French Court Declares Ravel to be the Only Author of “Bolero.”

One of the most well-known classical music compositions ever, “Bolero,” was declared to have been composed entirely by Maurice Ravel by a French court on Friday. This ruling has significant financial ramifications.

Claims that Alexandre Benois, a renowned Russian stage designer, collaborated on “Bolero” were dismissed by a Nanterre, outside of Paris, court.

The court stated in a statement that the work “consequently remains in the public domain”.

When Ravel’s “Bolero” debuted in 1928 at the Paris Opera, it became an instant hit.

After he went away ten years later, his heirs accumulated millions of dollars until the work’s copyright expired in 2016 and it became public domain.

In France, a composer’s copyright remains in effect for 70 years following their passing; however, extra years were added to compensate for World War II losses.

Benois was a stage designer for the first production of “Bolero,” and his heirs, however, claimed he ought to have been acknowledged as a co-author and demanded a portion of the profits.

Furthermore, when Benois passed away in 1960, “Bolero” would once again be protected by copyright until 2039.

A representative for the Benois estate stated in February before a French court that “the music of the Bolero was created especially for the ballet” and should not be regarded as a stand-alone piece of orchestral music.

Ravel’s estate, which would once again begin to receive copyright royalties, backed the argument that it was a “collaborative work” with the Russian set-dresser.

The claimants have cited a number of records that list Benois as a co-composer of the song.

The French Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers (Sacem), on the other hand, disputes the assertion, claiming that it is the product of “historical fiction”.

Sacem cites a 1929 official declaration with Ravel’s signature attesting to his authorship.

Representing Sacem, Yvan Diringer told AFP on Friday that “this is a very well-argued decision, which took care to examine all the elements brought to the court’s attention.”

According to Sacem’s legal team, the rights used to bring in “millions and millions of euros” annually, but between 2011 and 2016, they only brought in about 135,000 ($145,000) euros.

The Ravel estate’s attorney, Gilles Vercken, stated: “We are calmly analysing the decision before responding to the press.”