The Nurcracker. Opera to the Tchaikovsky ballet music (08.10.2014)
Stage director Alla Sigalova and designer Pavel Kaplevich have suggested a bold idea to adapt the legendary ballet The Nutcracker into an opera. On June 9, 2014, the model of the production was presented in the Novaya Opera theatre. Many miracles await us: a huge chandelier will transform into a Christmas tree with lights, the central set piece will become a town, a room, and a bed. The Mouse King, a snowfall and unusual effects will be created in an original video projection. In addition, set designer Nikolay Simonov will play with scales, contrasting small puppets and big people.
Each of the protagonists, Marie and the Nutcracker, will be played by two singers: an adult and a child. A children choir will also participate. Alla Sigalova does not rule out choreographic numbers. Pavel Kaplevich has designed the costumes as an attraction. The Spanish doll’s costume turns into a huge fan, Drosselmeyer’s vest becomes wings, and a Chinese doll turns into three bobble heads “See nothing, hear nothing, say nothing”. During the snowfall or snowflakes’ chorus the costumes will get skew-whiff as if blown by the wind or snowstorm. The children will be “balls” in big costumes, hoop skirts, and with exotic headdresses. In contrast, the adults will seem long and stretched like gothic spires. The main colours will be complicated pastel and gold. The librettists have written a universal text without archaisms and modern metaphors, which is comprehensible both to children and adults. The music director and conductor of the production is Dmitri Jurowski. Alla Sigalova has emphasized: “Jurowski’s work is a guarantee that the musical side of the production will be at a very high level. All the members of the production team venerate Pyotr Tchaikovsky”. The Novaya Opera’s Director Dmitry Sibirtsev says that Dmitri Jurowski knows perfectly human voice capabilities and in the near future the vocal parts will be adapted to the voices of the cast. He is making a delicate rearrangement, reverently treating the composer’s orchestration. The production is dedicated to the 175th anniversary of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s birth, one of the most important dates in the 2015 music calendar. The PREMIERE is scheduled on December 24, 2014. There will be 7 performances shown. On December 27 and 28 they will be shown twice a day. The Moscow City Department for Culture has approved The Nutcracker. Opera project as very promising and supports the production
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