The San Jose Silicon Valley Ballet presents The Nutcracker.
Photo Bob Shomler
Today The Nutcracker is certainly one of the best known ballets of the 19th Century, but it has not always been that way. The ballet was presented in Western Europe for the first time in 1934, in England, under the direction of Nicholas Sergeyev (1876 - 1951), and until the 1950’s the complete version was little known.
The director of the Imperial Theater of St. Petersburg (Russia) commissioned the ballet to the choreographer and maître de ballet of the Imperial Ballet, Marius Petipa (1822 - 1910), and to the composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893). They hoped to repeat the triumphal success of Sleeping Beauty two years before.
The libretto was taken from a popular story by E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776 - 1822) “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice”, however not in its original form, but in a less violent revision by Alexandre Dumas.
Petipa prepared the libretto together with his assistant Lev Ivanov (1834 - 1901) and gave an exact scenario of the ballet to Tchaikovsky with the rhythm, the number of measures, and the time signature for each dance.
Initially Tchaikovsky had doubts about the validity of a story set in a children’s party as a subject for a ballet. Between 1887 and 1891 he made several successful conducting tours, presenting his work in Europe and in the United States.
While he travelled he worked on The Nutcracker. In 1891, in Paris, he heard a new instrument, the celeste, which he adopted for the theme of the Sugarplum Fairy. Today the music of The Nutcracker is considered the most beautiful of his three great ballets.
The original choreography is by Ivanov, who took the place of Petipa, who was ill. Tchaikovsky collaborated with Ivanov during the preparation of the production. Sergeyev recorded the choreography of the three ballets in Stepanov notation and published them at the end of the 19th Century.
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The pas de deux from the second act presented by the San Jose Silicon Valley Ballet
Photo Bob Shomler
At the premiere, in 1892, the critics were not pleased: some criticized Tchaikovsky as an orchestral composer who had lowered himself to compose for the ballet, while dance critics found the music too symphonic and impossible to dance. Through the years the ballet has become universally popular and is represented by practically every classical ballet company.
The ballet begins in the sumptuous home of Dr. Stahlbaum on Christmas Eve. The children, Clara and Fritz, are excited as they wait for the guests to come for the traditional party with their relatives and friends. The guests arrive and the party begins with toasts, games, and dances. The gifts are distributed and the children are intent on opening them.
Suddenly everyone turns to see the mysterious Herr Drosselmeyer, an old friend of the family who is Clara’s godfather, coming in with his young nephew. He brings some boxes that contain animated toys that dance for the joy of all the children.
He then brings out his gift for Clara, an animated nutcracker dressed as a soldier. Clara is very happy, but Fritz is furious: he grabs the nutcracker and breaks it. Drosselmeyer’s nephew chases him offstage as Clara breaks into tears. Drosselmeyer plays the part of the doctor, tying a handkerchief around the Nutcracker’s head to repair it.
Clara and the other girls put their dolls to sleep, disturbed by the boisterous boys. Drosselmeyer’s nephew brings a bed for the Nutcracker, and Clara puts him to sleep under the Christmas tree.
Dr. Stahlbaum and his wife lead the guests in a final dance, Clara dances with Drosselmeyer’s nephew. At the end the two children say goodbye solemnly, hoping to see each other soon. The guests go home and the lights are turned off, except the lights of the Christmas tree.
Clara wakes up at midnight and enters dressed in a white nightgown. She tiptoes to the Nutcracker, then takes him in her arms and falls asleep with him. While she is sleeping Drosselmeyer enters and repairs the Nutcracker. Clara hears a noise and wakes up; she sees Drosselmeyer’s shadow.
Frightened, she hides behind a curtain as a huge rat enters. Clara runs to the couch and jumps onto the seat. Suddenly everything begins to grow larger and larger: the Christmas tree, the toys, and the mice as well. The toy soldiers come to life and fight the mice; the Nutcracker leads them in battle.
The Nutcracker defeats the King of Mice with Clara’s help. She throws a slipper at the king, and the Nutcracker kills him with his sword while he is distracted, he then gives the king’s crown to Clara. Magically the Nutcracker is transformed into a prince.
Clara and the Prince set off on a magical trip. They pass through a snowy forest where human snowflakes dance.
In the second act they arrive in the Land of Sweets. The Sugarplum Fairy, who reigns over the kingdom, entertains them with a solo. Her dance is followed by dances performed by couples from all over the world, and many kinds of flowers and sweets dance as well. The Prince presents Clara to the Sugarplum Fairy and shows her the crown of the King of Mice that he gave Clara.
The Sugarplum Fairy dances with the Prince in a splendid pas de deux. Clara and the Prince say goodbye and leave the Land of Sweets. This act manifests the essence of classical ballet: the story is reduced to a pretext for the execution of as many technical feats as possible, in a grandiose display of academic technique.
The next morning Clara wakes up and realizes that it was all a dream...