Ravel: L'heure Espagnole

Designs by Maurice Sendak.

Maurice Ravel’s one-act operas L’Enfant et les Sortilèges and L’heure espagnole are often performed as a double bill. These two productions for Glyndebourne Festival Opera were first recorded and seen on BBC TV in 1987, and are both designed by the great American children’s book writer and illustrator, Maurice Sendak, and directed by Frank Corsaro.

L’Enfant et les Sortilèges or ‘The bewitched child’ is an enchanting fantasy which tells the tale of a boy who is angry because he does not want to learn his lessons. He destroys his books and vandalises the room he is in. But the room comes to life – chairs, grandfather clock, teapot and teacup – and seeks revenge… The staging of this production featured film projection, and this has been brilliantly reflected in the electronically-edited television recording. Cynthia Buchan sings the role of the boy, and the cast also includes Fiona Kimm, Malcolm Walker, François Loup, Hyacinth Nicholls, Thierry Dran, Louise Winter, Nan Christie, Jady Pearl, Carol Smith, Harolyn Blackwell, Anna Steiger, and Alison Hagley. Simon Rattle conducts The London Philharmonic.

“…absolutely magical” THE TIMES

L’heure espagnole means not only ‘the Spanish clock’ but also ‘the Spanish hour’; every Thursday at the same time, the clockmaker Torquemada has an appointment to wind and regulate the town clocks, thus leaving his wife alone in the house for an hour… The Spanish adventure is set in a Toledo square, over which towers the baroque façade of the town hall where Torquemada winds and minds the clocks. Maurice Sendak’s delightfully animated set comprises a huge baroque façade complete with working clocks and carved emblems.

The cast includes Anna Steiger, François Le Roux, Rémy Corazza, Thierry Dran and François Loup. Sian Edwards conducts The London Philharmonic.

“…a captivating fairy tale work that constantly seduces the eye and the senses.” DAILY TELEGRAPH

Internationally-acclaimed, American illustrator and author of children’s books, Maurice Sendak, wrote the libretti and designed vivid and magical images for the fantasy operas Where The Wild Things Are and Higglety Pigglety Pop! to music by Oliver Knussen. He also created brilliant designs for Prokofiev’s quirky Love of Three Oranges, and for Ravel’s delightful double bill: L’Enfant et les Sortilèges and L’Heure Espagnole.

Where The Wild Things Are and Higglety Pigglety Pop!

The antics of young Max (Karen Beardsley) and his journey to the Land of the Wild Things, and Jennie (Cynthia Buchan), the Sealyham terrier’s search for something more than everything, are set against beautifully intricate designs which adhere faithfully to Sendak’s illustrations in his own famous children’s books. Oliver Knussen conducts The London Sinfonietta.

L’Enfant et les Sortilèges

Ravel’s fantasy opera, ‘the bewitched child’, tells the tale of a boy (Cynthia Buchan) who is angry because he does not want to learn his lessons. He destroys his books and vandalises the room he is in. But the room comes to life – chairs, grandfather clock, teapot and teacup – and seeks revenge… Simon Rattle draws Ravishing sounds from The London Philharmonic.

L’Heure Espagnole

Ravel’s comic opera, his Spanish adventure, is set in a Toledo square, over which towers the baroque façade of the hall, where clockmaker Torquemada (Rémy Corazza) winds and minds the town clocks, at the same time every Thursday, thus leaving his wife Concepcion (Anna Steiger) alone in the house for an hour… Sian Edwards conducts The London Philharmonic.

The Love of Three Oranges

This sizzling visual extravaganza mixes fantasy, nightmare, romance and satire. The whole production is alive with acrobats, jugglers, body-builders, monsters, outrageous inflatable figures, colossal puppets and special animated sequences – creating a farcical, carnival atmosphere. Willard White powerfully portrays the King whose son (Ryland Davies), a doleful hypochondriac, can only be cured through laughter, and it is only when the wicked witch Fata Morgana (Nelly Morpurgo) accidently loses her skirt that the Prince breaks into hysterics. In revenge Morgana condemns the Prince to fall in love with three oranges which he pursues for three thousand miles. The exciting rhythms and brilliant orchestration of Prokofiev’s score are played by The London Philharmonic, conducted by Bernard Haitink.

Approx Duration: 98’ / 100’ / 115’

Picture format: NTSC 4:3

Region Code: 2,3,4,5

Audio: L-PCM Stereo

Subtitles: English