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| Sunday, 26 September 2004 |
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It is a Christmas Eve in a nineteenth century Russian town. And the stage is set to begin the saga of the Nutcracker and the Mouse King, the beloved classical Russian ballet, written by Russia's famous composer Piotr Tchaikovsky in the span of four months in 1891. In this period piece based on a Hoffman's fairy tale, Uncle Drosselmeyer is a conjurer and a magician who lives to delight his entire family with tracks and magic gifts. He gives Marie, his young niece, a rather plain-looking doll in a red uniform. Marie loves the doll, which has an unusual mouth ("...so strong it can crack nuts") which is a toy mechanical nutcracker.
Twenty dancers from the Russian National Ballet Academy (Bolshoi) in Moscow will be in Colombo on October 2 and 3 to perform The Nutcracker at the Bandaranaike International Memorial Hall. The performances are hosted by the Russian Centre in Colombo. To get back to the ballet, Marie's love for the Nutcrakcer breaks a spell and transforms him into a handsome prince. Fighting side by side against an invading army of mice and the wicked Mouse King, Marie and the Prince travel to the Kingdom of Sweets where they are given a royal marriage celebrated by exotic dolls from around the world. Christmas morning however, Marie wakes up and finds the Nutcracker doll still lifeless and broken. Marie is heartbroken until she discovers that whenever she closes her eyes, she can always return to the Kingdom of Sweets with the handsome Nutcracker Prince. The box plan opens at the Russian Centre on October 1. For further details, please contact 94-11-2685429, 94-11-2685440 and 94-11-2686684.
Tchaikovsky's most beloved
What makes this score so beguiling? First of all, it is tuneful. If you grew up humming some piece of classical music, chances are you heard it at a 'Nutcracker' kiddie matinee. Second, it's colourfully scored. The strings do not carry all the melodies; nearly every instrument from the piccolo to the harp gets at least a brief solo.
That is not enough to hold a symphony together. Structurally, though not melodically, his six popular symphonies are as limp and seam-split as a rag doll that Fido's gotten his teeth into. (Source: The Internet)
Russian Ballet Workshop A classical ballet workshop will be held at the Russian Centre in Colombo, on September 27 and 28, 2004, by Anna Alexandize from the Russian National Ballet Academy in Moscow. The main idea of this workshop is to develop the skills and the talents of the Sri Lankan ballet students. Ballet is the finest gift that Russia can offer to the world and is the soul of Russian arts. The conductor of the workshop Anna is an honoured artist in Russia who is very keen on sharing her experiences with Sri Lankan dancers. She is the former art director of the National Ballet Academy of Moscow and is also the founder of the Crown of Russian Ballet. Anna, as an Artist of the Bolshoi Theatre, executes a repertoire of The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Zolushka, Don-Quixote, Romeo and Juliet and others. The workshop details can be obtained by calling at the Russian Centre in Colombo, or phoning the centre on 2685429 or 2685440. This is the first time that this type of workshop is being conducted in Sri Lanka by a honoured Russian artist. The workshop is open to students above ten years and all participants will be awarded a certificate by the Academy. |
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Colombo audiences will be able to view The Nutcracker ballet performed
by the Russian National Ballet Academy (Bolshoi) on October 4 at the BMICH
. The show is hosted by the Russian Centre in Colombo.
Marie's brother breaks the doll in jealousy, and Uncle Drosselmeyer
places it under Christmas tree to mend. Marie falls asleep under the tree
with her broken doll in her arms and enters a dream world where the
Christmas tree shoot up to the sky and all the toys come alive!
The Nutcracker first performed in 1892, is certainly Piotr
Tchaikovsky's most popular ballet. The famous story is revealed in the
first act, and the second is devoted almost entirely to sparkling
character dances.
And when Tchaikovsky combines the strings, woodwinds and brass, it's
hard to imagine sounds more plush. Third is an aspect that is often
suppressed in happy, child-oriented productions - a dark street. A poor
architect, but a superb craftsman of detail, Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was
never fully successful as a symphonist, but he was one of the finest
ballet composers of all time. His strengths were melody and orchestration.
