Nutcracker?

Question

Which version is the original?
I have seen the same one all my life, at the same place. This year I went somewhere different. And it was alot different! So then I realized that there was different ones... so just how many are there??

Answer 1

Check out the Pacific Northwest Ballet: The Nutcracker, go to www.pnb.org

Pacific Northwest Ballet Nutcracker

Pacific Northwest Ballet Nutcracker Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker dazzles Northwest audiences each holiday season. The production's brilliant blend of costumes, sets and choreography is unique to Seattle and creates a magical world enjoyed by children and adults alike. Choreographer Kent Stowell collaborated with acclaimed children's author and illustrator Maurice Sendak to create Nutcracker in 1983. Each year, over 100,000 people come to McCaw Hall to see PNB's Nutcracker — one of the best holiday productions in the United States.

While creating the scenario for the production, Stowell and Sendak gathered inspiration from the original 1816 E.T.A. Hoffmann story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, as well as Marius Petipa's original scenario for the ballet, which was first performed in 1892. PNB's Nutcracker, set to the famous score by P.I. Tchaikovsky, whisks the audience away into Clara's enchanting dream world.

The entire company of professional dancers and more than 170 students from Pacific Northwest Ballet School will dance in 39 performances of Nutcracker during the 2005 holiday season. Audiences are sure to enjoy PNB's 27-foot mouse king, the splendid Christmas tree that grows from 14 to 28 feet tall, the land of snow, and all the magical characters in this special adaptation of a classic story.

Answer 2

There are probably as many different versions as there are ballet companies.

I grew up in San Francisco and frequently saw their Nutcracker. According to what I recall of the program notes, Micheal Christenson heard about this holiday ballet in the 40's and brought over some of the dancers from Russia to help restage it with as much of the original choreography as possible. It was a beautiful version, with each dance ending in a classic pose. I especially recall the end of the Waltz of the Flowers and the gorgeous ending position of the many many dancers.

Sadly, the Christensons passed on and the SF Ballet came under a new choreographer who instantly did away with all the old choreography in favor of his (less than stellar) own.

Answer 3

There is no "real" version. The original was the first performance done in Russia after Tchaikovsky wrote the ballet, but almost every performance has different choreography. Only the music remains the same. Sometimes pro choreographers have their work performed by multiple companies, for example, John Doe choreographs Sleeping Beauty, and SF Ballet and NYC Ballet both use his choreography.

Answer 4

Depending on the legal rights the production has to have some slight varaitions if they have not paid the "deed" holders . I know when I've heard songs sung live by artists that are not the original there are slight changes in either the song's bridges or chorus. It all has to dowith legal rights, a bit like copyright. If something is produced while the original artist is still alive usually royalties are paid to them if the remake is exactly like the original.

Answer 5

One of the closest you will find is probly an old video like my school has in the music library with Michal Barishnikoff proforming it in russia. But good luck finding one