Our First Ravel: L'heure Espagnol

[lennygoran]

Last week I sent a message about this production and saw the trailer on my pc but when we tried to watch downstairs with the roku and big TV it didn't seem to be available.

Streaming Video

Featured streamed performance

Ravel: L'heure Espagnol
Grange Park Opera
Streamed from 19 March 2021

PLAY THE VIDEO

(Courtesy of Grange Park Opera/YouTube )

Fortunately they had another one from the Glyndebourne Festival which we thouroughly ejoyed! And yes there were English captions!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8ZFlx8jRjo

This opera took place in the 1987 Glyndebourne Festival, with the London Philarmonic Orchestra directed by Sian Edwards.

Here's a review from Gramaphone. Regards, Len

Ravel L'Enfant et les Sortilèges; L'Heure Espagnole
Ravel’s one-act operas in productions from Glyndebourne’s old theatre

Author: po'connor
Frank Corsaro’s 1987 productions of Ravel’s one-act operas met with a somewhat mixed critical reception. Maurice Sendak’s pop-up children’s-book-style sets may have seemed somewhat simplistic then but they have survived the years successfully and now have a charming period feel. L’heure espagnole boasts two singing actors who understand the limitations of camera close-ups. As Concepcion, Anna Steiger is wonderfully deadpan, and she sings her aria, “Oh! la pitoyable aventure” with a nice combination of sensuality and tension. François Le Roux is the muleteer with little conversation but unquenchable energy, and when he realises that the clockmaker’s young wife is interested in him as a lover rather than a furniture-remover, his look of eager anticipation leaves one in no doubt that he is going to be equal to his new task. Rémy Corazza as Torquemada directs the action from the clock tower, and this includes three dancers who mime some clockwork figures. Sian Edwards conducts, with keen attention to all Ravel’s use of Spanish dance rhythms.

L’enfant et les sortilèges is the greater challenge, and the camera is not always kind to Cynthia Buchan’s attempts to impersonate a little boy. Corsaro has added a silent prologue, in which we see what a tiresome brat this one is. Once the action gets going, though, there are many amusing details, such as the leapfrog antics of Thierry Dran and his crew, François Loup and Hyacinth Nicholls as quite aggressive armchairs, and Anna Steiger again, now as the Squirrel, who sings one of Ravel’s most enchanting melodies.

Some of it may seem a little too literal, and the wonderful moment when the child goes out into the garden doesn’t have the air of mystery that was so well caught in the famous Hockney-Dexter production at the Met a few years earlier (will this appear on DVD? I hope so). The fireflies portrayed by small children waving sparklers are an inspired touch. Simon Rattle conducts a performance somewhat freer in spirit, I thought, than his more recent effort with the Berlin Philharmonic. There are some nostalgic shots of the old Glyndebourne theatre, which anyone who remembers it will enjoy.

L’Heure Espagnole, 03 September 1987
The Opera

Venue: Glyndebourne

Composer: Maurice Ravel

Librettist: Franc-Nohain

Conductor: Sian Edwards

Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra
Cast

Ramiro: Francois Le Roux

Torquemada: Remy Corazza

Concepcion: Anna Steiger

Gonzalve: Thierry Dran

Don Inigo Gomez: Francois Loup
Production Team

Original Producer: Frank Corsaro

Staff Director: Patrick Young

Set Designer: Maurice Sendak

Costume Designer: Maurice Sendak

Lighting Designer: Keith Benson

Choreographer: Jenny Weston

Special Effects: Ronald Chase

[maestrob]

Thanks for this, Len.

I'll give it a try later on when I finish with my morning CD listening.

[lennygoran]

I'll give it a try later on when I finish with my morning CD listening.

Brian we liked this so much we're going to watch their production sometime in the future

Sandek's old productuon of L'enfant et les sortilèges is here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiTAfs37vis

Regards, Len

[maestrob]

The Glyndeboune production was absolutely delightful!

It was interesting to see a very young Thomas Hampson is a role that he was ideally suited for at the beginning of hus career. His French was impeccable.

[lennygoran]

It was interesting to see a very young Thomas Hampson is a role that he was ideally suited for at the beginning of hus career. His French was impeccable.

Brian I didn't realize Hampson was in this? Regards, Len

[maestrob]

It was interesting to see a very young Thomas Hampson is a role that he was ideally suited for at the beginning of hus career. His French was impeccable.

Brian I didn't realize Hampson was in this? Regards, Len

Yes, I recognized him right away. He was the tall baritone not in the clock.

[lennygoran]

Yes, I recognized him right away. He was the tall baritone not in the clock.

Brian thanks-it's not important but did he do any singing or is he one of the men on the carousel-I went back and looked at the film. Regards, Len

[maestrob]

Yes, I recognized him right away. He was the tall baritone not in the clock.

Brian thanks-it's not important but did he do any singing or is he one of the men on the carousel-I went back and looked at the film. Regards, Len

Oh sure. He was the lead baritone, the tallest one on stage. He had a lovely sound in those days.

[lennygoran]

Oh sure. He was the lead baritone, the tallest one on stage. He had a lovely sound in those days.

Brian he was on the carousel but did not sing at all, right? At least I don't think he did any singing in the youtube video we saw-I may be confused on all this? Regards, Len

[maestrob]

Oh sure. He was the lead baritone, the tallest one on stage. He had a lovely sound in those days.

Brian he was on the carousel but did not sing at all, right? At least I don't think he did any singing in the youtube video we saw-I may be confused on all this? Regards, Len

Sorry, Len, but you are quite confused.

[lennygoran]

Sorry, Len, but you are quite confused.

Brian the cast I saw was:
Ramiro: Francois Le Roux

Torquemada: Remy Corazza

Concepcion: Anna Steiger

Gonzalve: Thierry Dran

Don Inigo Gomez: Francois Loup

I've found nothing that shows Hampson?

Regards, Len

[maestrob]

Yep. I just checked the link you posted, and the baritone sure looks and sounds like Hampson. Fooled me!

Searching on Amazon, I can't find Hampson in that role though.

Oh well.

Anyway, I may get that DVD.

[lennygoran]

Yep. I just checked the link you posted, and the baritone sure looks and sounds like Hampson. Fooled me!

Brian thanks-we're hoping to watch the second part of the production real soon

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... F5F1C6B13A

Regards, Len