A century after its premiere, Maurice Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges returns in a bold reimagining — one that transforms this one-act masterpiece into a haunting exploration of trauma, memory, and redemption.
Chetham’s School of Music’s first fully staged opera, directed by Genevieve Raghu, features talented students aged 14–19, including distinguished alumni. With designs by Lara Booth and lighting by Ben Ormerod, this promises to be an unforgettable experience.
The opera’s librettist, Colette, was an influential French writer known for her vivid imagination and lyrical storytelling. Her collaboration with Ravel infused the work with a unique blend of whimsy and emotional depth, making it a piece of both enchantment and psychological complexity.
Set against World War I, Raghu’s staging reframes Ravel’s whimsical score as a poignant journey through trauma and healing. Our protagonist, no longer a mischievous child, is now an 18-year-old soldier, wounded in a hospital bed, slipping into feverish delirium where broken objects and fantastical creatures embody his inner turmoil — and his search for solace.
This production creates a multi-layered experience, where past and present blur under the weight of war and memory. Here, the chaos of the battlefield collides with fragmented childhood recollections, revealing an essential truth: amid devastation, unconditional love remains the force that redeems us.
Prepare to be transported where music, memory, and imagination intertwine in a breathtaking operatic journey.
Warning: This performance includes references to war, trauma, blood, and weapons.
This concert is part of the Chetham’s Summer Festival, celebrating the close of the academic year at Chetham’s.
