Christmas Eve and the First Nutcracker
Today is that magical day – Christmas Eve. I know everyone
remembers the excitement we all felt (and perhaps still feel) as we anticipated
the arrival of Santa, and repeatedly checked the chimney to make sure his route
was clear.
The beloved Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker, is a big part of the holiday season. It is based on
a tale written by E.T.A Hoffman in 1816. This is a much darker story than most
of today’s versions of the ballet, and it is interesting to read and compare it to
the current ballet’s story.
The music was
composed by Tchaikovsky and was presented to audiences before the ballet
premiered. The score was a success, and
the audience loved it. But Tchaikovsky always said it wasn't his favorite. He preferred his score for The Sleeping Beauty. For The Nutcracker ballet he used a newly
invented instrument, the celesta, for the variation of the Sugar Plum Fairy. He
even arranged to have a celesta secretly sent to Russia because he was “afraid
Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov may get hold of it and use the unusual effect
before me.”
The original choreographer was Marius Petipa, but he fell
ill and his assistant, Lev Ivanov took over. Ivanov is still credited with most
of the choreography today.
The ballet was first performed in 1892 at the Maryinsky
Theatre in Russia, but it was not successful and received poor reviews. Tchaikovsky
died less than a year later and never knew how successful The Nutcracker eventually became.
Have a wonderful Christmas Eve!
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Secret #21d:
“The score for The Nutcracker was not Tchaikovsky’s
favorite work, and the first performance of the ballet was not a success.”
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
“Christmas waves a magic wand over this
world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.”
- Norman Vincent Peale
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