French court rules Ravel was sole author of Bolero in financial blow to his descendants
A court in Nanterre, just outside Paris, has ruled that 'Bolero' – among the world’s best-known works of classical music – was written by French composer Maurice Ravel alone. The case was brought before the court when heirs of celebrated Russian stage designer Alexandre Benois, who worked on the original performance of the piece, argued he should have been credited as a co-author and demanded a share of the proceeds. 'Bolero' debuted at the Paris Opera in 1928, becoming something of an instant sensation. Ravel died at the end of 1937, with his heirs cashing in millions of dollars until the cop...