Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortilèges

Kazushi Ono and Laurent Pelly present an inspired and poetic interpretation of Ravel's classic children's opera, L'Enfant et les Sortilèges.

Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortilèges is a lyrical fantasy based on a libretto written by the great French author Colette (aka Helen Simpson) for her daughter. The score remained unfinished for years during a difficult period in the composer's life, as he faced both the death of his mother and his own debilitating illness. In the end, Ravel successfully completed the score, a setting that fits perfectly with Colette's writing, united by a gruesome lyricism and an impressively free approach to traditional forms. The work brings together numerous styles in a pastiche of everything from jazz to "oriental" music to create a harmonious and vibrant musical-literary masterpiece.

The opera tells the story of a naughty child who doesn't listen to his mother and behaves badly in her absence, only to be punished when she returns. Left alone to reflect on his mistakes, the child throws a destructive and noisy tantrum. Calming down, he tries to sit in the chair, but it suddenly limps away. His room comes alive! The child realizes that he has hurt the household objects and animals, which have now united to take revenge. They pounce on him. The squirrel is injured in the fight, and in an unexpected act, the child binds its paw with a ribbon. The animals and objects notice that he is also injured. Concerned, they surround him and tend to his wounds. When the lights come on in the house, the animated inanimate objects return to their places, praising the child's newfound kindness and wisdom.

Photo: © Simon Annand