Christmas is coming, and so is The Nutcracker
Few things in life are certain, but one of them is that as Christmas approaches, the HCMC Ballet, Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) will again stage The Nutcracker in their attractive production, originally created by Norway’s Johanne Jakhelin Constant.
 |
| HBSO's The Nutcracker in a previous performance - Photo: Courtesy of HBSO |
Tchaikovsky’s ever-popular ballet will be revived on December 7, 8 and 9 in the Saigon Opera House, beginning at 8 p.m.
The Nutcracker is a pre-Christmas favorite worldwide. The reasons for this are simple – it begins with a Christmas party in a sumptuously large house, and then proceeds to dream sequences in a wintry landscape of icy cold and falling snow-flakes.
Most Saigon ballet productions feature recorded music, but The Nutcracker will employ the entire HBSO orchestra and a female choir, as well as the full complement of the HBSO Ballet.
The conductor this year will be the eminent figure, Emmanuel Siffert. He is currently Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Orquesta Sinfonica San Juan (‘the San Juan Symphony Orchestra’) in Argentina. Born in Switzerland, he is exceptionally widely experienced and has conducted in many countries. At present he is specializing in ballet and opera productions.
This Saigon production of The Nutcracker started life as part of the Transposition program by which the government of Norway extended a helping hand to classical music projects in Vietnam.
Why does this ballet have such a strange title? The reason is that after the Christmas party in Act One, when the guests have all gone home, various toys and kitchen implements come to life and dance. One of the main items is a nutcracker, a small hand-held implement for cracking hard-shelled nuts such as Brazil nuts and walnuts. The title in French is ‘casse-noisette’.
One of the most famous dances in the ballet is the pas de deux (a dance for two people) in Act Two. Tchaikovsky was challenged to write a dance melody using only a descending scale, and this was what he came up with.
Tchaikovsky was a prolific 19th century Russian composer. He wrote symphonies, concertos, operas, chamber music and many songs, but his ballets, such as Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty, are perhaps what he’s best remembered for. The Nutcracker was premiered in 1892, incredibly in a double-bill!
The main performers in this revival will be Do Hoang Khang Ninh as Clara, the young girl who lives in the big house of Act One, and who goes to visit the magic lands in Act Two. The Nutcracker himself will be Ho Phi Diep, and Yuki Hiroshige will dance the Snow Queen.
This is a colorful and beautiful production that has become a regular feature of the Christmas season in HCMC. There are no signs of its popularity waning. In past years The Nutcracker performances have been sold out, so early purchase of tickets is advisable.
Ticket prices range from VND900,000 down to VND350,000, with a special concession for students of VND150,000 on production of a student card.
