driving snare drum and one of the most unforgettable climaxes in classical music.
The 15-minute “Boléro” is among the sexiest of classical compositions thanks to 10, the 1979 Blake Edward film where the music was played during a sex scene involving lead actors Bo Derek and Dudley Moore. “The piece began appearing in sensual contexts in the 1970s, when it soundtracked a documentary about gay erotica,” says a post on yourclassical.org.
The repetitive composition finds a drummer playing the same two-bar rhythm 170 times, “turning into an orchestral automaton,” notes classical-music.com.
“The only changes in the piece comes from how Ravel orchestrates the two tunes, the way he structures the piece as a single, gigantic crescendo, and the surprise modulation at its end. Ravel’s ‘Boléro’ might be a warhorse. But it’s the single most experimental piece of orchestral music in the classical-pops canon in the way its melodies and its rhythms hammer their way into your brain.”
Performed by Currie, Lizée’s “Blurr” composition is hyped as “a tour-de-force inspired by techniques found in stop-motion film and photography” on vancouversymphony.ca, where concert tickets are sold for $45 and up.
A 2:45 p.m. prelude concert in the Bell theatre lobby will feature VSO School of Music Chamber Ensemble (strings), followed by an awards ceremony for Surrey School District recipients of the Werner and Helga Höing Award.