Child-friendly operas for Purim

The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance performs a Maurice Ravel opera about a naughty little boy in Normandy who refuses to do his homework.

By HANNAH BLACHMAN
kids playing 88 (photo credit: )
kids playing 88
(photo credit: )
The Child and the Spells (L'Enfant et les Sortileges), one of two operas by Maurice Ravel, will be performed by the singers of the Vocal Department of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and the Ankor Children's Choir, on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. at the Wise Auditorium in Givat Ram. Piano accompaniment will be by Allan Sternfeld, staging by Netta Amit and Ido Ariel will conduct.
Click for upcoming events calendar! Based on a libretto by Colette, who originally devised the scenario as a remarkable combination of poetry, drama, and dance entitled "A Ballet for My Little Girl." Ravel, one of the most sophisticated composers of the early 20th century, asked for Colette's permission to change the central character in the story from a girl to a boy. The opera is unique in that all the roles are musically equal. Ravel uses various subtle leitmotifs throughout the work. The melodies are emphasized, and the orchestra rendered secondary - Ravel said this was modelled after Gershwin and American operettas of the time. The story tells of a naughty little boy in Normandy who refuses to do his homework, throws a temper tantrum and destroys everything in his room. Eventually, the objects spring to life and turn against him, seeking revenge for the destruction he has caused. In the end, the boy helps bandage a squirrel's paw, and the objects decide that the boy is not so bad after all. Details of the performance at (02) 675-9907. In honor of Purim, the Israel Opera offers two morning shows in its Opera for Kids series. On Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Die Fledermaus by Strauss (pictured), an operetta with a costume ball at its center, will be introduced to the kids. On Monday at 11:30, there'll be another Kids Sing Opera segment, this one culminating with a costume contest among the children in the audience. Taking place in the foyer of the Opera House on 19 Shaul Halemelech, the shows are NIS 25 each. Call (03) 692-7777 for details.