BEE AN ENTRENEUR

A playful Ravel is evident in Noël des jouets (1905), in which he made his debut as author. Each of the five verses has its topic: the sheep in the toy crib, the Virgin Mary in her crinoline (echoes of Massenet), the sinister dog Beelzebub lurking (low, Musorgskian major seconds) to eat up Jesus who is made of coloured sugar, and the final adoration.

It was dedicated to Mme. Jean Cruppi, and was given its first performance by Jane Bathori, accompanied by Ravel, in March 1906.
Ravel also made an orchestral version in the same year.

Here is an English translation of the lyrics:

The hand-varnished flock of sheep
Rolls in a sudden burst of noise toward the crêche.
The rabbit drummers, staccato and uneven,
Cover up their [the sheep’s] shrill mirlitons.
The Virgin Mary, in crinoline,
Her enamel eyes unceasingly open,
Waiting for Old Man Winter,
Keeping watch over Jesus in the rocker.
Because nearby, below a fir tree,
Furtive, swaddled in the shadow
Of the wood, Belzébuth, the dark-colored dog,
Is on the lookout for the Child made of hand-painted fondant.
But the beautiful, shatterproof angels
Suspended by brass wires
From the top of the winter garlands
Ensure the peace of the stable.
And their wings of glittery bronze
Jingle in symmetrical noises,
In time with the mechanical cattle
Whose voices bleat like little hailstones:
“Noêl! Noêl! Noêl!”

(Hyperion, maurice-ravel.net, lieder.net)

Please take note that the audio AND the sheet music ARE NOT mine. Change the quality to a minimum of 480p if the video is blurry.

Original audio: hmmm, it vanished…
Original sheet music: imslp.org

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