PERFORMANCE DETAIL

Libretto by Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873–1954)
Stage director Juraj Čiernik

 

Ravel’s opera-ballet with its subtitle A Lyric Fantasy in Two Parts is not common to see on Czech stages. The production was staged in the Prague National Theatre in 1927 (and it was in 2000 when the music accompanied Jiří Kylián’s very popular ballet). In 2016, the South Bohemian Theatre’s production was an impressive piece, and it was perceived as a family opera. The NDM chooses the same approach since the opera has been devoted to children. The libretto was written by the writer called Colette, and it is a fairy-tale story about a disobedient boy who tortures animals, destroys nature and things around him. All these things including trees and animals in the garden come to life and rebel against the naughty boy. In the end, the fear changes the boy to be kind and loving deep down in his heart. The libretto inspired Ravel to compose rhythmical and playful music, which for its wit has never become obsolete. This is a typical example of an impressionistic score enriched by a number of onomatopoeic effects.
 
The performance is staged under the project Ostrava Opera Academy – a joint project of the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre and the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, University of Ostrava.