17 replies to this topic

[Jameth]

I know for a fact that Mark Goldweber coreographed "chinese"  but I am not sure what else...I want to say he originally coreographed the russian dance, but I am not sure.  James would re-coreograph and change things each year and I know he changed the russian variation a couple times...the Sugar Plum Fairly's variation also changed as I remember every year.

Oh and the version that Mark had some coreographic credit in, is in fact the version we are speaking of

Edited by Jameth, 10 October 2003 - 03:23 PM.

[Mel Johnson]

The Snow Queen and King was set to the music that immediately follows the last spasms of the Mouse King and starts with a rising figure into a descending major scale.  (I don't have my score here.  Can't tell you the key.)  The scene is used in the Balanchine production as a mime sequence and scene change.  Pavlova used it as a pas de deux for herself and a partner (Laurent Novikov?  Anatole Obukhov?  Anatole Vilzak?  All of the above? None of the above?)  The pas de deux ended at the harp as it trails off to segue into the Waltz of the Snowflakes.

I think this program comes from 1996, as the High Concept Nutcracker (with Russified libretto) was pretty fresh, and Goldweber hadn't gone back to the Joffrey yet.  At least it's with a whole bunch of 1996 OBT materials.

[Paul Parish]

I've got to  thank Jameth for detailing Canfield's libretto -- I'd never had any idea what it was, and I have to agree, it IS charming.......... lesons with Kchessinska ("today we're going for SPEED," which was what  -- was it Fonteyn? said  she said EVERY day)... that is a pretty intoxicating idea.