Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker at the Mariinsky

We often overlook the Russianness of one of our most beloved Christmas traditions.  It is Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, after all.  Almost one hundred twenty years ago, to the day, The Nutcracker premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg (known as the Kirov during darker Soviet days).  At the time, reviews were rather mixed, but it caught on eventually.  The Mariinsky Theatre Ballet Company and the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Valery Gergiev, once again perform the holiday favorite where it all began.  The Sugar Plum Fairy will indeed dance when The Nutcracker screens in 3D nationwide, for one day and one day only, this coming Monday, via Fathom Events (trailer here).

As everyone should know, young Masha’s eccentric godfather, Councilor Drosselmeyer, brings some remarkable toys to her family’s Christmas Eve festivities.  However, only she has eyes for his wooden Nutcracker.  Waking just before midnight, Masha witnesses an epic clash between the Mouse King’s rodent army and the gingerbread soldiers led by the Nutcracker.  Thanks to her intervention, the Nutcracker prevails.  Shortly thereafter, they are transformed into fully grown lead dancers and whisked off to a fantasy land.  Much dancing ensues.

Directed for the screen by Andreas Morrell, the Mariinsky Nutcracker does not skimp on pageantry.  The sets and costumes are as lavish and elegant as viewers would expect, except the mice soldiers, who are deliberately cartoony enough not to upset even the most sensitive of young viewers.  Of course, the dancers are world class, particularly the striking Alina Somova as Princess Masha.  Evidently though, Mariinsky patrons are tough audience.  They do not show much love until the principles reach the Land of Sweets.  That must be a Russian thing.

Incorporating Vasily Vainonen’s acclaimed choreography, the Mariinsky Nutcracker should satisfy experienced ballet connoisseurs and first-time viewers.  While only available in 2D for review attention, it should lend itself quite nicely to 3D, especially the whirling dances in the Land of Sweets, performed in long, flowing exotic garb.  Indeed, Wim Wenders’ Pina proved the utility of 3D cinematography in conveying the spatial dynamics of dance.

There is a reason The Nutcracker has become a Christmas tradition.  Tchaikovsky’s music and the fantastically bittersweet story, sort of adapted from E.T.A. Hoffman’s story, just always seem to work.  With dancers of the Mariinsky’s caliber performing in such a storied venue, it can’t miss.  Recommended for festive families and the cultured elite alike, the Mariinsky’s Nutcracker screens twice this coming Monday (12/3) at theaters throughout the country, including the AMC Empire and Regal Union Square here in New York.

A Very Russian Maestro: You Cannot Start Without Me

Valery Gergiev is classical music’s road warrior. Currently the Artistic and General Director of the Mariinsky Theatre (formerly the Kirov) as well as the Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, Gergiev is constantly on tour. As a result, he has become a powerhouse in the classical music world but has had little time for his own family. Such is the portrait of the quintessentially Russian conductor that emerges in Allan Miller’s You Cannot Start Without Me—Valery Gergiev—Maestro (trailer here), which opens this coming Monday at Symphony Space, the performing arts center on Manhattan’s Upper Westside.

The driven Gergiev never minces words telling his orchestras exactly what he wants to hear. With his authoritarian bearing and the Devil’s own comb-over, Gergiev often comes across as the dread terror of classical music. However, there is probably no conductor better attuned to the work of the great Russian composers. Throughout Start we hear as he leads various orchestras through rehearsals and performances of Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, and Stravinsky, always eliciting the perfect tonal colors from his musicians.

As leader of the Mariinsky, Gergiev has not lacked for ambition, mounting large-scale productions of demanding works, like Wagner’s Ring Cycle. He has proved a decisive leader, quickly rebuilding the Mariinsky’s fire damaged smaller concert hall, becoming a local political player in the process. However, his Russianness extends to an unsettlingly high regard for his “friend” Vladimir Putin. When explaining his admiration, Gergiev uses arguments that sound somewhat like the old “made the trains run on-time” justifications for dictators past.

Miller captures candid scenes of Gergiev and his business manager, constantly booking gigs and making deals. Indeed, it is quite interesting to peak behind the scenes of the rarified world of elite classical music. However, The Maestro is not exactly prone to self-examination, so Start never penetrates too deeply beneath his public persona. While one might wish Miller had pushed Gergiev a bit more during his interviews (particularly regarding his political allegiances), there is no denying his eloquence when discussing music.

While for obvious time constraint reasons Start could not include entire uncut performances, the many excerpts we do hear sound great. Gergiev the perfectionist clearly inspires his musicians, including guest artists like Renée Fleming, heard performing in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin at the Mariinsky.

Start is a colorful, lively, and very Russo-centric portrait of the vigorous Maestro. Co-produced by WNET (New York’s PBS affiliate) and the White Nights Foundation of America (an organization dedicated to supporting the Mariinsky’s international programs), it should fascinate both classical music enthusiasts and Russia-watchers alike. It opens Monday (11/2) at Symphony Space.

(Photo credit: Matt Stuart Burns/A presentation of Thirteen in Association with White Nights Foundation of America and WNET.org)