Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortilèges is a one-act opera of unique charm and wit.
The opera was a collaboration between the composer and the infamous French author
Collette, known for her mischievously sensuous novels and lifestyle. This unusual
pairing set out to create an opera for children and instead devised a work of such
sincerity, imagination, and ceaseless musical ingenuity that it appeals to audiences
of all ages.
A young boy, spoiled, precocious and rather naughty is confined to his room as
punishment for his misbehavior. In the dark shadows of his captivity, he is tortured
by his own over-active imagination. He sees the furniture, animals- even the wallpaper
that he has mistreated- take on human form and threaten him. Eventually he is forced
to understand the consequences of his recklessness, and learns to be good.
The program also included Ravel's Introduction and Allegro (1906) and Le Tombeau
de Couperin (1917), played by the Lowell House Opera Orchestra.
Performances were held March 17th-19th at 8.30pm.
Location: Lowell House Dining Hall (10 Holyoke Place,
Cambridge, MA 02138). Map to Lowell
House.