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The 1920's were a turning point in Ravel's compositional style, a new creative period, exploring a leaner style of music, occasionally austere, leaning towards greater simplicity in a manner of Satie.
"Another significant influence... is that of Erik Satie, which has had an appreciable effect on Debussy, myself and most of the modern French composers. Satie was the inventor's mind par excellence, a great experimenter. Simply and ingeniously, Satie pointed the way."—Ravel
Sonata for Violin and Piano (1923-27) is a great example -1st movt. especially - of this simpler and transparent texture à la Satie.
Ravel's music is infused with the spirit of the dance: waltzes, minuets, habaneras, Spanish rhythms, pavanes, baroque dances AND jazz. "You know of my deepest sympathy for these wonderful rhythms, and that I value the joie de vivre expressed by dances."
—Ravel
"As a child I was sensitive to music, to every kind of music."
—Ravel
Dance: La Valse 1920, Bolero 1928
Spain of his childhood: Habanera, Rapsodie Espagnole, Alborada del grazioso, Bolero.
American Jazz: Piano Violin Sonata's Blues, Foxtrot in l'Enfant et les sortilèges, two Concerti for piano and orchestra (1929-31).
Gypsy: Tzigane (1924)
Musical theater: "L'Enfant et les sortilèges" (1919-25) a playful and endearing stage work in the spirit of American musical, blending fantaisie lyrique, operetta with ballet. Premiered in March 1925 by the Ballets Russes at the Opera de Monte Carlo, and Feb.1st at l'Opéra-Comique in Paris.
"L'Enfant et les sortilèges" :
This link takes you to a magnificent production by the Nerderlands Dans Theater and Orchestre National de Paris, Lorin Maazel conducting. Spellbinding and imaginative choreography by NDS artistic director Jiri Kylian ideally suited to the story and the music.
NOTE: Under the images below, each section of the 5 sections of this filmed ballet is posted, making for easier viewing, following the story and the libretto (see libretto page).
"The score of L'Enfant et les sortilèges is a very smooth blending of all styles from all epochs, from Bach up to ... Ravel."
—Ravel
"The preoccupation with melody that characterizes the work is accounted for by the storyline, so it amused me to write in the American operetta style. By dealing with a fantasy tale, Mme Colette's libretto justified such a choice. Here, singing must come first..."
—Ravel
"Our work requires an extraordinary production: the roles are numerous, and the phantasmagoria is constant. Following the principles of American operetta, dancing is continually and intimately intermingled with the action. Now the Monte Carlo Opera possesses a wonderful troupe of Russian dancers, marvelously directed by a prodigious ballet master, M. Balanchine... [the 21-year-old choreographer in his first major assignment]“
—Ravel
Colette (1873-1954) wrote the libretto for Ravel's L'Enfant et les sortilèges ("The child and the spells"). It is about a petulant child who must face revenge from everyday objects, pets and furniture angry at him for bullying them.
See Libretto link.
English translation of Colette's libretto:https://www.angelfire.com/music2/davidbundler/lenfant.htm
"...The most refined of our contemporary composers and the most penetrating of our authors have united to create a work of incomparable enchantment..."
—review in Le Temps.
The U.S. premiere occurred at the San Francisco Opera (like Poulenc's Carmelites) on 19 September 1930.
After the princess (soprano) disappears, the child (mezzo), heartbroken, sings the most exquisite and tender love song (at 1:35), while looking for her through his books. All that is left on the floor are math books, from which come out shrill voices, numbers and an old man (tenor) representing arithmetic who assaults him with math facts... (Part 3)
Above: "Ah! Quelle joie de te retrouver" sings l'enfant as he finds himself in the garden at night, alive with nature sounds, chorus of insects, frogs, bats, a nightingale, a dragonfly dancing... and finds the squirrel cage he had thrown out the window. He is scared. He looks for his mother. Waltz music (6:06). The scene ends with the child's calling "Maman..." (Part 4)
At the end the Animals and Trees unite in a desire for revenge. As they throw themselves upon him a baby squirrel is injured. The Child binds his paw with a ribbon. The animals notice that he, too, has been hurt. Concerned, they surround and tend to him. They call out for his mother.
As a light goes on in the house, the animals withdraw, and praise the Child’s newfound wisdom and kindness in a magnificent chorus at 3:17.
Holding out his arms, the Child calls "Ma-man!" with last two chords. (Part 5)
Ravel loved children and children adored him. He had composed Mother Goose suite for piano 4 hands(1908) for Jean and Mimi Godebsky, ages 6 and 7: so subtle, intimate, and enchanting in its wide-eyed fairy-tale simplicity.
Ravel's music seduced as much with dazzling virtuosity as it did with disarming simplicity.
1. The child (mezzo) and his mother (contralto) in the opening scene (Opéra de Paris set).
2. The Wedgewood Teapot (tenor) says in English "How's your mug?" and the Chinese teacup (mezzo-contralto) answers "Rotten!" to the music of a foxtrot... and both continue in English!
3. The awkward dance of the armchair (bass) and the chair (soprano).
Three scenes from the first 9:45 minutes of the opera (Part 1)
The fire jumps out of the fireplace to scold the misbehaving child, singing a full-force coloratura aria with the opening line: "Arrière!! Je réchauffe les bons, mais je brûle les méchant." ("Stand back!! I bring warmth to good people, but I burn mean ones.")
Here are the scenes! followed (at 3:05) by the shepherd (contralto) and shepherdess (soprano) scene, characters from the wallpaper that the child ripped off the wall. Followed (at 6:15) by the Princess (soprano) of whom he had dreamt of the night before and now comes out of the torn pages of his book. He is starry-eyed. (Part 2)
Historical recording (1953, only music) of l'Enfant et les sortilèges, for the 25th anniversary of the death of Ravel. Orchestra National de la Radio, Paris. Music only, no staging.
"Did you know that cinema orchestras are playing your charming Mother Goose Suite while they show American Westerns? If I were a composer and Ravel, I believe I would be pleased to learn that."
—Colette, in a letter to Ravel.
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