L'Enfant et les sortilèges

Described in some sources as a ‘ballet-opera’ Ravel’s L’enfant et les Sortilèges is a fantastical story where a naughty child (L’Enfant) is punished for his bad behavior when the items in his room come to life to take their revenge. The armchairs (La Bergère and Le Fauteuil) dance together to escape the child, and the take the bench (Le Banc), couch (Le Canapé), stool (Le Pouf), and the wicker chair (La Chaise de Paille) with them. The Grandfather Clock (L’Horologe Comtoise) starts toppling around the room after the child, upset at being made to strike out of time, and the Wedgwood Teapot (La Théière) boxes and dances with the Chinese teacup (La Tasse Chinoise). The fire (Le Feu) jumps out of the grate, the torn shepherds from the wallpaper (Les Pastoures and Les Pâtres) rise from the floor and dance a ballet, and the Princess (La Princesse) from the book the child destroyed appears then leaves him, forever. Even his math book becomes a little old man (Le Petit Vieillard) and the numbers (Les Chiffres) jump about the room, all in the wrong order.

Following the cats outside, the child seeks refuge in the garden, but here the trees (Les Arbres) have come alive, and he is plagued by all the animals he has hurt or captured, and the partners of the animals he has killed. The squirrel (L’Ecureuil) he has kept in a cage warns the tree frog (La Rainette) to stay away in case he might be captured, and asks the child to set him free. The animals and trees finally gang together and attack the child, but when the squirrel is hurt and screams out everything stops. The child bandages the squirrel’s paw and the animals are shocked at his kindness. The child cries out one word ‘Maman’ and the animals echo it until Maman appears at the door, and the child goes back into the house. With such fun characters to play, the fantasy world of L’enfant et les Sortilèges is not unlike something from Alice in Wonderland or Beauty and the Beast and provides an interesting musical challenge for any singer, and a great experience for the audience.

L’enfant et les Sortilèges is a through-composed piece without strict scene delineations. Guidelines are given here to indicate which characters sing or interact in a particular section, but characters may be on stage creating the tableaux even when not singing. Section titles are authors own.

**First Tableaux **

Many of the characters who appear in this scene are on the stage already, and make up the furniture and decorations of the room.

Introduction ‘J’ai pas envie de faire ma page’ - L’Enfant Maman ‘Bébé a été sage?’ - Maman, L’Enfant

L’Enfant destroys the room ‘Ca m’est égal!’ - L’Enfant, Le Chat

The furniture responds ‘Votre serviteur humble, Bergѐre’ - Le Fauteuil, La Bergère, Le Banc, Le Canapé, Le Pouf, La Chaise de Paille

The clock is upset ‘Ding, ding, ding, ding, et encor ding’ - L'Horloge Comtoise, L’Enfant

The boxing match ‘How’s your mug?’ ‘Rotten!’ - La Théière, La Tasse Chinoise, L’Enfant

Don’t touch the fire ‘Arriére!’ - Le Feu, L’Enfant

The wallpaper ‘Adieu, pastourelles’ ‘Pastoureaux adieu!’ - Les Pastoures, Les Pâtres, Un Pâtre, Une Pastourelle

The storybook ‘Ah! C’est Elle’ - L’Enfant, La Princesse

L’Enfant alone ‘Toi, le coeur de la rose’

A math lesson ‘Deux robinets coulent dans un réservoir!’ - Le Petit Vieillard, L’Enfant, Les Chiffres

The cats ‘Oh! Ma tête!’ -L’Enfant, La Chat, La Chatte

Second Tableaux

Many of the characters who appear in this scene are on the stage already. They create the garden on the stage, and the soundscape in the first chorus.

Chorus of beasts

The tree is in pain ‘Ah! Ma blessure’ - L’Arbre, L’Enfant, Les Arbres

The dragonfly searches for his wife ‘Ou es-tu? Je te cherche’ - La Libellule, Le Rossignol, Les Rainettes, L’Enfant

Round of the bats ‘Rends-la moi! Tsk tsk’ - La Chauve-Souris, L’Enfant

Dance of the frogs

The squirrel is in a cage ‘Sauve-toi, sotte!’ - L’Ecureuil, La Rainette, L’Enfant

The attack ‘Ah! C’est l’Enfant au couteau!’ - Les Bêtes, Les Arbres, Une Chouette, L’Ecureuil

The child is kind ‘Il a pansé la plaie’ - Les Bêtes

Maman appears ‘Il est bon, l’Enfant’ - Les Bêtes (Chorus), L’Enfant