Einat Ofri Landa

I feel, therefore I am (Opera)

Emotions tell our story, the overt and the covert, the conscious and the unconscious. In this talk, I will use the Jungian interpretation of the emotions aroused by childhood aggression, focusing on Maurice Ravel’s opera “The Child and the Enchantments.”

Ravel composed the music to a libretto by Colette. Written in 1920-1925, it is dedicated to his late mother. The opera deals with the mother-child relationship, depicting challenges and obstacles, as well as moments of a rare and magical bond. Neither the mother nor the child, are given names or any personal identity. Being the only human characters in this small-scale opera (43 minutes long), they appear as archetypal figures. All the other characters are non-human figments of the child’s imagination.

At the beginning of the opera, the child’s turbulent emotions are silenced by the demands of his mother and society. However, in a manner extraordinary for the period, the child’s emotions are later allowed to be heard. The child permits himself to express his fierce aggression, which ultimately leads to positive development. Through the child’s encounters with the animals and other objects, we see how the ego undergoes a process of growth. The work begins with outbursts of rage and fear and nightmares; but after exposure to the restorative qualities of the “wounded healer,” the emotions change to those of loneliness, empathy, compassion and love. Throughout the opera, we witness the young ego allowing itself to rebel through the healthy expression of authentic emotions. This enables the child to develop and reconnect with his mother in a different way, forming a relationship that contains both intimacy and separateness. The child’s intense emotions are the basis of a weave of music and imagery that reflects the complexity of Colette, Ravel, the period, and childhood in general.

Bio

Einat Ofri Landa is a graduate of the Tel Aviv Music Academy; she holds degrees in music and philosophy (B.A., Tel Aviv University) and Expressive Art Therapy (M.A., Lesley University, Boston, USA, specialization in Music Therapy).Einat is a Senior Psychotherapist and Jungian Analyst, a member of the New Israeli Jungian Association (NIJA), working as lecturer, supervisor and workshop leader. She spends part of her time as a researcher and lecturer on C.G. Jung's teachings and on the link between art and mental processes. For the last 25 years, Einat has worked with various affective disorders and difficulties, including anxiety, depression, personal and interpersonal crises, sexual abuse, trauma and post-trauma, affective regulation disorders.

Recent Publications

• A Search for a Lost Voice: Analysis of the Opera "L'Enfant et les Sortilèges" (by Maurice Ravel), Hebrew Psychology, 22/10/2017
• David's Journey: A Model of Music Therapy based on Jung's Approach, Hebrew Psychology, 14/7/2019

Back