The Son of the Air or: The Child changed into a Young Man
Ballet by Jean Cocteau (1962)
Commissioned by the Schwetzinger Festspiele
Period of composition 1995-96
Duration 35 minutes
World premieres
World premiere 25. May 1997
Schwetzinger Festspiele
Ballett der Staatsoper Unter den Linden
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart
Choreography Jean-Pierre Aviotte
Conductor Sebastian Weigle
World premiere (Berlin premiere) 4. October 1997
Berlin · Staatsoper Unter den Linden
Production Hans Werner Henze
Choreography Marek Rozycki
Stage design Gerd Neubert
Costume design Hannelore Wedemeyer
Conductor Sebastian Weigle
Comment
It is advisable to perform “Signor Pulcinella”, “Le fils de l’air” and “Labyrinth” on one evening under the title “Dancing classes”.
Hans Werner Henze
Cast
a ten-years-old boy the boy as an adult
his mother
two young male jugglers
her father
her mother
a cyclist
two lovers
a group of field workers, spirits of the air, acrobats, messengers from the erl-king
Instrumentation
| 2 Flauti | 2° anche Flauto contralto e Ottavino |
| 2 Oboi | 2° anche Corno inglese |
| 2 Clarinetti | 2° anche Clarinetto basso |
| 2 Fagotti | |
| 2 Corni | |
| 2 Trombe | |
| 2 Tromboni | |
| Timpani | |
| Percussione | Triangolo 3 Piatti sospesi 3 Tamtam Tamburo basco Tamburo piccolo (con e senza la corda) 3 Tomtom 3 Bongos Grancassa (con e senza il piatto) Castagnette Wood-block Guiro Raganella Crotali Glockenspiel Marimba Vibrafono [per 4] |
| Arpa | |
| Pianoforte | anche Celesta |
| Archi | |
| Dietro la scena | |
| Campane tubolari |