Family Opera

Das Kind und der Zauberspuk / L’enfant et les sortilèges

Maurice Ravel

What would a child’s room say if it could talk? A boy goes on the rampage because he doesn’t want to do his homework; his mother, of course, blows her top. When the child vandalises his room and even torments his beloved cat, things take a surprising turn: suddenly, the mistreated furniture, cups, books and animals start to speak!

And the child finds himself in a world in which he is forced to think about others.

The one-hour opera doesn’t just tell the story of a child: it is also movingly told from a child’s perspective. This means that anything can happen, as the power of imagination is boundless. And so the story also makes the case for mindfulness and empathy: the child hurts the cat at the beginning of the story, but by the end he is playing doctor to a squirrel.

This acclaimed production by James Bonas and Grégoire Pont takes us on a magical journey, with the music providing the impetus for a fantastic world and the child’s imagination brought to life using exciting and delightful video projections. A love letter to the power of the imagination and the magic of opera! For all those who are (still) children at heart.

Lyrical Fantasy by Maurice Ravel
Libretto by Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette in the translation by Werner Hintze and Bettina Bartz

Performed in German with German and English supertitles

Premiere
16. February 2025,

No further performances in the current season.

Premiere cast

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Imagine your fantasy becomes reality.

In this video, director James Bonas talks about the special relationship between music, song and animation in Maurice Ravel's opera L’enfant et les sortilèges.
Opern-ABC

Opera ABC – V for Video

Video technician Daniel Rentzsch shows how lovingly designed animations bring Maurice Ravel's opera L’enfant et les sortilèges to life. The video projections not only take on the role of the stage set, but also partly replace the costumes, becoming interactive partners on stage.
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