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“REPETITION IS THE MOTHER OF ALL LEARNING,” claims an oft-repeated Latin proverb, and, fittingly, variations of this phrase have filtered down through the centuries. Every musician who’s been instructed, “practice, practice, practice,” intimately understands these values. It’s at the heart of mastering any skill, from baking pastries to shooting free throws: Lather, wash, repeat.

Yet, the ritual of repetition becomes a radical act in tonight’s concert, led by Klaus Mäkelä (right). Ravel’s Boléro, which anchors this program, notoriously presents a slow crescendo unfolding over 18 reiterations of the same Spanish theme. The rousing effect was immediately embraced by audiences (and still is), but it provoked an equally passionate backlash among fellow composers. Even Ravel himself was irritated by Boléro’s runaway success.

Speaking to the London Daily Telegraph in 1931, Ravel admitted: “There are no contrasts, and there is practically no invention except in the plan and the manner of the execution.” Rather than compose variations on the theme or modulate the melody, Ravel unleashes his brilliance through his deft orchestration. As the catchy tune weaves around in surprising and unfamiliar combinations, he paints new, distinct soundworlds — sweet, seductive, mysterious, humorous, strident, bombastic.

Andrew Norman’s Sustain, which receives its Cleveland premiere at the top of the program, is also a study in repetition. More ambitious in scope than Ravel’s so-called “experiment,” Norman’s Sustain harnesses time rather than instrumentation as his medium. Each of the 10 cycles of the same melodic material that comprise the piece is played about three times faster than last, forging new textures and momentums to earth-shattering effects. As the work hurtles forward, it encounters galaxies, black holes, and big bangs.

In between these two tightly structured works, Debussy’s evocative Images for orchestra echoes a recurrent theme from his catalogue. The composer twice employed the title “Images” — both in compositions for solo piano — before assembling a large symphonic orchestra to illustrate a triptych of scenes. Within these depictions of a sombre dance, a Spanish setting, and spring coming into bloom, Debussy delights in giving the listener a second chance to listen to a beautiful phrase or experience again a poignant melody, finding new sonorities and nuances in each reprise.

— Amanda Angel