A naughty child throws a tantrum, smashing teacups, tearing books, and tormenting the cat. But when the objects and animals he has abused come magically to life to confront him, the terrified child learns empathy through a single act of kindness — bandaging the paw of an injured squirrel. Ravel's enchanting one-act opera-ballet, with a libretto by Colette, transforms a child's misbehavior into a fantastical journey of moral awakening, set to some of the most colorful and inventive orchestral writing of the 20th century.
Captured performances available to watch