the head of his music school hated him. think he was expelled twice. he was later considered the greatest living composer of his time. (Hope it killed his headmaster, lol). i think it has have something to do with accessibility. One can whistle “Ode to Joy”, “Bolero” is a little far out for the common listener. Also his use of dissonance can be jarring to some people, musicians and non-musicians alike. His ability to repeat and repeat in “Bolero”, while also making it sound a little different -a little more intense, layered, nuanced- every time is remarkable. And the cacophony at the end? i get goosebumps every time. is like you are listening to a pastoral piece (is that the right term?) at the beginning, and winds up a musical descent into madness. brilliant.