L’enfant et les sortilèges

On the centenary of its composition, the Festival della Valle d’Itria presents L’enfant et les sortilèges by Maurice Ravel—an ode to the magical world of childhood and tenderness, composed between 1919 and 1925 in the post-war years, with a libretto written by Colette for her daughter.

A mischievous child rebels against his mother’s scolding. In his study room, he gives in to his tantrums until the objects and animals he mistreated come to life and seek revenge. However, when the child helps an injured squirrel, the ‘war’ comes to an end, and the enchanted creatures guide him back to his mother.

One of the masterpieces of early 20th-century music, the opera will be staged in Didier Puntos’ chamber version, as part of a project that engages young local talents, featuring the Children’s Choir of the Fondazione Paolo Grassi, educational workshops in schools, and the voices of the Accademia del Belcanto “Rodolfo Celletti.”