It wasn’t until 1954 when the New York Ballet staged a reworking of “The Nutcracker” with new choreography, that the work was elevated from obscurity into the annual Christmas classic it is today. The original ballet in 1892 was panned by critics, but from the ballet score, Tchaikovsky curated “The Nutcracker Suite” which was picked up by orchestras as part of their repertoire and went on to become more popular than the original ballet. The ballet was based on Dumas’ version and not Hoffman’s. “The Nutcracker” is perhaps most notably popularised by the ballet composed by Tchaikovsky. This was a retelling of Hoffman’s tale translated from German into French which softened the darker and more grotesque elements of the original. Hoffmann’s original work was titled “Nutcracker and Mouse King”, but it never received broad acceptance and success until Alexander Dumas, one of the most financially successful authors of the time, (author of “The Three Musketeers” and “The Count of Monte Cristo”) created his version of it called “The Story of a Nutcracker”. A battle ensues between the toys, commanded by the Nutcracker, and the mice which is led by the seven-headed Mouse King. At the stroke of midnight, the grandfather clock chimes and the dolls in the toy cabinet come alive, along with mice from beneath the floorboards. Marie receives a present of a Nutcracker from her godfather, Drosselmeyer, who is a clockmaker and inventor. The tale begins on Christmas Eve where Marie and her family are partaking in the Christmas festivities. Hoffmann in 1816, has been an inspiration for artists and composers the world over and has entertained children and adults for over two hundred years.
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