|
|
|
| | Arts Calendar / January 10 / Ballet |
|
|
|
|
|
 15:00, 19:00. Fantasy ballet in two acts to music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. 155 min (with one intermission). Libretto by: Marius Petipa. Choreographer: Vasily Vainonen. Choreographic Version by: Valentin Grischenko. One of the peaks of Tchaikovsky’s work and the quintessence of his style, The Nutcracker explicitly shows the composer’s approach to the genre. Ballet in the early 19th century looked a lot like patchwork: an array of loosely connected numbers. Mostly thanks to Tchaikovsky and Petipa ballet acquired single dramaturgy like symphony music, based on the contrast and interaction of the main themes and images. In over 120 years The Nutcracker has been staged in many great theatres and by many great choreographers including Alexander Gorsky, George Balanchine, Fyodor Lopukhov, Vasily Vainonen, Igor Belsky, Yury Grigorovich, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Aleksey Ratmansky. The original version underwent some changes. For example, the main character’s name, Clara, was at rst changed to Marie and then, in the Soviet period, to Masha. The famous Adagio (the lyrical apotheosis of the ballet) is now performed by Masha and the Nutcracker and not by the Prince and Sugar Plum Fairy. “The brilliant symphony of childhood” (Boris Asaev), The Nutcracker is still one of the most beautiful music fairy tales about good overpowering evil.
Novaya Opera Theatre  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The virtual community for English-speaking expats and Russians
