European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 24, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse F oct s above Marin i Bogdanova and Andrei Riabov As Clara and the Prince dance a Pas de Deus. At right Drosselmeyer is lifted up above the dancers during the Ball at the Palace on sugar Mountain. M Joku Lussing �?~nutcracker9 the Spanish dance Quot chocolate Quot from the Quot Nutcracker Quot As performed by the russian state Ballet enchantment by Edward Karam staff writer it Cocker May be the most popular Quot High Art Quot of All time. Folks who would t get within a mile of a Pirouette from new year s through thanksgiving somehow find it in themselves to bundle up the children in december for a trip to see Nutcracker. And Why not Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky s 1892 Ballet has some of the most gorgeous music Ever written. The russian state Ballet touring Western Europe through the end of january lends an air of a authenticity to these Steps from the Steppes. There s plenty of enchantment but along with it comes a Darker tinge. In the choreography by Vyacheslav Gordeyev which appeared tattle Frankfurt Germany recently the mouse King is particularly threatening and the heroine s whack at him with her Slipper would bring a charge of Battery in the real world. Nutcracker regulars May notice a few differences from other productions in this adaptation by Alexandre Dumas of , Hoffmann s Story. Clara s spoiled brother Fritz Breaks her Nutcracker gift rather than her dropping it by Accident. There s a siamese interlude and a burlesque in the Parade of dancers. Most important though Drosselmeyer the Uncle who brings Clara the Nutcracker is not some weird Long John Silver in evening clothes and an Eye Patch but a fully sighted orchestrator of Clara s dream. Cordasev s choreography makes Drosselmeyer a third principal in the Ballet rather than the marginal character he is in other versions. Though Vitaly Akhundov has Little to do besides Pace confidently and semaphore with his arms he contributes a solid presence to the part. Dressed in Black with Rouge Cheeks and eyebrows rising to Points Akhundov s Drosselmeyer is a slightly Fey magician both darkly mysterious and benevolent underlined by a Janus mask he wears at one Point. From a brightly lighted tree Drosselmeyer conjures the Nutcracker danced with vigorous jumps by Bat Rudval and Columbine harlequin and a Down puppet performed with verve by Masami Chino Vassily Bulavin Sev and Mokichiro Zivata respectively. But Drosselmeyer also conjures the menacing mouse King. Corda Yevu a Nutcracker is blessed with a formidable leading couple. Dark haired and Almond eyed Maria Bogdanova is a Graceful Radiant Clara. The handsome White Clad Andrei Riabov makes an Ideal fairy tale Prince and he shows amazing strength and agility in his leaps and lifts during their Pas de Deus which is a highlight of the evening. For a touring company elaborate scenery and effects Are impossible but colourful doth drops provide an acceptable substitute. The Christmas tree Here is a decorated drop studded with a few coloured lights and the sugar Plum City is icily Beautiful. Evocative lighting by Olga Kok Hanchuk and Thomas Dietze helps create the necessary magic a violent red signals danger in the Battles Between the Prince and the mouse King. The towering Andrei Borissow. Twirls swiftly around the stage As the Royal rodent accompanied by a nest of Henc vermin. Tatyana to Lubova s costumes Range from traditional White tutus for the snowflakes to a hilarious Pannier skirt festooned with bread loaves and sausages for Mother cig one danced in travesty by a lips ticked Borissow. This is an episode that May be unfamiliar to Nutcracker aficionados but it s a delightful burlesque interlude amid the Romance. The Parade of specially dances in the second half is marred Only by the choreography of chinese Tea a in which Ilya Jav Migachev performs a stereotyped Oriental mincing about with forefingers sticking up a and a Pas de trois that was occasionally out of step. But the athleticism of Konstantin Durnev and Masami Chino in Spanish chocolate and of Yekaterina Tumanova Oleg Kozlov and Evgeny Amosson in the Cossack dance foreshadowed a spectacular Ball in which the entire corps showed. Astonishing discipline in its kicks and leaps performed like clockwork. Bat Rudval As the Nutcracker puppet dances after he is presented As a gift to Claras amps photos by Michael Abrams to p of the c h Marjii pop singles t. Hero a Mariah Carey 2. Again a Janet Jackson 3. All that she wants a Aca of base 4. I d do anything for love but i. Won t do that a meat loaf 5. All for love a Bryan Adams Rod Stewart sting. 6. Gangsta lean a drs 7. Shoop a sait a Pepa 8. Breathe again a Toni Braston 9. What s my name a Snoop Doggy Dogg. 10. Said i loved you. But i lied a Michael Bolton top albums 1. Music Box a Mariah Carey 2. Doggy style a Snoop Doggy dog 3. Is. A Pearl Jam 4. Bat out of hell la Back into hell meat loaf 5.lethal injection a ice cube. 6. The one thing a Michael Bollon 7. Duets a Frank Sinatra 8. Anet. A Janet Jackson 9. Common thread the songs of the eagles artists 10. So far so Good a Bryan Adams country singles 1.1 Don t Call him daddy a Doug Supernaw 2. The song remembers when a Trisha Yearwood. 3. Fast As you a Dwight Yoakam 4. Soon a Tanya Tucker 5. The boys amp me a Sawyer Brown 6. Wild one Faith Hill 7.1 never knew love a Doug Stone b. Is it Over yet a Wynonna 9. Somebody new a Billy Ray Cyrus 10. Love until i die Clay Walker country albums 1. Common thread the songs of the eagles a various artists 2. In pieces a Garth Brooks 3. Greatest hits volume two a Reba Mcentire 4. Let there be peace on Earth a Vince Gill 5. A lot about la Vlna and a Little a bout love a asian Jackson 8. Easy come easy go a George Strait 7 Honky Tonk Christmas a Alan. Jackson 8. The song remembers when a Trisha Yearwood 9. This time a Dwight Yoakam 10.1 still believe in you a Vince Gill rap singles 1. What e my name Snoop Doggy Dogg 2. Getto Jam Domino 3. Keep a head up 2pac 4. Shoop a Salt a Pepa 5. Whoop there it is tag team 6. I know t got skill so Aquale o Neal 7. Queen Latifah 8. Real. Gas a easy a 9. Award tour a tribe called quest 10. Really Doe ice cube adult contemporary alternative Rock album Rock 1. Said t loved you. But i lied a Michael Bolton 2. Please forgive me a Bryan Adams 3. Hero a Mariah Carey 4. Again a Janet Jackson 5. The River of dreams a Billy Joel 6. Reason to believe a Rod Stewart 7. All about soul a Billy Joel 8. Dream Lover a Mariah Carey 9. All for love a Bryan Adams Rod Stewart sting 10. Hopelessly a Rick Astley 1. Into your arms a Lemon Heads 2. Daughter a Pearl Jam 3. Found out about you a Gin blossoms 4. Purple Haze a the cure 5. Today a smashing pumpkins 6. Laid a James. 7. Kite Nick Heyward 8. Rubber band girl a Kate Bush 9. Photograph a . With Natalie merchant 10. All apologies a nirvana 1. Daughter Peart Jam 2. Mary Jane s last dance a Tom Petty amp the heartbreaker 3. Amazing a Aero Smith 4. Bad thing a cry of love 5. Cold fire Rush 6. Stone free a Eric Clapton 7. Found out about you a Gin blossoms 8. That done to satisfy me a brother Cane 9. Creep a Stone Temple pilots 10. Shall no the blues a screaming cheetah wheelies on disc the Carol album Emi the Taverner Consort choir amp players directed by Andrew Parrott a Twne of the finest cuts is the sequence let bundus come rejoicing medieval. English chant. The Only accompaniment is a tolling Bell As it might have sounded in a monastery. Emily Van Evera has a Lovely extended Solo on Hultay Turfay while the unexpected sound of a harmonium gives a fresh feel to we three Kings. The album finishes with an upbeat hark the Herald Angels sing with elaborate Organ interludes by the 19th-Century English composer Samuel Sebastian Wesley. A Robert Barr the associated press Christmas Columbia Bruce Cockburn e wish you a politically Correct Christmas we wish you a All right All right a tis not the season to be cynical. And we should encourage the Ever pleasant Ever Earnest Bruce Cockburn whose Christmas album will make Fine background music for Holiday parties Here Are pretty acoustic versions of o Little town of Bethlehem silent night and it came upon a Midnight Clear for the traditionalists. But the Canadian Cockburn also reaches Back to the 1600s for the Huron Carol which he sings in the language of the Huron Indian also performs English French and Spanish carols and a wonderful gospel recording Early on one Christmas morn in a ragtime one of the 15 songs is an original. He May be shortchanging himself Cockburn a own cry of a tiny babe from two years ago is one of the finest recent Christmas songs and it would t have Hurt to reprise it Here. A David Bauder the associated press a child is born Conifer the choir of Trinity College Cambridge England directed by Richard Marlow child is born offers an interesting Range from the elizabethan composer John Amner s Ohye Little flock to late 20th-Century pieces of John Tavener and Judith Weir. The performances and selections Are first rate even if the choir occasionally seems to be coasting. The notes unfortunately give no information about the music. A Robert Barr the associated press Gabriel s greeting hyperion Sinfonte directed by Stevie Wishart info yes a singing of medieval English carols is excellent but the real grabber in this collection is director Stevie Wishart a Long fiddle improvisation on vide miser it Iudica Over the heavy drumming of Jim Denley. As Wishart admits this is Only informed speculation on the Way in which medieval musicians might have tarted up a tune. It s done with a known Structure the ,1 the repetitive use of a theme for dancing and the result is vigorously entertaining. A Robert Barr the associated press 16 the stars and stripes Friday. December 24, 1993 the stars and stripes 17
