Important letter re: ballet Sleeping Beauty.

A significant letter from the eminent French composer with substantial theatre and music-related content pertaining to the ballet based on Charles Perrault's Sleeping Beauty legend in La Mère l'Oye, which premiered on January 28, 1912 in Paris at the Théâtre des Art. This letter was written 26 days before, probably to a director or someone associated with the production.

Dear Sir:

In the built scenario, there is a rather ridiculous situation, it is the one of the enchanted princess, who stays there planted during all those different actions. One could arrange this in the following way:

In the foreground, right, one would erect a little arbor. One would deposit there the sleeping Florine [the Sleeping Beauty in Ma mère l'Oye], draw across a curtain of leaves, and all is said. The audience will know her to be there, participating in the spectacle. Her presence will not bother the movements of the dancers, and the actress could go and refresh herself.

Tell me what you have decided about the introduction of the book on the scene, I beg you. Not that I had the ambition to express through harmonies vertical or horizontal meanings; but you understand that the music would not be the same if the tome will drop down from the vault or if one possibly drags it onto the scene.

Believe, dear Sir, my friendly sentiments,

Maurice Ravel

Ravel originally wrote Ma mère l'Oye as a piano duet for four hands for Mimi and Jean Godebski, ages 6 and 7, having previously an earlier work, Sonatine, to their parents. Jeanne Leleu and Geneviève Durony (ages 6 and 10) premiered the work at the first concert of the Société Musicale Indépendante on 20 April 1910.