The background music during the torch relay at the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony was bolero.

"Bolero" (M.81) is an orchestral work composed by French composer Maurice Ravel in 1928, dedicated to the dancer Ida Rubinstein, and It premiered at the Paris Opera in the same year.

"Bolero" originally refers to a Spanish folk dance form. Ravel's "Bolero" did not "process" the existing folk dance tones, but based on his personal understanding and re-creation. The piece uses an enlarged three-pipe orchestra, and the contrast and unity of timbres are properly handled, reflecting the composer's orchestration skills.

The creative background of "Boleiro":

In 1928, the dancer Ida Rubinstein commissioned Ravel to compose a dance drama music for her. Initially, Ravel only wanted to orchestrate a few piano pieces by the Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz.

However, since the right to adapt Albéniz’s work belonged to the Spanish conductor Fernandez Albos, Ravel had to re-create a new dance music, this is "Boleiro" Dance Music". The reason why Ravel used "Bolero", a Spanish folk dance form, to compose was mainly because he had a special affection for Spanish music: he lived in a border city close to Spain since he was a child, and his mother was also Spanish.

On November 20 of the same year, the piece was performed for the first time at the Paris Opera by Ida Rubinstein and her dance troupe. When it was first performed, a Spanish tavern appeared on the stage, with a large round table in the middle, and a Spanish gypsy girl dancing on the table - her dance gradually enlivened the emotions of the men around the table.

Under the influence of "Bolero", the people on the stage were involved in the passionate dance, and finally ended in a warm atmosphere

For the above content, please refer to Baidu Encyclopedia-Bolero