A French court will rule today on whether Boleroone of the most famous pieces of classical music in the world, was written exclusively by Maurice Ravela decision with major financial implications.
Ravel performed for the first time Bolero at the Paris Opera in 1928 and was an immediate sensation. He died 10 years later and his heirs made millions of dollars until the copyright expired in 2016 and fell into the public domain.
In France, copyright lasts 70 years after a composer’s death, although a few extra years were added to compensate for losses during World War II.
However, the heirs of Alexandre Benoisa celebrated set designer who worked on the original performance of Bolerosay he should have been credited as a co-author from the beginning and are demanding a share of the profits.
And since Benois died in 1960, that would put Bolero again under copyright until 2039. “The music for Bolero was created especially for the ballet” and should not be considered an independent piece of orchestral music, a lawyer for Benois’s estate told a French court in February.
Ravel’s estate supports the claim that it was a “collaborative work” with the Russian designer, not least because they would begin receiving royalty payments again.
The plaintiffs point to several documents naming Benois as co-author of the music. On the other hand, there is the Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers of France (Sacem), which says the claim is based on a “historical fiction”.
Sacem points to an official statement signed by Ravel in 1929 that identifies him as the sole author. After hearing both sides, the court will issue its decision today.
Sacem’s lawyer said the royalties generated “millions and millions of euros” per year, although this had fallen to an average of 135,507 euros per year between 2011 and 2016.
Source: AFP
