Which of Ravel's Bolero CD should I get?

Get the Reference Recording "Bolero" with Eiji Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra. Its a compilation disc which includes a lot of execllent performances of Bolero and other up-beat/popular romantic classical music. Highest quality recording, also in HDCD. In fact, if you are looking for introductions to other popular, short, dramatic classical pieces, all of which are instantly assessible, don't overlook other compilation CD's by RR, suchg as "Ports of Call", "Exotic Dances from the Opera", Mephisto & Co", and "Reveries", by the same orchestra, conductor, HDCD and sound/performance quality. As far as compilations these may be all you ever need. And, at worst are an excellent starting point to become familar with various composers sytle in music.

Enjoy. BTW, if you want further diversity in compilation disc's TELARC also has some excellent recordings as well.

There is a great recording by Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra on Polygram, B0000041YR,
and includes five other great Ravel works.

You might also want to try Bolero as conducted by Jesus Lopez-Cobos with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. This is an older excellent recording, circa 1988 and was very highly rated. I have the CD, which is on Telarc and the catalogue number is CD-80171. If you are interested, someone is actually selling one on ebay. Just plug in Ravel Bolero in your search.

I second the recomendation for Lopez Cobos. Actually three conductors with the Cincinnati Symphony did a nice job. I lived in Cincy for a number of years attended probably 50 or so classical concerts at Music Hall and quite a few in the Summer in the Park. Music Hall has some of the best acoustics I have heard anywhere, although not really present on the recordings. Jarvi succeeded Lopez Cobos - his version is on Telarc with some other nice couplings. The sound is very nice, but then I like the Telarc sound. Jarvi's is fast (13'30") Erich Kunzel also has a version on Telarc which I recently picked up and is not bad but it too is fast. For comparison, reference to Von Karajan and the BPO on DG, coupled with Debussy and Mussorsky. Von Karajan's is at 16'08" and probably at the better tempo. That being said, my first choice is Jarvi's.

You mentioned getting started in classical - a suggestion - there are a couple of decent guides - Penguin's is very comprehensive and I bought it for many years. The last few years I have used the Good Guide more often - put out by Gramaphone. Have not been steered wrong yet. Gramaphone magazine is also worthwhile. One difference you will immediately notice is that Gramaphone magazine readly and regularly points out where an interpretation misses the mark, this is in contrast with audiophile equipment magazines where every piece of equipment is 'great.'

There are an enormous number of CD's of classical works. One thing different about classical music listening from, say rock and roll, is a focus on comparing interpretations by various conductors and performances by various artists and orchetras. Thus, one typically ends up with somewhere between 2 and 10 recordings of a given composition. So it is likely that the recomendations you recieve from your posts will all be very good choices.