Benjamin Stahlbaum
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Medical adviser, father of Louise, Fritz and Marie. In the fairy tale and most film adaptations, his name is not called.
In The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Benjamin Stahlbaum is a recently widowed father struggling to cope with the loss of his wife. He loves his dead wife very much, he is worried because Clara perceives his attempts at rapprochement with hostility.
hawthorne
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The Lord Regent of the Country of Flowers, is not involved in the film's narrative. It is mentioned that his country Marie Stahlbaum opened the second.
Frau Stahlbaum (Marie Stahlbaum)
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Mother of Louise, Fritz and Marie Stahlbaum.
Like the father of the family, Mr. Stahlbaum, in most film adaptations, as in a fairy tale, her name is not called. However, in the film adaptation of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Mrs. Stahlbaum is given the name "Marie". In this film, Clara's mother, the inventor who created the world of the Four Kingdoms, died shortly before the beginning of the story. She is loved both in her family and in the Four Kingdoms, where she is considered the queen.
Klerchen
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A new doll given for Christmas by Marie was forced to give up her bed to the injured Nutcracker.
Christoph Drosselmeyer
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Cousin of the royal watchmaker Christian Elias Drosselmeyer, toy maker, wood carver, lacquer and gilder. One Christmas Eve, he was paid with a Krakatuk nut.
Loise Stahlbaum
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Older sister of Marie and Fritz Stahlbaum.
She is also an episodic character in the film "The Nutcracker and the Four Kingdoms", as well as her whole family, trying to cope with the loss of her mother, trying to support her father.
Marie Stahlbaum (Clara Stahlbaum)
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The seven-year-old daughter of Stahlbaum, medical adviser, who received a Nutcracker doll as a gift and overcame evil spells with her love for him.
In different canons, her age varies, and most often she is presented as more mature than in a fairy tale. Sometimes referred to as Clara.
In the film "The Nutcracker and the Four Kingdoms" - the daughter of an inventor, also has a penchant for technology. On the first Christmas after the death of her mother, she experiences her death, quarrels with her father. With the help of her godfather, she finds her way to the magical kingdom created by her mother.
Mother Ginger
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Lord Regent of the Kingdom of Entertainment, who sheltered a community of intelligent mice "Mouse King" on her lands. Doesn't get along well with the other three kingdoms, and is considered a traitor.
Mauserinks
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Queen of the Mouse Kingdom, Mother of the Mouse King
Mausekonig
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The seven-headed son of Queen Myshilda, an enemy of the Nutcracker who threatened Marie that he would eat the Nutcracker.
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Lord Regent of the Land of Snowflakes, practically does not participate in the narration of the film. Marie Stahlbaum discovered his country third.
Pantalone
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A puppet general who aided the Nutcracker in his battle with the Mouse Host.
Pirlipat
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Princess, the most beautiful in the world. Was bewitched by Myshilda, and became more and more ugly. The only way out for her was to eat the kernel of the Krakatuk nut.
Sugar Plum Fairy
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A character who appeared in the ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. A magical creature that appears in Fairyland, where, after defeating the Mouse King, Clara is led by the Nutcracker.
In the 2019 film, he is an important character for the story. Fairy, Lord Regent of the Kingdom of Sweets. The most emotional of the regents, she was very friendly to Clara, even did her hair before the ball. For the safety of the Four Kingdoms, he asks Clara to return the key to the revitalizing machine in order to create an army for protection.
December 24, home of the medical adviser Stahlbaum. Everyone is preparing for Christmas, and the children - Fritz and Marie - are guessing what this time the inventor and craftsman godfather, senior court adviser Drosselmeyer, who often repaired clocks in the Stahlbaum house, will give them as a gift. Marie dreamed of a garden and a lake with swans, and Fritz said that he liked the gifts of his parents with which to play (the godfather's toys were usually kept away from the children so that they would not break), and the godfather could not make a whole garden.
In the evening, the children were let in to a beautiful Christmas tree, near and on which there were gifts: new dolls, dresses, hussars, etc. The godfather made a wonderful castle, but the dolls dancing in it performed the same movements, and it was impossible to get inside the castle, therefore the miracle of technology quickly got tired of the children - only the mother became interested in the complex mechanism. When all the gifts were taken apart, Marie saw the Nutcracker. The ugly outwardly doll seemed very cute to the girl. Fritz quickly broke a couple of Nutcracker's teeth, trying to crack hard nuts, and Marie began to patronize the toy. At night, the children put the toys in a glass cabinet. Marie lingered at the closet, placing her ward with all the conveniences, and became a participant in the battle between the seven-headed mouse king and the army of dolls led by the Nutcracker. The dolls surrendered under the onslaught of mice, and when the mouse king had already crept up to the Nutcracker, Marie threw her shoe at him...
The girl woke up in bed with her elbow cut by the broken glass of the closet. No one believed her story about the night incident. The godfather brought the repaired Nutcracker and told a fairy tale about a hard nut: the beautiful princess Pirlipat was born to the king and queen, but Queen Myshilda, avenging her relatives killed by the mousetraps of the court watchmaker Drosselmeyer (they ate the fat intended for royal sausages), turned the beauty into a freak. Only the cracking of nuts could soothe her now. Drosselmeyer, on pain of death, with the help of a court astrologer, calculated the princess's horoscope - the Krakatuk nut, split by a young man with a special method, will help restore her beauty. The king sent Drosselmeyer and the astrologer in search of salvation; both the nut and the young man (the watchmaker's nephew) were found with Drosselmeyer's brother in his hometown. Many princes broke their teeth on Krakatuk, and when the king promised to marry his daughter to a savior, a nephew stepped forward. He cracked the nut and the princess, having eaten it, became a beauty, but the young man could not perform the whole ritual, because Myshilda threw herself at his feet ... The mouse died, but the guy turned into a Nutcracker. The king expelled Drosselmeier, his nephew and astrologer. However, the latter predicted that the Nutcracker would be a prince and the ugliness would disappear if he defeated the mouse king and a beautiful girl fell in love with him.
A week later, Marie recovered and began to reproach Drosselmeyer for not helping the Nutcracker. He replied that only she could help, because she rules the kingdom of light. The Mouse King got into the habit of extorting Marie for her sweets in return for the safety of the Nutcracker. Parents were alarmed by the fact that the mice wound up. When he demanded her books and dress, she took the Nutcracker in her arms and sobbed - she is ready to give everything, but when there is nothing left, the mouse king will want to kill her herself. The Nutcracker came to life and promised to take care of everything if he got a saber - Fritz helped with this, having recently dismissed the colonel (and punished the hussars for cowardice during the battle). At night, the Nutcracker came to Marie with a bloodied saber, a candle and 7 golden crowns. Having given the trophies to the girl, he led her to his kingdom - the Land of Fairy Tales, where they got through their father's fox coat. Helping the Nutcracker sisters with the housework, offering to crush caramel in a golden mortar, Marie suddenly woke up in her bed.
Of course, none of the adults believed her story. About the crowns, Drosselmeier said that this was his gift to Marie for her second birthday and refused to recognize the Nutcracker as his nephew (the toy stood in its place in the closet). Dad threatened to throw out all the dolls, and Marie did not dare to stutter about her story. But one day, Drosselmeier's nephew appeared on the threshold of their house, who privately confessed to Marie that he had ceased to be the Nutcracker, and made an offer to share the crown and throne of the Marzipan Castle with him. They say she is still the queen there.
On Christmas Eve, Marie and Fritz, in an atmosphere of mystery "... lamps were not brought into the room, as it was supposed to be on Christmas Eve" dreamed of gifts for the godfather. Marie - “... my godfather told me about a beautiful garden ... there is a large lake, wonderfully beautiful swans with golden ribbons around their necks swim on it ... then a girl will come out of the garden and feed them ... "The garden is an image of ideal peace, harmony and order . The lake, according to myths and legends, is a magical place. Water symbolizes the feminine. The swan is a romantic symbol of pure love, inseparability, but at the same time - death, transformation. According to Friedel Lenz "instinctive, pure, very strongly hidden essential force." Drosselmeyer addresses the inner, spiritual forces of Marie. It lays faith in a miracle, expectation and anticipation of it. Creates a beautiful image of the future (everything predicted by Drosselmeyer Marie will find Prince Nutcracker in the magical Doll World). Drosselmeyer himself symbolizes the difficult path that must be taken to the wonderful lake “it was a small, thin man with a wrinkled face ...” The history of the lake and swans is found in German fairy tales, for example, at the Museumus “Swan Pond” based on the ballet "Swan Lake") speaks of Marie's involvement in the world of subtle reality, of her chosenness.
Hoffmann was an artist in the broadest sense. Music was his main passion. He was not only a talented performer and conductor, but also the author of several pieces of music. It is no coincidence that Marius Petipa created the libretto and choreography based on Hoffmann's fairy tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, while P.I. Tchaikovsky created the music, and in 1892 the ballet The Nutcracker appeared on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater. It seems that the fairy tale is written not just with words, but it already has sound, rhythm, melody. Hoffmann did not write it as a libretto for a ballet, but that is how it looks. There is a mystery, and love, and the struggle between good and evil, and a wonderful divertissement at the end. Music initially lives in this fairy tale and turns it into a special magical work of art.
Drosselmeyer's very first gift that Christmas evening was "a wonderful castle with many mirrored windows and golden towers inside which tiny graceful figures moved. The children really wanted to play with the castle, change the order of movement of the little men. But Drosselmeyer says: “Nothing of this is possible. The mechanism is made once for all, you can’t remake it.” Such a gift is not for playing, it can be broken, it is for looking at, admiring. This is a lesson in acceptance - it happens in life - you can’t change anything, but you can understand the patterns.
Drosselmeyer is the central figure of the fairy tale, connecting different spaces and times. He is a longtime friend of the Stahlbaum family, senior court adviser, godfather to Marie and Fritz; and at the same time a royal watchmaker and magician; and also a great master in the manufacture of intricate toys - a master who has reached such perfection in his art that what he has made comes to life. Drosselmeyer is outwardly unsympathetic, strict and demanding, impartial. On the eve of all the extraordinary events, Marie sees him on the clock instead of an owl and is very frightened. With his appearance, he marks the border between the worlds. In everyday reality, a gilded owl sits on the clock, as soon as the clock strikes 12, Drosselmeyer appears there. The owl is a symbol of wisdom, but also of witchcraft, a night bird, in medieval Western Europe it was believed that witches could turn into owls. Drosselmeyer appears instead of an owl and seems to warn Marie: "Don't be afraid, but be careful!" For Marie, Drosselmeyer is a godfather, and just as the fairy godmother gives Cinderella a royal ball and a happy meeting with the prince, Drosselmeyer gives Marie a fairy-tale world and a meeting with the Nutcracker. He embodies the image of the Sage.
Drosselmeyer tells the children "the tale of the hard nut". The tale describes the conflict between the kingdom of the parents of Princess Pirlipat and the world of mice Myshilda. Myshilda eats the bacon intended for the "sausage feast", the king takes revenge on her, and Myshilda casts a spell on the princess. But the appearance of the princess is amazing from the very beginning "... no baby was born more beautiful than the princess, ... at the same time she was born with two rows of white, like pearls, teeth, which two hours after birth she dug into the finger of the Reich Chancellor ..." Teeth are the oldest emblem of aggressive force . Hoffman very subtly combines all these characters (both mice and people) into the "world of critters" who love "sausage feasts" and makes it clear that, in essence, there is no difference between them.
German Christmas is unthinkable without traditional juicy sausages. Sausage for the inhabitants of Germany is a symbol of home, prosperity, stability that came from the Middle Ages. Having eaten bacon for sausages, Myshilda thereby encroached on the foundations of the kingdom. Another tradition is a variety of Christmas sweets, the mention of which fills the whole fairy tale. In wealthy German families, sugar figurines lingered for a long time, they stood like figurines in high cupboards. Marzipan, sugar dolls, dragees, gingerbread men, caramels and at the end of the fairy tale a whole sweet magical world - the Puppet Kingdom with the Almond - Raisin Gate, the Christmas Forest, the Almond Milk Lake with Lombard nut fish, the Candied Grove, the Candy Meadow and the village of Gingerbread. All this is the height of confectionery art. Hoffmann contrasts the satiety of the "sausage feast" with the beauty and grace of the "land of sweets", which is a real work of art.
Drosselmeyer, a court watchmaker and sorcerer, was ordered to "restore the former appearance of the princess, or at least indicate the correct means for this - otherwise he will be put to a shameful death at the hands of the executioner." Together with the court astrologer, they find a means of delivering the princess. “Pirlipat is enough to eat the kernel of the Krakatuk nut. This hard nut was to be gnawed and, with his eyes closed, brought to the princess by a man who had never shaved or worn a boot. Then the young man had to step back seven steps without stumbling, and only then open his eyes. Nut - a symbol of wisdom, but also of supernatural powers, is used in witchcraft, it is believed that it brings good luck to lovers. After going through many trials, the Nutcracker will really find his love, but in the story of Pirlipat, luck will turn away from him.
One of the conditions is - "not shaving and not wearing boots." Shoes are generally associated with the presence of some point of view, that is, a very young, inexperienced, naive young man is needed, on the other hand, capable of cracking a very hard nut.
The 7 step condition probably points to the 7 main male archetypes. According to Pythagoras, who said, "Everything in the world is numbers," numbers can collectively be seen as the active forces that order and regulate the universe. In a general interpretation, odd numbers are the personification of the masculine principle, positive and active. In the Bible, 7 represents wholeness and governs time and space. For Kabbalists, this is firmness, personifying victory. The Nutcracker stumbles on the seventh step - he does not pass the last test, and the ugliness of the princess passes to him. What test is the most difficult? Judging by the fact that now his fate depends on the outcome of the battle with the mouse king, the Nutcracker lacks firmness - "war force". The fact that Pirlipat turns away from him is for the better, why does the Nutcracker need an outwardly beautiful, but spiritually ugly princess.
The number 7 in this tale is also found further - the seven-headed mouse king, 7 golden crowns donated by Marie as a token of the victory of the Nutcracker over the mouse king. Since the number "seven" (heptad) includes a triad and a tetrad - heaven (divinity) and earth (humanity), it means cosmic order and the Nutcracker, by his actions, restores the order violated by the omnipotence of mice.
There is another subtlety in this story. Drosselmeyer and the astrologer find both the nut and the one who gnaws it, but the king is only informed about the nut. They have a cunning plan “... after many people break their teeth on a nut to no avail, the king will give the princess, and after death the kingdom as a reward to the one who cracks the nut ...” Self-interest and calculation turn out to be behind the actions of the Nutcracker, Evil triumphs - The Nutcracker is bewitched, instead of Mouseilda, a seven-headed mouse king appears. Seven-headedness is an enhancement of the image, “seven” is also a symbol of revenge, Myshilda says: “... my son, the mouse king, will not forgive my death - he will avenge you for the mother of the mouse army ...” The image of the mouse carries ancient archetypal forces. An ogre, a devil often turned into a mouse. Perhaps the seven heads of the mouse king represent the seven deadly sins. But in Christianity, the number of mortal sins and the main virtues is equal. Thus, the Mouse King - the Nutcracker form a pair of opposites - "evil-good."
The Nutcracker managed to crack open the hard Krakatuk nut, here the symbolism is “knowledge of the essence”. The image of a nut is often found in mythological literature. A characteristic property of nuts is that they have a very hard shell, and therefore it is impossible to eat them without penetrating through it. This is one of the very first types of human food. In medieval mythology, a nut was a symbol of Christ, His Teachings, because outwardly it seemed very tough, but if a person managed to delve deeper into it, it became fertile and useful. So in the Middle Ages, church ministers interpreted the image of a nut. “The image of a nut in a certain context can be associated with the Self or with the aspect of the integrity of the unconscious” (Marie-Louise von Franz)
The German expression "hard nut" denotes a difficult task, difficult position or circumstance. In England and Germany there is this metaphor: to solve a problem is to crack a nut. This is an important skill and the price for it is appearance. The Nutcracker courageously accepts restrictions, while maintaining firmness, confidence, royal dignity and faith in the future.
From Wikipedia: "The Nutcracker is a doll made of metal or wood, designed to crack a nutshell" The material from which the Nutcracker is made in a fairy tale is wood. Its main properties are animated, durable, healthy, workable. These properties are more of a spiritual order, since the hero physically experiences pain, cold, fatigue. Many fairy tales mention dolls made of wood - Pinocchio, Pinocchio, wooden soldiers of Oorfene Juice. There are myths about the creation of man from a tree and about a god who merged with the world tree. Perhaps the Nutcracker, due to its origin, is part of the world tree, which is why the correctness of the hero in the fairy tale is felt from the very beginning.
The world tree serves to connect different worlds. Moving Marie and the Nutcracker to the Doll Kingdom takes place through the "old huge wardrobe". “The Nutcracker very deftly climbed up the ledge of the cabinet and the carving ... immediately an elegant ladder of cedar wood descended from the sleeve of the fur coat.” At the end of the fairy tale, the ideal will not be beauty and harmony, but the principles of goodness and stamina laid down by nature in man.
Hoffmann's work resembles a painted nesting doll - inside one fairy tale another one is found, and in it there is another ... The events of a fairy tale unfold in several realities simultaneously (Types of reality. Pronina E.E.). hour hand.
1. This is real reality. There are people here - Marie, her parents, Drosselmeyer ... dolls - the Nutcracker, soldiers ... animals - ordinary house mice that gnaw on everything.
2. This is real virtuality. She has her own special place in the story - a tall glass toy cabinet in the living room. Marie plays with Christmas presents, and at midnight, with the strike of the clock, she moves into the world of a fairy tale.
3. This is virtual virtuality. Here, everyday things are transformed into a special world of magic and secrets. Masha is no longer just a girl - she has a magical gift - she is able to resist the almighty mouse king. The Nutcracker is an enchanted prince. The mouse king, not just a rodent, is a fantastic animal-like creature that poses a threat to people.
4. This is virtual reality. After participating in the battle of the doll and mouse worlds, Marie is convinced that the story of the Nutcracker is true, in the confrontation with the mouse king, much will depend on her.
Marie's parents always act in real reality. They do not believe the extraordinary stories that Marie tells, relating them to fantasies, illnesses or dreams; in the end, they forbid "fiction and stupid jokes" by calling Marie a liar. Drosselmeyer is the one who knows how to create the game world himself, a skilled craftsman who knows how to make "intricate toys." The figure of Drosselmeyer is the most mysterious, he appears both in reality and in a fairy tale, everywhere possessing special knowledge and abilities. Marie gradually moves from the world of reality to a fairy tale and at the end her most unrealizable dreams come true: “... a year later he took her away in a golden carriage drawn by silver horses ... and Marie, as they say, is still the queen in a country where, if only you have eyes, everywhere you will see sparkling candied groves, transparent marzipan castles - in a word, all sorts of miracles and curiosities.
Conclusion
The male archetypal plot contained in the fairy tale is the gaining strength of a war. According to T.D. Zinkevich-Evstigneeva identifies seven main male archetypes - Warrior, Philosopher (teacher), Merchant (hunter), Peasant, Monarch, Monk, Slave (servant). These are ancient models of male behavior, ways of male self-realization in society.
A warrior forms in a man the desire to fight and win. The power of war in a man makes it possible for a woman to feel protected - he will protect, protect and bring military trophies to her feet. This is what happens in the story. Hoffmann briefly describes the decisive battle between the Nutcracker and the Mouse King: “At midnight, she (Marie) heard some strange turmoil in the living room - clinking and rustling ... Marie jumped out of bed in horror. Everything was quiet ... ”There is no splendor and scale of descriptions of the very first battle. This is already a purely male world and his victory is the Nutcracker. 7 golden crowns of the mouse king - a trophy of war - the Nutcracker gives Marie and dedicates his triumph to her.
The female archetypal plot of the fairy tale is the Savior. In this story, the heroine listens to her heart, it already has the image of a partner and a relationship program. It is no coincidence that among the variety of Christmas gifts, Marie unmistakably singles out the clumsy doll - the Nutcracker. In the first battle with the mouse king, when the Nutcracker is on the verge of death, she saves his life, but by no means wins. This is just a reprieve for the Nutcracker. Then, succumbing to the mouse king's blackmail, she gives all her valuables for the life of the Nutcracker - sugar dolls, picture books, a new dress ... And this may be a trap of this plot - the desire to do it for him, when the heroine is not driven by love, but by the idea to save. Due to the fact that in the heart of Marie there was little fear and a lot of love, she acts differently. This story is about love without pretensions.
Drosselmeyer tells the story of Princess Pirlipat, and this is another female story - The Picky Bride. Potential suitors are screened for compliance with certain requirements. The plot of the “choosy bride” contains an idea that protects the woman: no matter how difficult the test, if the hero is the only one, he will cope - and there will definitely be a wedding.
This tale also contains a plot of relationships. The hero and heroine meet, build relationships, but they cannot be together. The Nutcracker is only a doll, a Christmas present for children, not a living person. He is in relation to Marie in another reality. Each of them goes his own way, his own lesson. There are many trials on the way of the heroes, but they will find themselves together, already being more mature. There is an interesting moment at the end of the story. When Marie finds herself on the same lake with swans that Drosselmeyer described to her, it turns out that she and Princess Pirlipat are the same person. “How wonderful it was to swim in the shell, covered with the fragrance of roses ... the golden-scaled dolphins raised their faces and began to throw out crystal jets ... Marie looked into the fragrant waves - Ah, - she shouted joyfully, clapping her hands, - look, dear Mr. Drosselmeyer: there is a princess Pirlipat! She smiles at me so kindly… The Nutcracker sighed sadly and said: “O priceless Mademoiselle Stahlbaum, this is not Princess Pirlipat, it is you. Only you yourself, only your own pretty face smiles affectionately from every wave.” Thus, it can be assumed that the story of Pirlipat and Drosselmeyer's nephew is the backstory of Marie and the Nutcracker prince. Therefore, the completion of this plot is the transition of relations to a new quality.
In the fairy tale therapeutic sense, Hoffmann's fairy tale can be used to solve many problems. There is a wonderful imagery in the fairy tale, which can be identified in an original way, depending on the client's problem. For example, the image of the mouse king can be used to work with fears and aggression. Seven heads of the mouse king - 7 specific fears of the client, their enumeration is awareness and then the search for ways to overcome in the psychological sandbox.
The couple Princess Pirlipat - Marie can be used as an example of personality integration. Any quality of character is dual and gives our actions a certain energy. This energy can be used to realize both the creative and destructive side of a certain trait of our character. Exercise "Talk to the Shadow"
The fairy tale gives the paths of the characters and their options for solving problems, as well as showing the resources that they used. Here you can use the exercise "map of a fairy-tale country", where the main points of the plot and "magic" items that can help are indicated.
In family counseling, one can refer to the plot of the relationship and the idea that the completion of the plot is the transfer of the relationship to a new quality.
Women's stories allow you to accurately identify your feelings. Exercise "3 favorite and 3 unloved heroes of a fairy tale."
The fairy tale contains the idea of transformation - the image of the Nutcracker. It can also symbolize the change of social roles-masks.
The tale describes the plot of male initiation, which the hero goes through. It can be used with teenagers. Various variants of male archetypal tests are contained in the game "Knights of the Round Table", based on stories about the legendary King Arthur (author T. D. Zinkevich - Evstigneeva). The game allows you to solve diagnostic and therapeutic tasks in working with adolescents.
Year: 1816 Genre: story
Main characters: The Nutcracker is an enchanted prince, Marie is a girl who was given the Nutcracker by her godfather, the girl's brother Fritz, the children's godfather Drosselmeyer and the mouse king.
It's winter outside, Christmas is coming. Fritz and Marie are brother and sister who are all thinking about what they will get for Christmas. They can only speculate. They are also looking forward to what their godfather will give them, who repairs clocks in their house very well, and therefore is well versed with various mechanisms. When Christmas Eve came, the children were let into a large hall, where a large Christmas tree was burning, on which there were a lot of toys and sweets.
The children liked the toys, which were a bit boring. After all, children are fickle. But the girl really liked one doll - it was the Nutcracker, very ugly. But the girl took him to herself and began to patronize. At night, the most unusual events happen to her. The mice, led by the mouse king, try to take revenge on the Nutcracker, and the girl helps the Nutcracker.
Other toys also come to life and help in the battle. Her brother's wooden soldiers also participate in this. They began to lose, but Marie bravely fought off the onslaught with her shoe, which she threw at the Mouse King. The godfather told her afterwards about the legend of the hard nut and the prince who became the Nutcracker. Soon he was able to defeat the mouse king, and becoming a man offers his love to the girl.
What does it teach. The story teaches true love, which does not depend on a beautiful appearance.
Read the summary of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
On Christmas Eve, Fritz and Marie sit in the bedroom all day. They were forbidden to enter the living room, as they decorated the Christmas tree and stacked gifts. The boy tells his sister that his godfather came in with a big box.
The girl was delighted, he always made interesting toys for them. However, they were carefully selected by their parents, as he worked on them for a long time. And so the children were still waiting for more parental gifts.
The door opened, an elegant Christmas tree shone, and the children, together with their parents, went to look at the gifts. Marie saw dolls, toy dishes, a beautiful dress. Fritz received the long-awaited bay horse. From the godfather, the children received a castle.
And then the girl draws attention to the clumsy little man in smart clothes. It turns out that his father bought it to crack nuts. Marie puts only small nuts in the Nutcracker's mouth. Fritz, on the contrary, puts large nuts in his mouth and the little man's lower jaw sags. Marie carefully ties up his jaw and wraps him in a scarf.
At midnight, strange things begin to happen in the living room, mice climb from everywhere, and with them a mouse with seven heads - the Mouse King.
The Nutcracker teams up with the puppets and the battle begins. The girl, watching this picture, loses consciousness.
The godfather tells her the story of the Nutcracker. She takes it seriously. The girl complains to the little man about the Mouse King, he kills him and gives Marie the king's seven golden crowns. The Nutcracker shows the girl a fairy-tale kingdom, they walk in amazing places, in the morning the girl wakes up in her bed.
Marie tells her parents that she visited a wonderful country at night and shows the crowns of the Mouse King as proof. She claims that the Nutcracker is her godfather's nephew.
Parents scold her and ask her to stop making up stories. Somehow, the girl confesses to her godfather that she would not reject the Nutcracker because of his appearance. Immediately there is a crash, mother comes and says that the godfather's nephew has arrived. A young man proposes to her and they say that a year later he took her to the puppet kingdom.
A picture or drawing of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
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P.I. Tchaikovsky ballet "The Nutcracker"
The most magical and New Year's work P.I. Tchaikovsky , known all over the world - the ballet "The Nutcracker". Often in classical operas or ballets there is one or several well-known numbers that become iconic for the work and are dearly loved by the public. You can't say the same about The Nutcracker, because the whole ballet consists of such "hits"! Perhaps this is the most recognizable work in the whole world. What is worth bewitching Dance of the Dragee Fairy , most tender Waltz of the Flowers , a series of dances: Chocolate, Coffee, Tea and many others. And which of the children, in the end, did not dream of being in the place of Marie and the Nutcracker in this fabulous place made of chocolate, caramel, marshmallows and other goodies ?!
A summary of Tchaikovsky's ballet "" and many interesting facts about this work, read on our page.
Characters |
Description |
Stahlbaum | adviser of medicine, it is in his house that all events unfold |
Marie | daughter of Stahlbaum, who received the Nutcracker as a gift |
Fritz | Marie's brother who broke the Nutcracker at the party |
Drosselmeyer | godfather Marie, who gave her the Nutcracker and told about the wonderful city |
enchanted prince | |
Fairy Dragee | ruler in the magical city of Confiturenburg |
Prince Whooping Cough | a prince from a fairytale city meeting a girl and the Nutcracker |
mouse king | the evil overlord of a hostile army of mice who attacked the Nutcracker |
Summary of The Nutcracker
The main events in the ballet unfold on the eve of a big and bright holiday - Christmas.
Guests gathered at Stahlbaum's house and godfather Marie, who came with a bunch of gifts for the children. Among them, a doll designed for chopping nuts, the Nutcracker, stands out noticeably. A rather clumsy toy with a wide smile immediately liked the girl Marie. All the children had already gone to bed, but she still could not part with the Nutcracker.
The girl played so much that she did not notice how everything around her began to change. The tree became huge and a strange rustle was heard. An army of mice appeared in the room, and the Nutcracker himself suddenly came to life, turning into a beautiful young man. He immediately gathered an army of soldiers and went to the enemy, but their forces were unequal. Marie, seeing this, decided to help the Nutcracker and threw her shoe at the Mouse King. The enemies were afraid of a sudden attack and fled.
When Marie woke up, her godfather appeared before her - Drosselmeyer, who appeared in the form of a wizard. He spoke about an amazing fairy-tale world, which is not easy to get into, overcoming a snow storm. But Marie and the Nutcracker go to this country. They find themselves in the wonderful city of Confiturenburg, where there are a lot of sweets and guests who meet them. The Pellet Fairy throws a lavish ball in their honor and Marie becomes a real princess after the Nutcracker tells how she saved him. When the celebration ends, the wizard helps Marie to return home from her wonderful journey.
A photo:
Interesting Nutcracker Facts
- Information has been preserved that at the first performance of the ballet at the Mariinsky Theater (December 1892), the audience was unusually surprised precisely by the power of the orchestra's sound. In particular, the musical instrument celesta attracted their attention.
- Starting with the performances of The Nutcracker, a tradition arose to give secondary roles to students of choreographic schools.
- Dance "Coffee" is based on a folk Georgian lullaby.
- According to the content of the German legend, nutcrackers bring good luck and protect the house. Therefore, these wooden mechanical dolls were popular as Christmas gifts for children.
- The Christmas tree, which is usually installed on the stage in the first act, weighs about a ton.
- During the gentle dance of snowflakes, confetti falls onto the stage, the total mass of which is about 20 kg.
- For the entire performance, about 150 different costumes are shown on stage.
- For the full operation of all equipment, applying makeup and changing costumes, about 60 people should be behind the scenes during the performance.
- Usually up to 700 lighting devices are used to illuminate the ballet.
- One pack of Fairy Dragee takes 7 layers of tulle.
- There is some confusion in the names of the girl (Marie, Masha or Clara). In fact, as stated in the original source, Clara is just a doll of a girl named Marihen. In the French manner, her name sounds like Marie, it is this version that went to the director of the Imperial Theaters Vsevolzhsky. In Soviet productions, starting from 1930, the ballet was Russified and the girl Marie was named Maria, and her brother became Misha. Also, the Christmas holiday was replaced by the New Year.
- Before starting to write the ballet, he first completely wrote the plot from the words of Vsevolzhsky and only after that he began to compose music.
- The magical city of Confiturenberg from the second act was also invented by Vsevolzhsky.
- The largest nutcracker was made in Germany and was over 10 meters high.
- Frank Russell Galey performed the role of the Nutcracker at a record age of 74 years and 101 days.
Popular Nutcracker Numbers
Waltz of the Flowers (listen)
March from act I (listen)
Dance of the Dragee Fairy (listen)
Snowflake Waltz (listen)
Pas de de Marie and the Nutcracker - adagio (listen)
Music
Pyotr Ilyich embodies the theme already known to him in the ballet - overcoming hostile forces thanks to the power of love. Music is saturated with new expressive images. It is interesting to observe how expressiveness and figurativeness, vivid theatricality and the deepest psychologism are combined here.
The musical fabric of the ballet is very bright and full of strong, memorable numbers. So, before the scene of the growth of the Christmas tree from the first act, music of extraordinary expressiveness sounds. It begins ghostly, conveying mouse fuss. Gradually, it takes on a wider scope, transforming into an unfolding melody.
I tried to make the music very subtly convey the entire content of the fairy tale taking place on the stage: drumming, fanfares or the squeak of mice. Particularly loved by the public is the Act II Divertimento, which includes a series of dances at a ball in a fairy-tale land. This is a bright Spanish dance - Chocolate, an exciting oriental - Coffee, a characteristic Chinese - Tea, as well as an unusually bright and lively - Trepak. Next comes the graceful dance of the shepherds, Mother Zhigon and the pearl of Divertissement - Waltz of the Flowers with its mesmerizing melodies. The dance of the Dragee Fairy attracts with its sophistication, and the adagio can be safely called a real lyrical and dramatic culmination.
History of the Nutcracker
In 1890, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was asked to compose an opera consisting of one act and a ballet. According to the plan, these works were to be performed in one evening. He began working on ballet with Marius Petipa . It is noteworthy that when writing the score, Tchaikovsky constantly consulted with him, even about music. The work proceeded quite quickly, however, in the spring of 1891, Pyotr Ilyich was forced to pause. The reason was valid - he went to the United States, where the long-awaited opening of the famous Carnegie Hall took place. Information has been preserved that Tchaikovsky managed to compose even on the road on a steamer, as he was afraid of not being able to meet the deadline.
Despite all his efforts, the composer was forced to send a letter to Vsevolzhsky from Paris and ask him to reschedule the premiere a bit. As soon as Tchaikovsky returned, the work went much more productively. So, by February 1892, he had completely finished his performance. The suite from The Nutcracker premiered at the Russian Musical Society under the direction of the author. The audience enthusiastically greeted the new work of the composer. At this time, Petipa falls seriously ill and the role of the choreographer is now performed by L. Ivanov, who was just finishing his career as a dancer and had previously tried himself as a choreographer. Since Petipa could no longer work on the libretto, the composer's brother Modest Tchaikovsky continued to create it. Work at the theater on the production began in the autumn of 1892, and the premiere was scheduled for December of the same year.
Literary basis of the ballet "The Nutcracker"
The original source of the famous performance was the German fairy tale E.T.A. Hoffmann's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, published in 1861. According to the plot, Marichen Stahlbaum receives a small doll for chopping nuts as a Christmas present from her godfather. On the same night, the Nutcracker miraculously comes to life and enters into a strong and unequal struggle with a detachment of insidious mice. In the morning, the godfather Drosselmeyer told the girl an interesting story about his nephew, bewitched by the evil king of mice. And at night, Marihen, along with her doll Clara and the Nutcracker, were again attacked by enemies. Having managed to defeat the insidious army, they all together went to the fairy-tale kingdom, where the girl was elected a princess.
This tale was translated into French by the writer Émile Labedolliere in 1838. It was this translation that went to the famous writer Alexandre Dumas. It is curious that he decided to create his own version of the work. This slightly modified version of the tale with some digressions caught I.A. Vsevolzhsky, who decided to create a ballet.
Performances of The Nutcracker
For the first time, The Nutcracker was staged together with the opera Iolanta took place in December 1892 at the Mariinsky Theatre. Vsevolzhsky himself was involved in the development of costumes, R. Drigo was at the conductor's stand. The success was the broadest, although there are reports that the public liked the opera more at first. Despite the fact that a single action did not work out, as the director of the theaters had planned, they were wonderful performances individually and they were no longer used in one program. The work of L. Ivanov was recognized as magnificent, especially the critics noted the dance of air snowflakes created by him. After its premiere, the ballet remained in the theater's repertoire for another 30 years. In 1923, the ballet master F. Lopukhov again turned to the performance of Tchaikovsky, and in 1929 an updated version of The Nutcracker was released. After that, the ballet was repeatedly staged on different stages of the world. Among the most striking productions, one can note the version by choreographer George Balanchine, performed in 1954 in New York. Moreover, this production has been attracting more and more enthusiastic spectators every year for more than 50 years. Along with theatrical performances, the ballet has also been filmed many times.
Many animators also drew attention to the music of The Nutcracker. In 1940, Walt Disney Studios released the cartoon " Fantasy ”, which presents some fragments from the ballet. In Soviet times, Boris Stepantsev created his famous cartoon based on the tale of Hoffmann , also with music by Tchaikovsky. You can learn more about these versions in the special section "Music from cartoons".
Unusual productions include the version of Matthew Bourne, a British choreographer. It has nothing to do with the classical version of the ballet, however, it reflects the music well. In particular, he gave a different interpretation of the pas de deux from the second act. The events are moved to an orphanage for street children, where they are looked after by Dr. Dross. The dream of the main character turns out to be completely different from the original version. Everything in it is unstable and any objects suddenly turn into various things, sometimes even ominous. And the heroes themselves are separated because of the rival Marie, and the Nutcracker himself completely loses his memory.
Quite deservedly, the performance is a real gem of world ballet. Since the time of the first premiere, it has been successfully staged on all known world stages. Music from "" can be heard in movies, in various cartoons and even in computer games. Modern choreographers are happy to use this ballet, introducing innovations into it, changing the plot, setting, introducing modern dances. Only one thing remains untouched - this is amazingly beautiful music that captivates listeners literally from the first magical sounds. Tchaikovsky .
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky "The Nutcracker"