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Maurice Ravel

L'enfant et les sortilèges

Composed 1925 Stage

L'enfant et les sortilèges: Fantaisie lyrique en deux parties (The Child and the Spells: A Lyric Fantasy in Two Parts) is an opera in one act, with music by Maurice Ravel to a libretto by Colette. It is Ravel's second opera, his first being L'heure espagnole. Written from 1917 to 1925, L'enfant et les sortilèges was first performed in Monte Carlo on 21 March 1925, conducted by Victor de Sabata.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Synopsis

Place: An old-fashioned Normandy country home

Part 1

A rude child is reprimanded by the objects in his room, which he has been destroying. After being scolded by his mother in the beginning of the opera, the child throws a tantrum, destroying the room around him and harming the animals nearby. He is then surprised to find that the unhappy objects in his room come to life. The furniture and decorations begin to talk; even his homework takes shape as it becomes an old man and a chorus of numbers. They all sing out the pain and misery that the child inflicts on them and their wishes to punish him for his misdeeds.

Part 2

The bedroom becomes a garden filled with singing animals and plants which have been tortured by the child. The child attempts to make friends with the animals and plants, but they shun him because of the injuries he did to them earlier, before they could talk. They leave him aside, and in his loneliness, he cries out "Maman". At this, the animals turn on him and attack him in an act of vengeance, but they end up jostling among each other as the child is tossed aside. A squirrel is hurt, which causes the other animals to stop fighting. The child bandages the squirrel's wound and collapses exhausted. Seeing this act of kindness, the animals have a change of heart toward the child, and decide to try to help him home. They mimic the cry of "Maman", carry the child back to his house, and sing in praise of the child. The opera ends with the child singing "Maman", as he greets his mother, in the last bar of the score.

Tableau I

  1. « J'ai pas envie de faire ma page ! »
  2. « Bébé a été sage ? »
  3. « Ça m'est égal ! »
  4. « Votre serviteur humble, Bergère »
  5. « Ding, ding, ding, ding »
  6. « How's your mug? »
  7. « Keng-ça-fou, mah-jong »
  8. « Oh ! Ma belle tasse chinoise ! »
  9. « Arrière ! Je réchauffe les bons »
  10. « Adieu, pastourelles ! »
  11. « Ah ! C'est elle ! C'est elle ! »
  12. « Toi, le cœur de la rose »
  13. « Deux robinets coulent dans un réservoir ! »
  14. « Oh ! Ma tête ! »
  15. « Duo miaulé »

Tableau II

  1. Seconde partie. "Ké ké ké ké ké Côâc"
  2. « Musique d'insectes, de rainettes, etc. »
  3. « Ah ! Quelle joie de te retrouver, Jardin ! »
  4. « Où es-tu ? Je te cherche... »
  5. Ronde des chauves-souris : « Rends-la moi... Tsk, Tsk... »
  6. « Danse des rainettes »
  7. « Sauve-toi, sotte ! Et la cage ? La cage ? »
  8. « La cage, c'était pour mieux voir ta prestesse »
  9. « Ah ! C'est l'enfant au couteau ! »
  10. « Il a pansé la plaie... »
  11. « Il est bon, l'enfant, il est sage »

Synopsis from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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