French Court Rules Maurice Ravel as Sole Composer of “Bolero”

The verdict is part of a case that could have taken the work out of the public domain

A court in Nanterre, France, has dismissed claims that Maurice Ravel’s iconic Boléro was a collaboration with the Russian set designer Alexandre Benois, in a case that may have seen the work taken out of the public domain, EuroNews reports. 

Benois was a celebrated stage designer who worked on the original performance of Boléro — his heirs argued before the court that he should have been credited as a co-author and demanded a share of the proceeds. 

In France, copyright runs for 70 years after a composer's death; some extra years were added to make up for any losses during WWII.

Benois died in 1960; if the court had ruled in his heirs’ favor, it would have put Boléro back under copyright until 2039, writes The Guardian. 

Boléro became an instant sensation following its debut at the Paris Opera in 1928. After Ravel died in 1937, his heirs took in millions of dollars of the work’s royalties, until the copyright on it expired in 2016 and the piece entered the public domain.

Ravel’s estate supported the claim that it was a “collaborative work” with Benois and the claimants point to various documents that name Benois as a co-author of the music.

Ultimately, the courts sided with France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers (SACEM) which stated that the claim of co-authorship was baseless “historical fiction,” while highlighting an official declaration signed by Ravel in 1929 identifying him as the sole author.

A lawyer for SACEM said Boléro’s rights had once generated “millions and millions of euros” a year, but had fallen to an average of €135,507 annually between 2011 and 2016.

“Boléro consequently remains in the public domain,” the court stated.

MAURICE RAVEL | BOLÉRO | ALONDRA DE LA PARRA | WDR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | 2022