Balanchine Catalogue Archive
Search by title, year, composer, cast or production details.
390. L'Enfant et les Sortilèges 1975
Lyric Fantasy in Two Parts
- Music
Maurice Ravel (1920-25). Libretto by Colette (translated by Catherine Wolff)
- Choreography
George Balanchine. TEA POT and LITTLE MATH MAN with 10 NUMBERS choreographed by Jerome Robbins
- Production
Scenery and costumes by Kermit Love. Supervising Designer: David Mitchell. Lighting by Ronald Bates
- Premiere
May 15, 1975, New York City Ballet, New York State Theater. Conductor: Manuel Rosenthal. (Preview: Annual New York City Ballet Gala Benefit, May 14.)
- Cast
Each role performed by a singer off stage (six singers) and a dancer on stage. Child (sung and danced), Paul Offenkranz; His Mother; Armchair; Bergère; Clock; Tea Pot; Chinese Cup; Fire, Marnee Morris; Cinder; 3 Shepherdesses; 3 Shepherds; Princess, Christine Redpath; Little Math Man; 10 Numbers; Black Cat, Jean-Pierre Frohlich; Gray Cat, Tracy Bennett; Dragonflies and Moths, Colleen Neary, 7 women; Big Frog; 5 Little Frogs; Tree (sung only); Squirrels and 2 Trees, Stephanie Saland, 5 women, 2 men
Performance Type
Opera-Ballet
See Also
-
*48. L'Enfant et les Sortilèges,
235. The Spellbound Child (L'Enfant et les Sortilèges),
416. The Spellbound Child/L'Enfant et les Sortilèges
Note
Included in the Ravel Festival. (See FESTIVALS DIRECTED BY BALANCHINE.)
Additional Productions
Other Versions
1925, Opéra de Monte-Carlo (L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, danced by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes).
1946, Ballet Society (The Spellbound Child [L’Enfant et les Sortilèges]).
1981, for the PBS television series Dance in America (The Spellbound Child / L’Enfant et les Sortilèges).
1946, Ballet Society (The Spellbound Child [L’Enfant et les Sortilèges]).
1981, for the PBS television series Dance in America (The Spellbound Child / L’Enfant et les Sortilèges).
Source Notes
Barbara Horgan, Deborah Koolish
235. The Spellbound Child (L'Enfant et les Sortilèges) 1946
Lyric Fantasy in Two Parts
- Music
Maurice Ravel (1920-25). Libretto by Colette (translated by Lincoln Kirstein and Jane Barzin)
- Choreography
George Balanchine
- Production
Scenery and costumes by Aline Bernstein. Costumes executed by Karinska. Lighting by Jean Rosenthal
- Premiere
November 20, 1946, Ballet Society, Central High School of Needle Trades, New York. Conductor: Leon Barzin
- Cast
Each role was performed by a singer off stage and a dancer on stage. Child (sung and danced), Joseph Connolly; His Mother; Armchair; Bergère; Clock; Tea Pot; Chinese Cup; Fire, Elise Reiman; 2 Shepherdesses; 2 Shepherds; Princess, Tanaquil Le Clercq; Teacher Arithmetic; 10 Numbers; Black Cat, William Dollar; White Cat, Georgia Hiden; Big Frog; 4 Little Frogs; Tree (sung only); 7 Dragonflies; Nightingale; Bat; Squirrel; Little Squirrel; Owl.
Performance Type
Opera-Ballet
See Also
-
*48. L'Enfant et les Sortilèges,
390. L'Enfant et les Sortilèges,
416. The Spellbound Child/L'Enfant et les Sortilèges
Note
Presented with The Four Temperaments on the initial program of Ballet Society, the membership-supported non-profit organization formed by Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein.
Additional Productions
Other Versions
1925, Opéra de Monte-Carlo (L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, danced by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes).
1975, New York City Ballet (L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, Ravel Festival).
1981, for the PBS television series Dance in America (The Spellbound Child/L’Enfant et les Sortilèges).
1975, New York City Ballet (L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, Ravel Festival).
1981, for the PBS television series Dance in America (The Spellbound Child/L’Enfant et les Sortilèges).
48. L'Enfant et les Sortilèges 1925
Lyric Fantasy in Two Parts
- Music
Maurice Ravel (1920-25). Libretto by Colette
- Choreography
George Balanchine
- Production
Directed by Raoul Gunsbourg. Scenery by Alphonse Visconti. Costumes by Georgette Vialet.
- Premiere
March 21, 1925, Opéra de Monte-Carlo. Danced by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. Conductor: Victor de Sabata.
- Cast
Singers and dancers appeared together on stage. Individual dancers were listed for the first time in the program for February 15, 1926:
ACT I: Shepherds and Shepherdesses, Alexandra Danilova, Constantin Tcherkas, 2 couples; Ashes, Alicia Markova; 3 Sheep; Goat; Dog.
ACT II: Butterflies, Danilova, Tcherkas, 2 women; 4 Squirrels; 4 Dragonflies; 5 Frogs. Sung parts included The Child, 2 Cats, Easy Chair, Princess, Mother, Nightingale, Fire, Chinese Cup, Dragonfly, Bat, Squirrel, Shepherd and Shepherdess, Teacher Arithmetic, Clock, Armchair, Teapot, Tree, Frog, 3 Beasts, Owl.
ACT I: Shepherds and Shepherdesses, Alexandra Danilova, Constantin Tcherkas, 2 couples; Ashes, Alicia Markova; 3 Sheep; Goat; Dog.
ACT II: Butterflies, Danilova, Tcherkas, 2 women; 4 Squirrels; 4 Dragonflies; 5 Frogs. Sung parts included The Child, 2 Cats, Easy Chair, Princess, Mother, Nightingale, Fire, Chinese Cup, Dragonfly, Bat, Squirrel, Shepherd and Shepherdess, Teacher Arithmetic, Clock, Armchair, Teapot, Tree, Frog, 3 Beasts, Owl.
Performance Type
Opera-Ballet
See Also
-
235. The Spellbound Child (L'Enfant et les Sortilèges),
390. L'Enfant et les Sortilèges,
416. The Spellbound Child/L'Enfant et les Sortilèges
Note
A naughty child, confined to his room, smashes the teapot, mistreats his pet squirrel, tears the wallpaper, assaults the fireplace, the clock, his school books. The objects come to life, assert themselves, rebuke him. Transported into a magic garden, the child is confronted by animals and trees that in the past have suffered from his cruelties; they attack him. During the fray a small squirrel is injured; moved to compassion, the child dresses its wound. The animals are astonished; when in despair the child cries out for his mother, they assist him, and lead him to her. World premiere and Balanchine’s first major assignment from Diaghilev. There were three later Balanchine productions of this work; the 1981 version, conceived for television, used elements from the 1975 production.
Additional Productions
Other Versions
1946, Ballet Society (The Spellbound Child [L’Enfant et les Sortilèges]).
1975, New York City Ballet (L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, Ravel Festival).
1981, for the PBS television series Dance in America (The Spellbound Child / L’Enfant et les Sortilèges).
1975, New York City Ballet (L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, Ravel Festival).
1981, for the PBS television series Dance in America (The Spellbound Child / L’Enfant et les Sortilèges).
Source Notes
Balanchine
