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© Peter Brenkus, 2013
The Nutcracker
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The melodicity and dreaminess of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker earned the ballet an attribute 'childhood symphony'. Along with Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty it is the chef d’oeuvre of global ballet repertoire. The Nutcracker, as the best-known Christmas story, came on stage the SND eight years ago. The choreographers Rafael Avnikyan and Jozef Dolinský based their piece on the traditional version of the Vasili Vainonen choreography. In the eight years, The Nutcracker drew in thousands of spectators. The production features SND Ballet soloists and pupils form The Eva Jaczová Dance Conservatory.
The production is suitable for audiences aged 4 and over.
Running time: 1 hour 50 minutes with one interval
Plot
Below is a synopsis based on the original 1892 libretto by Marius Petipa. The story varies from production to production, though most follow the basic outline. The names of the characters also vary. In the original Hoffmann story, the young heroine is called Marie Stahlbaum and Clara (Klärchen) is her doll's name. In the adaptation by Dumas on which Petipa based his libretto, her name is Marie Silberhaus. In still other productions, such as Balanchine's, Clara is Marie Stahlbaum rather than Clara Silberhaus.
Act I
Scene 1: The Stahlbaum Home
In Nuremberg, Germany on Christmas Eve in the 1820s, a family and their friends gather in the parlor to decorate the Christmas tree in preparation for the party. Once the tree is finished, the children are summoned.
When the party begins, presents are given out to the children. When the owl-topped grandfather clock strikes eight, a mysterious figure enters the room. It is Drosselmeyer—a councilman, magician, and Clara's godfather. He is also a talented toymaker who has brought with him gifts for the children, including four lifelike dolls who dance to the delight of all. He then has them put away for safekeeping.
Clara and her brother Fritz are sad to see the dolls being taken away, but Drosselmeyer has yet another toy for them: a wooden nutcracker doll, which the other children ignore. Clara immediately takes a liking to it, but Fritz accidentally breaks it. Clara is heartbroken, but Drosselmeyer fixes the nutcracker, much to everyone's relief.
During the night, after everyone else has gone to bed, Clara returns to the parlor to check on the nutcracker. As she reaches the small bed, the clock strikes midnight and she looks up to see Drosselmeyer perched atop it. Suddenly, mice begin to fill the room and the Christmas tree begins to grow to dizzying heights. The nutcracker also grows to life size. Clara finds herself in the midst of a battle between an army of gingerbread soldiers and the mice, led by their king.
The nutcracker appears to lead the gingerbread men, who are joined by tin soldiers, and by dolls who serve as doctors to carry away the wounded. As the seven-headed Mouse King advances on the still-wounded nutcracker, Clara throws her slipper at him, distracting him long enough for the nutcracker to stab him.
Scene 2: A Pine Forest
The mice retreat and the nutcracker is transformed into a human prince. He leads Clara through the moonlit night to a pine forest in which the snowflakes dance around them, beckoning them on to his kingdom as the first act ends.
Act II
The Land of Sweets
Clara and the Prince travel to the beautiful Land of Sweets, ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Prince's place until his return. He recounts for her how he had been saved from the Mouse King by Clara and transformed back into himself. In honor of the young heroine, a celebration of sweets from around the world is produced: chocolate from Spain, coffee from Arabia, tea from China, and candy canes from Russia all dance for their amusement; Marzipan shepherdesses perform on their flutes; Mother Ginger has her children, the Polichinelles, emerge from under her enormous hoop skirt to dance; a string of beautiful flowers performs a waltz. To conclude the night, the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier perform a dance.
A final waltz is performed by all the sweets, after which the Sugar Plum Fairy ushers Clara and the Prince down from their throne. He bows to her, she kisses Clara goodbye, and leads them to a reindeer-drawn sleigh. It takes off as they wave goodbye to all the subjects who wave back.
In the original libretto, the ballet's apotheosis "represents a large beehive with flying bees, closely guarding their riches". Just like Swan Lake, there have been various alternative endings created in productions subsequent to the original.
Program and cast
Production Team
Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor: Martin Leginus Adam Sedlický Jiří Habart (as a guest)
Stage and Costume Design: Josef Jelínek
Maître de ballet: Nora Gallovičová Nikoleta Stehlíková Nikoleta Rafaelisová
Cast
Mášenka: Dominika Šabíková (Conservatory Student) Katarína Fabová (Conservatory Student) Emma Vozárová (Conservatory Student) Melissa Feduzi (Conservatory Student)
Franz: Tomáš Horňanský (Conservatory Student) Hordii Skopintsev (Conservatory Student) Lukáš Malovec (Conservatory Student)
Nutcracker: Anatolii Skopintsev (Conservatory Student) Jakub Kubala (Conservatory Student) Tomáš Horňanský (Conservatory Student)
Pastorale: Ema Korbeľová (Conservatory Student) Anatolii Skopintsev (Conservatory Student) Jakub Kubala (Conservatory Student) Ema Štoffanová (Conservatory Student) Mária Benkovská (Conservatory Student) Izabela Bartíková (Conservatory Student) Nadja Majzlan (Conservatory Student) Tomáš Horňanský (Conservatory Student) Nikola Petrova (Conservatory Student) Nina Kraslanová (Conservatory Student) Michaela Červinková (Conservatory Student) Petra Kučerová (Conservatory Student) Alžbeta Šmidtová (Conservatory Student)
Masha: Tatum Shoptaugh Erina Kaminaka Olga Chelpanova Romina Kołodziej Nozomi Miura Mariia Pyzhova Luana Brunetti
Prince: Viacheslav Krut Andrea Schifano Adrián Szelle
Drosselmeier: Andrej Szabo Aliaksei Kavaleuski Mergim Veselaj
Adviser Stahlbaum: Aliaksei Kavaleuski Damián Šimko
Mrs StahlbaumViktória Šimončíková (as a guest) Katsiaryna Kavaleuskaya Monika Lehocká Ilinca Ducin
Harlequin: Seiru Nagahori Gerardo Gonzalez Villaverde Kristian Achberger Wisse Scheele
Doll: Isa Ichikawa Juliana Ondrášiková Rio Nakata Caterina Marchetti Sarah Trinder
Black girl: Jean - Michel Reuter Seiru Nagahori Filip Manca Raúl Izquierdo Mulero
Mouse King: Mergim Veselaj Marián Kuchar
Snowflakes - Solo: Viola Mariner Silvia Najdená Rio Nakata Juliana Ondrášiková Ema Dobešová Victoria Zinovieva Siina Inari Ailasmaa Valeriia Kuts Mariia Pyzhova
Performed by: Slovak National Theatre corps de ballet and soloists Slovak National Theatre orchestra Bratislava Boys’ Choir students of The Eva Jaczová Dance Conservatory in Bratislava
Photo gallery
© Peter Brenkus, 2013
© Peter Brenkus, 2013
© Peter Brenkus, 2013
Slovak National Theatre SND New Building
The New Building of the Slovak National Theatre was designed by the architects Martin Kusý, Pavol Paňák and Peter Bauer. Their proposal won the competition that brought together fifty-three projects. The building stretches over seven stories. It houses over two thousand rooms and three main halls (The Opera and Ballet Stage, and the Drama Stage, and The Studio). The building is also home to a restaurant seating 1,200, a club, café, libresso and a kitchen.
The noble feel of the building is further enhanced by a number of outdoor and indoor art pieces. A fountain by Alexander Biľkovič, Iľja Skoček and Pavol Bauer is located in the front court. The entrance lobby prides itself with the Spring by the architect Pavol Bauer and the painter Dušan Buřil. The splendour of the front is further enhanced by the cascade by peter Roller and two towers by the architect Pavol Bauer. In addition to these works that are part of the building, the indoor areas are often decorated with theatre costumes and exhibitions.
SND New Building opened on 14 April 2007 at 7PM. The opening ceremony was attended by the then President of Slovakia Ivan Gašparovič and Minister of Culture Marek Maďarič.
How to get there
The venue opens to visitors one hour prior to the beginning of the performance.
BY CAR
Visitors attending any SND performance are welcome to park free of charge, on the parking lot adjacent to the theatre.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
The public transport lines that take you to the SND are bus lines No 28, 50, 70, 78, 88, 95, 133, 801 and tram lines No 2, 4, 5 & 6 that stop at the square Šafárikovo námestie, as well as the trolleybus line No 210.
Buses:
Bus stop SND New Building (adjacent to the SD New Building):
Bus line No 28
Bus line No 133
Bus line No 801 (international bus line)
Bus stop Landererova (adjacent to the SND New Building):
Bus line No 50 (from the direction OD Slimák)
Bus line No 88
Bus line No 95
Bus stop Malá scéna (within walking distance):
Bus line No 70
Bus line No 78
Bus line No 50 (in the direction from the Aupark)
Bus line No 28 (also servicing the bus stop SND New Building/Nová budova SND)
Bus line No 95 (also servicing the bus stop Landererova)
Bus line No 133 (also servicing the bus stop SND New Building/ Nová budova SND)
Trams:
Tram stop Šafárikovo námestie (within walking distance)
Tram lines No 2, 4, 5 & 6 (an option to transfer to bus lines No 95 – stop Malá scéna, and/or Landererova, No 78 – stop Malá scéna)
Trolleybus:
Stop Nová budova SND/ SND New Building (adjacent to the SND New Building):
Trolleybus stop Ni 210 (in the direction from the main train Station/ Hlavná stanica Bratislava – stop Nová budova SND ( SND New Building)
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