Opera For Everyone – Ep. 136: Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortilèges

Date: November 16, 2025
Host: Pat Wright
Guest Co-Host: Erica Minor
Episode Focus: Maurice Ravel’s opera L’Enfant et les Sortilèges in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Ravel’s birth.

Episode Overview

This episode of Opera For Everyone celebrates the 150th anniversary of French composer Maurice Ravel by diving into his magical one-act opera, L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (The Child and the Spells). Joined by return guest, author, and former Metropolitan Opera violinist Erica Minor, host Pat Wright explores Ravel’s artistry, the opera’s background and plot, and the unique collaborative influence of Colette’s libretto. The episode’s tone is warm, rich with anecdotes, and dotted with humor and insight for both opera newcomers and aficionados.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Maurice Ravel: Life and Reputation

• Ravel’s Artistic Distinction:

  • Known for much more than just Boléro, Ravel was a master orchestrator, a lover of Spanish rhythms, and an independent spirit unconcerned with conservatory tradition ([04:32]–[07:12]).
  • “[Boléro]...an experiment in a very special and limited direction. A piece lasting 17 minutes and consisting wholly of orchestral tissue without music... Unfortunately there's no music in it.” – Ravel, quoted by Pat Wright ([04:45]).
  • Ravel frequently drew from diverse musical sources—Spanish folk music from his Basque heritage, jazz, and avant-garde trends.

• Parisian & Spanish Roots:

  • Born in Ciboure, near the Spanish border, Ravel’s childhood was steeped in Spanish folk influence ([24:18]).
  • His mother’s songs and his Basque ancestry are prominent in much of Ravel’s music.

• Defiance of Tradition:

  • Rejected by the conservative Paris Conservatoire and overlooked for the Prix de Rome, Ravel stood by his artistic ideals ([07:12]).
  • Supported by Gabriel Fauré, who steered him toward composition over piano ([09:07]).

• Influence and Experimentation:

  • Member of collaborative groups in early 20th century Paris, associating with Debussy and Stravinsky; involved in musical “revolutions” ([10:29], [11:07]).

• Love for Children:

  • “Ravel absolutely loved children...he often said he preferred their company to adults. So it’s not surprising he wanted to write this opera about a child’s transformation.” – Erica Minor ([28:18]).

2. Ravel’s Operatic Output: Context

• Two Short Operas:

  • Ravel composed only two operas: L’Heure Espagnole ("The Spanish Hour") and L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (“The Child and the Spells”), both one-acts, both under an hour ([03:24]).
  • L’Heure Espagnole is full of farcical, spicy French innuendo and satirical musical characterizations—light, comic, and “so very, very French” ([15:15], [19:36]).

• Transition to L’Enfant et les Sortilèges:

  • Original libretto by famed French author Colette, initially conceived as a ballet.
  • Ravel suggested it become an opera; Colette agreed ([13:18]).

3. About Colette: Collaborator and Librettist

• Colette’s Literary Role:
  • Author of Gigi among many other works, Colette was tapped for her “deep understanding of the child’s perspective,” providing “charm, wit, and emotional depth to the opera’s libretto” ([12:41], [29:48]).

4. Synopsis and Interpretative Insights – L’Enfant et les Sortilèges

Opening and Character Themes

• Orchestral motifs represent the mother and child even before they appear on stage ([27:13], [28:10]).
  • “You hear the oboe and then... double bass... and clarinets. They’re playing a combination of the child’s motif and the mother’s motif right at the beginning.” – Erica Minor ([27:31]).

Plot Summary with Key Moments

• The Child’s Rebellion ([32:25]):

  • The unnamed child refuses to do homework, acting out with escalating tantrums and destruction of objects, books, and even harming his pet squirrel’s cage.
  • “He only wants to do what he’s not supposed to do.” – Erica Minor ([32:25]).

• Mother’s Intervention ([35:33]):

  • The mother enters, disappointed; gives the child dry toast and unsweetened tea (“not what he would like at all” – Erica Minor ([36:32])).

• Enchanted Transformation ([47:27]):

  • As the child collapses in exhaustion, his surroundings come alive, animated by his guilt and misbehavior. The chairs, clock, teapot, and teacup each upbraid him for his destructiveness.
    • “It’s his guilty conscience that evokes all of these things starting to get their revenge.” – Erica Minor ([48:03]).

• Magic, Language Play & Musical Humor ([53:00]):

  • The teapot sings in English for comic effect; the China cup’s text playfully references Chinese words and mahjong ([53:00], [53:21]).

• Building Remorse ([53:44]):

  • For the first time, the child shows regret: “Just a little, though he’s still in his snit.” – Erica Minor ([53:44]).

• Other Animated Objects ([54:24]–[56:40]):

  • The clock groaning in pain from the missing pendulum; shepherds and shepherdesses torn from wallpaper lament their separation ([76:44]).
  • The princess from his destroyed storybook mourns not finishing her tale: “As of yesterday, when you read me, I was your first love... Alas, my weak little friend, what can you do for me?” – Princess (quoted by Pat Wright, [81:57]); a poignant moment on childhood powerlessness.

• Schoolbook Mayhem ([87:16]):

  • The child is tormented by his torn arithmetic book, which spews nonsense and confusion ([88:53]).

• Journey to the Garden ([94:27]):

  • The walls part, the ceiling lifts, and the child finds himself in the garden; nature animates and confronts him with the consequences of his actions.

• Confrontation with Nature ([97:41]):

  • Dragons, bats, frogs, and notably the squirrel all remember his cruelty—accusatory and ultimately heart-wrenching.
  • The bat’s lament that its nestlings are now motherless hits the child deeply: “Sans mère...without a mother.” ([98:55]).

Redemption and Climax

• Animals Turn on the Boy ([106:24]):

  • Realizing the pain he’s caused, the wildlife attack; the child and an injured squirrel are thrown from the melee.

• Act of Kindness ([107:24]):

  • The child sees the wounded squirrel and tends its injury with his ribbon—a turning point in his moral development.
    • “What does the child do that shows that he’s beginning to grow up?” – Erica Minor ([107:19]).

• Communal Response & the Need for Mother ([109:00]):

  • The animals recognize his goodness and, noting his earlier cry for “Maman,” resolve to bring him back to his “nest.”
    • “He called for his mother, the one he’d disobeyed and rejected. He’s beginning to realize…but I need her, and I miss her.” – Erica Minor ([104:54]).

• Resolution ([111:14]):

  • The opera ends as it began, with the child crying out for his mother, reaffirming the importance of unconditional love.
    • “Our last word of the opera: it’s Maman.” – Erica Minor ([111:14]).
    • “There’s so much to love about this child and about all children. I think that’s part of what Ravel was trying to say.” – Erica Minor ([112:54]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Ravel’s Attitude Toward Awards:
  “Ravel wasn’t interested in that. He was going to do what he felt was his art. And if it didn’t win, it didn’t win. That was that.” – Erica Minor ([08:46])

• Talking About Colette’s Understanding of Childhood:
  “There’s a deep understanding of the child’s perspective...very much comes out when you hear the music and experience the opera.” – Pat Wright ([29:48])

• On the Child’s Powerlessness:
  “Alas, my weak little friend, what can you do for me?” – Princess (quoted by Pat Wright, [81:57])

• Characterizing Ravel’s Love for Children:
  “He often said he preferred [children’s] company to the company of adults.” – Erica Minor ([28:18])

• On Musical Opportunities for Staging and Animation:
  “Walt Disney actually wanted to do an animated film of this opera…” – Erica Minor ([41:52])

• On Child Development and Redemption:
  “You misbehave, but every child has something that will redeem them. And that’s what happens with this child.” – Erica Minor ([112:54])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro and Biographical Background on Ravel – [00:18] to [12:41]
• Ravel's Two Operas: Context and Synopses – [13:18] to [23:59]
• Spanish Influence & Ravel’s Artistic Identity – [24:18] to [26:57]
• Discussion of Colette and Opera’s Origins – [12:41], [13:18], [29:48]
• Detailed, Scene-by-Scene Plot Summary & Commentary on L’Enfant et les Sortilèges – [27:13] to [113:07]
• Thematic Wrap-Up (Motherhood, Redemption, Childhood) – [104:54], [111:14]-[113:29]
• Reflections on Ravel’s Orchestration and Legacy – [62:43] to [65:50]
• Connections to Stravinsky and Gershwin, Ravel’s later years – [66:08] to [75:06]

Additional Features

• Historical Performance Insights:
  • Erica Minor shares rare firsthand reminiscences of playing the opera under Ravel’s protégé, Manuel Rosenthal ([39:20], [41:52]).
• Staging Interpretations:
  • Variety in production approaches: from costuming, concert performance, and projected translation to Disney’s rejected animated adaptation.
• Suggestions for Opera-Goers:
  • Operas are typically staged in the original language for maintaining their unique character ([44:27]).
  • Preparation improves enjoyment: reading the libretto and listening to Opera For Everyone are both recommended ([45:33]).

Conclusion

This episode offers a heartfelt, enlightening guided tour of Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, combining musical interpretation, literary insight, and engaging personal anecdotes. Pat and Erica’s warmth and expertise render Ravel not just accessible, but deeply human, with his fondness for children and imaginative musical voice shining through. The opera’s journey from misbehavior and magical retribution to self-awareness and redemption is framed as universal and lovingly crafted—a story for all ages and all listeners.

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