Dutch National Ballet, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King

[Terpsichore]

As I have not dared to travel to Amsterdam or even London since the start of this pandemic, I have had to make do with live streaming.   Today I watched the Dutch National Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.   This is the first i have watched it.  The reason I had not seen it before is that I had assumed that it would be very much like English National Ballet's.   I quite like Eagling's version for ENB but not as much as some of the company's previous productions  and certainly not as much as Sir Peter Wright's for the Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Royal Ballet or Peter Darrell's for Scottish Ballet.   I enjoyed this very much more than ENB's and I think that is because of Toer van Schayk's designs and the very straightforward story.    I hope to see it on stage once this pandemic is over.

I shall write a full review for Terpsichore as soon as I receive a cast list and photos from the company but here are some of the ballet's features.    As in the Royal Ballet's production there is a prologue but in the Dutch version it shows Hans and Clara getting ready for their parents' Christmas party.  Hans is making a thorough nuisance of himself splashing  water about and annoying his sister and nurse.   There is then a party in which Drosselmeyer distributes his presents to the kids including a Nutcracker to Clara,   The Nutcracker  actually walks and is the most ingenious nutcrackers I have ever seen.   More like a robot than a toy.   No wonder Hans takes an interest in it.   When his sister is not looking he grabs it.  Clara tries to grab it back with the usual consequences.   

The ballet is called "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" and there is a reason for that,   The rodent plays quite a big role in this ballet.   He is part of the entertainment at the party.  He and his fellow rodents fight the toy soldiers and he also shows up for a duel with the Nutcracker in Act II.    He is even in the start of the snowflakes divertissement which is beautifully staged and beautifully danced.   That scene ends with Clara, Drosselmeyer and the Nutcracker taking a selfie.

 

Van Schayk's set for Act II is fascinating.   It seems to centre around a circular feature which seems to represent a cat's eye in one scene and a black hole in another  One way or another the mouse disappears down it and the Spanish, Arabian, Chinese and Russian dances follow.    The Arabian dance seemed to be something out of Le Corsaire.   Men were being led about in chains.    The mirleton divertissement was also very different.   It seemed to be set in ancient Greece and vaguely reminded me of L'Apres Midi d'un Faune and Papageno and Papagena from the Magic Flute but I can't think why.

Today the leading roles were danced by Maia Makhateli, Jakob Feyferlik and Edo Wijnen.    

There will be another live streaming on Christmas eve at 13:00 our time with Anna Tsygankova, Constantine Allen and James Stout.   It will set you back 12.50 euro which is less other leading companies charge for video streamings.   I had a reviewer's ticket but I would gladly have paid to see the show.

I see that this website is celebrating its 10th anniversary.   I joined it in December 2013 so I suppose I am no rather an enfant terrible.   Maybe a veillard terrible.

Merry Christmas all.

 

[Emeralds]

Thanks for the report and information, Terpsichore. I’ve often wondered how similar Eagling’s version for Het Nationale Ballet is to his ENB production. I guess there will be quite a lot of Dutch viewers joining the 24 Dec livestream now that the Dutch government has had to declare another lockdown till 14 Jan. I will certainly sign up and watch if I am free at that time on Christmas Eve. Am I right in assuming that unlike the Royal Ballet live-streams, you cannot watch the show again on demand? 

[Don Q Fan]

The first live stream of the Nutcracker and the Mouse King with Maia Makhateli, Jakob Feyferlik and Edo Wijnen is available to watch on demand free for a couple of weeks if you use the website www.NPOStart.nl or better still download the NPOStart app and then I was able to cast straight to my smart TV.

 

https://www.npostart.nl/notenkraker-muizenkoning/02-01-2022/VPWON_1338753

 

You just need to register (email and password) then you can watch for free.  

Edited January 3, 2022 by Don Q Fan

[FionaM]

1 hour ago, Don Q Fan said:

The first live stream of the Nutcracker and the Mouse King with Maia Makhateli, Jakob Feyferlik and Edo Wijnen is available to watch on demand free for a couple of weeks if you use the website www.NPOStart.nl or better still download the NPOStart app and then I was able to cast straight to my smart TV.

 

https://www.npostart.nl/notenkraker-muizenkoning/02-01-2022/VPWON_1338753

 

You just need to register (email and password) then you can watch for free.  

oh thank you!   I was looking for a way to watch this 🙏

[Emeralds]

On 03/01/2022 at 20:41, Don Q Fan said:

The first live stream of the Nutcracker and the Mouse King with Maia Makhateli, Jakob Feyferlik and Edo Wijnen is available to watch on demand free for a couple of weeks if you use the website www.NPOStart.nl or better still download the NPOStart app and then I was able to cast straight to my smart TV.

 

https://www.npostart.nl/notenkraker-muizenkoning/02-01-2022/VPWON_1338753

 

You just need to register (email and password) then you can watch for free.  

Thank you, DonQ Fan! How thrilling to be able to see it in Britain!  Thanks so much!