by Petar PLAMENOV

22 December (Thursday), 19:00
23 December (Friday), 17:00, 17:00
26 December (Monday), 17:00, 17:00

The Nutcracker
Ballet by Tchaikovsky
Conductor: Boris Spasov

Cast: Ivanka Kasabova, Kiril Ivanov, Rosen Kanev

National Opera and Ballet

With the participation of: Dilyana Nikiforova, Darina Bedeva, Ivanka Kasabova, Kiril Ivanov, Nikola Hadzhitanev, Aleksandar Aleksandrov, Yasen Valchanov, Rosen Kanev and others.
Ballet and orchestra of Sofia Opera and Ballet
 

National Opera and Ballet
Address:
Sofia, 1 Vrabcha Str.
Phone: 02 987 13 66 

Over the last few weeks classical music lovers and lovers of the dance have   the opportunity to enjoy a live productions of  the special feature of “The Nutcracker” performed by Sofia National Ballet Company is energetic and dynamic choreography, since the choreographer Yuri Grigorovich prefers bold and vigorous movements. As his character is mainly reflected in this piece, you will enjoy spectacular, eye-catching choreography during the performance. Also you will feel as if the whole stage is filled with ballet dancers due to his “group choreography.” The performance as a whole is magnificent and visually entrancing. 

Based on a fantastic tale of the same name by Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffman and with ideas from Marius Petipa’s script.  Created and presented for the first time in 1982 at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Nutcracker is Tchaikovsky’s last ballet. Composed within one year, the music is certainly one of today’s most popular ballet music and Nutcracker, one of Tchaikovsky’s most popular piece of work. Created for the Bolshoi, Yuri Grigorovich’s choreographic version is full of romanticism and philosophical reflections on ideal love. This version became one of the great classics of the twentieth century.

In one of the long winter nights, behind the windows, when the white snowflakes are twisting in the yellow lights, when garlands cover the Christmas tree and avenues are being filled with light, when there is a smell of sweets in the air – this is Christmas and New Year time. In the world of ballet, a wonder like this happened 115 years ago – on December 6, 1892 in St. Petersburg, at the premiere performance of Pyotr Tchaikovsky's ballet Nutcracker. Since then Nutcracker is an inevitable part of Christmas celebrations. There is no theatre in the world that doesn't stage this masterpiece by Pyotr Tchaikovsky on this time of period.

Synopsis of the ballet is quite simple – the plot was created by Marius Petipa himself and is based on Hoffman's tale Nutcracker and The King of Mice. Some ballet historians argue that Ivan Vsevolojsky, the author of costumes, decorations and sketches and the Director of The St. Petersburg Emperor Theatres, was the initiator of the creation of Nutcracker, giving new task to the experienced pair of Petipa-Tchaikovsky after the successful debut of Sleeping Beauty in 1890. Another version of the story is that Pyotr told Petipa about the performance for the children, prepared by the composer's brother Modest Tchaikovsky at their sister's house – the children performed Hoffman's tale Nutcracker and The King of Mice, which was popular in Russia thanks to Duma's French edited version; from this point on Petipa cooperated with Vsevolojskiy and started preparing the detailed libretto for the ballet in 1891, the sketches of which have been preserved to this day.

Choreography of the ballet was left to Lev Ivanov by Petipa, although Balanchine had said that in fact, the whole choreographic plot was prepared by Marius himself. Surprisingly to everyone, Nutcracker did not enjoy great success after the premiere. The ballet was staged many times since then and almost every major ballet master has created his own version – there are Balanchine's, Vaionen's, Neumeier's, Peti's, Nuriev's, Matthew Borie's Nutcracker.

Choreographer of this version is famous Russian ballet master Iuri Grigorovich. his version was staged in Bolshoi theatre and continues to enjoy great success to this day. Design belongs to Solomon Virsaladze. Each year his special decorations and colourful costumes cause a lot of joy among the children, when Spanish, Chinese, French, Indian and Russian dolls dance around the Christmas tree and after the battle between the King of The Mice and Nutcracker Prince snowflakes dance a wonderful waltz on a festive ball.




A masterpiece of classical dance, and a Christmas favourite with audiences everywhere, this Nutcracker is a magical version of the score by Tchaikovsky filmed at the Bolshoi Theatre. Since its première in Saint-Petersburg in 1892, The Nutcracker has been one of the most successful classical ballets and Tchaikovsky's score has become one of his most famous compositions. Yuri Grigorovich deals with Hoffmann's fantastic imagery and takes ideas from Marius Petipa's scenario: battle of the mice, snowflakes flurry, character dances executed by the dolls that came to life.

On Christmas Eve, Marie’s godfather, Drosselmeyer, offers her a nutcracker in the shape of a soldier. At midnight, after the celebrations are over, Marie watches a miracle: the Christmas tree begins to grow, the toys come to life and all the lead soliders are under Nutcracker’s command. The Mouse King and its army of mice declare war. Nutcracker flies to Marie’s rescue as she is threatened by the mice army... 

  



Immediately drawn into Grigorovich’s effortlessly elegant adaptation of this timeless ballet. Taking Hoffman’s tale back to its roots without losing any of the spectacle, it opened to a stunning first act with a backdrop to match. A classic Christmas story about the young Marie swept away to a magical dream world, it was refreshing to see it performed during a season widely associated with anticlimax, letting you relive the festive sparkle, even if just for a few short hours.

The second act was as breathtaking as the first, from the moment it began with a magical flying boat to the mesmorising performances. The series of victory dances by the dolls was also a highlight, boasting the majority of Tchaikovsky’s best-known music - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Waltz of the Flowers.




Yuri Grigorovich is considered to be the greatest living choreographer in the world of ballet today. His ballets dominate the repertory of contemporary works, and his stagings of the classic ballets reflect his personal taste arid his often-stated conviction that drama must always infuse and be expressed through dancing.

He breaks with tradition, yet he himself is rooted in the traditions of classic ballet, by birth and upbringing. He has acute awareness of his inheritance, and of the vital contribution that is made to the performances of today by the guidance of great artists of an earlier generation.



Yuri Nikolaievich Grigorovich was born in what was then Leningrad on January 2nd, 1927. His uncle George Rozai, was a character dancer who appeared with Diaghilev's Ballet Russe and his mother, Klaudia Rozai, trained at the ballet school with Semvonova. Many of his family were circus artists and young Yuri was fascinated by the world of the circus, but soon lost his heart to the dance. He describes it as "a love affair that has lasted all my life."


Grigorovich was Artistic Director of the Bolshoi Ballet for the following 30 years, a tenure in ballet rivaled only by the founding director of the New York City Ballet, George Balanchine.



During Grigorovich's term at the Bolshoi, he staged Spartacus by Khachaturian (1968), Ivan the Terrible by Prokofiev (Moscow, 1975; Paris, 1977), Angara by Eshpai (1876), Romeo and Juliet bv Prokofiev (Paris, 1978; Moscow, 1979), The Golden Age by Shostakovich (1982). Yuri Grigorovich revised classical masterpieces for the Bolshoi Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty (1963), The Nutcracker (1966), Swan Lake (1969) by Tchaikovsky; Raymonda by Glazunov (1984), La Bayadere (1991), La Fille Mal Gardee (1993) by Hertel, Don Quixote (1995) by Minkus.



Synopsis

Act I

Guests are gathering for a Christmas party at the Stahlbaum home. Among them are Drosselmeyer, godfather to Marie and Fritz, the Stahlbaums’ children. He has brought them a wonderful present: a funny Nutcracker.

The children wait with impatience for when at long last they will be shown the Christmas tree and the presents. The long awaited moment comes: the handsomely adorned Christmas tree is presented to the assembled company.

Drosselmeyer suddenly appears disguised as a magician: he is not recognized by the children. Their unknown guest’s ability to make their toys come alive delights the children but, as everything that is clad in mystery, it involuntarily arouses their fear. In order to calm them down, Drosselmeyer takes off his mask and the chil­dren now recognize their beloved godfather. Marie wants to play with the wonderful dolls which have come alive, but they have already been tidied away. To comfort Marie, Drosselmeyer gives her the Nutcracker-Doll. Marie takes a great liking to this awkward, funny creature.

Marie’s brother Fritz, who is a great tease and very naughty, acci­dentally breaks the doll. With great tenderness, Marie comforts her injured Nutcracker and rocks it backwards and forwards. Fritz and his friends now put on mouse masks and tease poor Marie.

The guests appear from an adjoining room. After the final, ceremonial Grossvater dance, they all leave.
At night the room where the Christmas tree stands is bathed in moonlight. It looks mysterious and full of magical secrets. Overcoming her fears, Marie has come to the room to visit her ‘sick’ Nutcracker-Doll. She kisses the doll and rocks it.

Drosselmeyer now appears. But instead of her kind godfather, he has turned into a wizard. At a wave of his hand everything around them is transformed: the walls of the room slide back, the Christmas tree starts to grow. And all the toys come alive and grow together with the tree.

Suddenly, mice creep out from under the floor­boards, led by the Mouse King. The dolls are panic-stricken and thrown into confusion. The Nutcracker’s quick wits and bravery save the day: lining up the lead soldiers, he boldly leads them out to do battle with the mice forces.




However, the forces are unequal, the advantage is on the side of the evil mice. The Nutcracker is left alone to face the Mouse King and his suite. Marie is out of her mind with worry over the danger that threatens her doll. At this very moment, Drosselmeyer hands her a lighted candle and she throws it at the mice who scurry away helter-skelter.

The battle field empties. The only person left here is the Nutcracker who lies without moving on the floor. Marie, together with the dolls, hurries to his rescue. And now a miracle occurs…Before Marie stands a handsome youth, the Nutcracker-Prince. He walks forward to meet her.

The walls of the house disappear. Marie and her friends are standing under a star-studded sky, by a fairy-tale Christmas tree. Snowflakes go round in a magical dance. Marie and her Nutcracker-Prince, beckon, as if to a beautiful dream, to the twinkling star at the top of the Christmas tree. They climb into a magic boat and set off for the top of the tree. The dolls follow behind them.



Act II

Marie and Nutcracker-Prince are sailing in their magic boat through the Christmas tree kingdom. There are their friends, the dolls with them. The shining star is getting closer and closer. They are just about to reach the top of the tree when they are suddenly attacked by the mice and the Mouse King who have crept up behind them. Once again, the Nutcracker-Prince goes boldly into battle. Horribly frightened, Marie and the dolls watch the fight. The Nutcracker-Prince vanquishes the enemy. Joyous victory celebrations are underway. The dolls dance, the candles burn even brighter, the Christmas tree comes alive. The evil mice have been defeated. Marie and the Nutcracker-Prince are radiant with happiness - they have reached the kingdom of their dreams! But it appears all this was just a dream. Christmas Eve is over and with it all wonderful reveries. Marie, still in the thrall of the fabulous dream, is sitting at home by the Christmas tree, with the Nutcracker-Doll on her lap.

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