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Aggielife
Page 3 • Friday, December 3, 1999
he Nutcracker
1PAS brings Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece to Aggieland
j & m
-r
BY MARIUM MOHIUDDIN
The Battalion
he Russian monarchy under Czar
Nicholas II, subsidized the arts and
were loyal patrons of great European
llets during the late 19th century. The en-
|e royal family was present for the ballet
[eductions presented each weekend.
Dr. Olga Cooke, an associate professor
of Russian, said ballet is the greatest art
If m given to America by Russia.
‘The Russian ballet did have Western in
fluences,” she said. “There was a decline
lli France and Italy, and the Russian Impe-
Ballet became up-and-coming in ballet.
Before the Russian Revolution, they were
the greatest in the world when it came to
the arts.”
I Cooke said the beauty of Russian ballet
stems from their training.
“Since a young age, Russians are
groomed and trained, so by the time they
reach 17, they are impeccably trained,”
Cooke said.
“Their dancing has a sense of inter
pretation that is so musical and fluid. No
one does it like the Russians.”
She said the Moscow City Ballet will
offer a good performance because of its
nationality.
“They embody that beauty and the su
perb technicality,” she said.
The Moscow City Ballet consists of 65
dancers and was founded in 1989 by Vic
tor Smirnov-Golovanov, a graduate of the
Moscow School of Choreography and a
former soloist of 20 years for the Bolshoi
Ballet.
This fall is the ballet’s North American
debut tour. The company is dedicated to
4 - *
1%*
*
i (Center) plays with her Christmas present, the Nutcracker, as Herr Drosselmeyer,
and the party guests look on, in Moscow City Ballet’s The Nutcracker.
Russia’s classical ballet tradition, but also
incorporates its own style and ideas.
Peter Ilyrich Tchaikovsky had an im
mense impact upon Russian ballet and is
considered by experts to be among the five
greatest composers of the 19th century.
Born in the Ural Mountains of Russia,
Tchaikovsky is one of the world’s most fa
mous composers because of his universal
appeal, Cooke said.
“Tchaikovsky ballet have been accessi
ble to the whole world,” she said.
Tchaikovsky completed Swan Lake in
1877 and in 1890 staged Sleeping Beauty
in St. Petersburg. He received a request to
compose a ballet from E.T.A. Hoffman’s
story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,
about a girl named Marie who is from a
loveless household and fights battles
against a mouse king with seven heads.
Tchaikovsky declined the invitation be
cause he felt the original story was not
suitable for a ballet. However, he changed
his mind when he was offered a revised
version of the story by Alexandre Dumas
and saw a choreographed version of Mar
ius Petipa.
On Dec. 7, 1892, the first dress re
hearsal of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker
was held. Tchaikovsky suffered bouts of
depression when the ballet and opera
opened to luke warm receptions.
The composer wrote to his brother
Anatoly: “This is the fourth day on which
the periodicals have been carving up my
latest creations.... It is not the first time.
The abuse does not annoy me at all, and
yet — as always under these circum
stances — I am in a hateful state of mind.”
Despite its disappointing initial recep
tion, The Nutcracker has become a staple
of the holiday season, Cooke said.
“There is not much to the Nutcracker,
it has a predictable storyline, and there is
not much virtuosity,” she said. “But it has
a lasting appeal because of the memories
of Christmas and childhood.”
Sara Peeples, OPAS public relations di
rector and a junior accounting major, said
PHOTO COURTESY OF MSC OPAS
Clara, the Prince and Herr Drosselmeyer pose at the end of The Nutcracker ballet.
the board chose this production because
of the holiday season.
“It is so familiar to people, and it is per
fect for the season,” she said. “It is a good
family event, because it is for everyone.
We try not to repeat production often, but
this has always been a huge success.”
The Nutcracker begins on Christmas
Eve, where Dr. Silbergaus has prepared a
party for his daughter Clara.
The party’s guest of honor is her uncle
Herr Drosselmeyer, who arrives with
many gifts, among them is a book titled
The Nutcracker and the Mouse-King, with
which Clara becomes enthralled.
Drosselmeyer then brings mechanical
toys into the room, among them are the
Nutcracker, the Mouse-King and a doll.
With a wave of his wand they begin to
dance.
The guests watch the Mouse-King
come to life and challenge the Nutcracker
for the right to dance with the doll.
Clara’s brother, Fritz, challenges the
Nutcracker to a duel and the doll is dam
aged. During the fight the dolls are cov
ered up, and Drosselmeyer comforts
Clara by saying there will be a surprise
for her that night.
Later in the evening, after the guests
have left, Clara sneaks back to the Christ
mas tree. At the stroke of midnight,
strange things begin to happen.
MSC OPAS presents Moscow City Bal
let’s The Nutcracker today at 7:30 p.m. and
tomorrow at 2 and 7:30 p.m. in Rudder
Auditorium
For tickets, call 845-1234 or toll-fee at
888-890-5667 or order online at
opas.tamu.edu.
i m
CM
Ihl f
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