Stage Direction, Set & Costume Design
Design Sketches
OPERA | L’Enfant et les Sortilèges
Music > Maurice Ravel | Libretto > Colette | Stage Director, Set & Costumes Designer > Pedro Ribeiro | Light Designer > Pedro Abreu | Sound Designer > Rui Sampaio | Cast > AMVP Opera Studio, Marta Oliveira, Francisca Paixão, Diogo Silva, Francisca Villadelprat, Rui Pires, Francisco Dias, Marta Ribeiro, Mafalda Moutinho, Madalena Meireles, Filipa Oliveira, Frederica Sousa, Clara Oliveira | O.S. Directors > Alexandra Moura, Patricia Quinta | Chorus directors > Iryna Horbatyuk, Patricia Quinta | Conductor > Ivo Brandao | Ensemble > Joaquim Pereira (flute), Jose Sousa (cello), Tatiana Ioffe, Pedro Ludgero (pianos) | Production > Academia de Musica de Vilar do Paraiso, Auditorio Municipal de Vila Nova de Gaia, PTG
Pictures: © Susana Neves 2024
The opera “L’Enfant et les Sortilèges” underscores the profound impact of childhood on the formation of adults. Through a journey of learning, growth, and transformation, the child embodies both heroic and villainous qualities, acting as both creator and destroyer. This duality mirrors the complexities of human development.
When I design and direct a story, I find it is crucial to discover its contemporary relevance, being faithful to the authors’ initial concept, but finding ways to make it relevant to the audience that watches it today. Ravel and Colette, the creators of this opera, sought to challenge the norms of classical opera. They envisioned a child who reflected their own era—the Industrial Revolution—examining the machine’s power in reshaping humanity and nature. Today, we must ask: How can we challenge opera? Which child embodies our current reality? What modern machines threaten our existence?
Seeing, and/or doing, opera in Portugal is still like touching a rare stone. It is a unique moment that should be celebrated and cherished. Producing this form of “total spectacle” is intense and expensive work. If from the audience it seems like something easy, it’s because it’s well done. In reality, it takes months of planning and embarks on all, all, all different areas that relate to the arts. From a painter to an electrician, from a pianist to a carpenter, or from a seamstress to a singer, or a choir… or two… or an ensemble of dancers and musicians. Therefore, in our country, we must have courage and vision to invest in an “opera studio” that trains future artists and creates opportunities for professional “craftsmen” to present and share their knowledge. We hear that the Portuguese do not “consume” culture. Today we are sitting in this auditorium and tomorrow we will be in another. We, parents, the ones in charge of educating, are also responsible for creating a path for the future artists we want in Portugal, with our presence and our applause.
Stage director programme note