For the record, it's English. I was born in Tilbury, Essex, made temporarily 
American citizen?"
The KEZ Christmas Countdown
Day 19 - The Nutcracker
Based on the story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffman, the ballet The Nutcracker could well be the most famous ballet in the world, known even by those who generally would never think of ever watching a ballet.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky composed the music between 1891 and 1892. He accepted a commission to write the piece, though he was less than enthusiastic about the work. However, at a later date in a letter to a friend, he wrote: "I am becoming more and more attuned to my task."
He needn't have worried. After the music was first performed it was considered an enormous hit, though, surprisingly, the ballet itself never achieved the popularity that it enjoys today until 1965.
The ballet's first performance was in 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia. There were
several heavily edited versions of the ballet that were performed outside of Russia after its initial opening, but it wasn't until 1934 when the full piece was performed in its entirety, this time in England. Ten years later the full ballet was performed in the United States for the first time. In 1944 the San Francisco Ballet staged The Nutcracker. Ten years after that, the New York City Ballet unveiled a new staging of the piece, with choreography by George Balanchine.
Up until the mid-seventies, the Balanchine version was often considered to be the finest staging of the ballet, though in 1976 a new version choreographed by and starring Mikhail Baryshnikov opened at the Kennedy Center, challenging Balanchine's rule. The Baryshnikov version is the version that is annually aired on many PBS stations throughout the country and has proven to be the most popular version on video and DVD.
Besides recordings of various stage productions, there was also a 1993 film version with child-actor Macauley Culkin. Culkin was cast not for his dancing ability but due to his box-office clout after the huge success of the Christmas comedy Home Alone. The choreography was based on the Balanchine version. Even though the film was not a commercial success, it is certainly worth viewing, particularly for those who are looking for an introduction to The Nutcracker, and to ballet in general. And the best that can be said for young Culkin's dancing is... at least, he doesn't get in the way.
Over the years, variations on Tchaikovsky's music have turned up in everything from parody songs, commercials, movies, and even rock music. The 1962 pop boogie recording Nut Rocker by B.Bumble and the Stingers was based on The Nutcracker, and even today it is still connected to the NHL team the Boston Bruins.
And its popularity continues. Next year, 2009, in time for next Christmas, will see the release of Nutcracker: The Untold Story, a full-length film set in 1920s Vienna starring Nathan Lane, John Turturro and Elle Fanning, Dakota's sister.
For the weekend: The Various Shades of Scrooge.
Day 19 - The Nutcracker
Based on the story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffman, the ballet The Nutcracker could well be the most famous ballet in the world, known even by those who generally would never think of ever watching a ballet.Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky composed the music between 1891 and 1892. He accepted a commission to write the piece, though he was less than enthusiastic about the work. However, at a later date in a letter to a friend, he wrote: "I am becoming more and more attuned to my task."
He needn't have worried. After the music was first performed it was considered an enormous hit, though, surprisingly, the ballet itself never achieved the popularity that it enjoys today until 1965.
The ballet's first performance was in 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia. There were
several heavily edited versions of the ballet that were performed outside of Russia after its initial opening, but it wasn't until 1934 when the full piece was performed in its entirety, this time in England. Ten years later the full ballet was performed in the United States for the first time. In 1944 the San Francisco Ballet staged The Nutcracker. Ten years after that, the New York City Ballet unveiled a new staging of the piece, with choreography by George Balanchine.Up until the mid-seventies, the Balanchine version was often considered to be the finest staging of the ballet, though in 1976 a new version choreographed by and starring Mikhail Baryshnikov opened at the Kennedy Center, challenging Balanchine's rule. The Baryshnikov version is the version that is annually aired on many PBS stations throughout the country and has proven to be the most popular version on video and DVD.
Besides recordings of various stage productions, there was also a 1993 film version with child-actor Macauley Culkin. Culkin was cast not for his dancing ability but due to his box-office clout after the huge success of the Christmas comedy Home Alone. The choreography was based on the Balanchine version. Even though the film was not a commercial success, it is certainly worth viewing, particularly for those who are looking for an introduction to The Nutcracker, and to ballet in general. And the best that can be said for young Culkin's dancing is... at least, he doesn't get in the way.Over the years, variations on Tchaikovsky's music have turned up in everything from parody songs, commercials, movies, and even rock music. The 1962 pop boogie recording Nut Rocker by B.Bumble and the Stingers was based on The Nutcracker, and even today it is still connected to the NHL team the Boston Bruins.
And its popularity continues. Next year, 2009, in time for next Christmas, will see the release of Nutcracker: The Untold Story, a full-length film set in 1920s Vienna starring Nathan Lane, John Turturro and Elle Fanning, Dakota's sister.
For the weekend: The Various Shades of Scrooge.
