A court in Nanterre has decided: Maurice Ravel's Bolero was written by the composer alone, and so remains in the public domain.
The verdict follows a years-long struggle between France's Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers (SACEM), and the heirs of stage designer Alexandre Benois, who claim that Ravel wrote Bolero collaboratively with Benois, and that the work must be returned to the private domain.
Ravel's most popular composition-said to be played every fifteen minutes around the world-premiered in 1928 to such great success, that it overshadows the other works that came in Ravel's remaining nine years. With European copyright running 70 years, plus several more years to compensate for losses in the Second World War, Bolero entered the public domain in 2016.
Benois' heirs have since asked SACEM to recognize their ancestor as co-author of Bolero, their evidence being, among others, that the work was written as a ballet-which it was, on a commission from Ida Rubinstein. If SACEM had recognized Benois as co-author, it would have extended Bolero's copyright to 2039 (Benois died in 1960), and entitled Benois' heirs to hefty royalties, which used to amount to "millions and millions of euros a year." Earlier this year, a Benois estate lawyer told the French court that "the music of the Bolero was created especially for the ballet," and so must not be considered a standalone piece.
SACEM rejected the claim, however, and the Benois' estate brought their claim to court. The court has since decided that the claim of Benois' co-authorship was based on "historical fiction," citing a 1929 document signed by Ravel as the sole composer so the work "consequently remains in the public domain."
The representatives of the Benois Estate said they will appeal the decision.
