The sketch for the stage design of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker” was made by St. Petersburg artist Marina Azizyan, a graduate of the Department of Theater Arts of the Cherkasov Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music and Film (presently known as the St. Petersburg State Academy).
Marina Azizyan is known as a painter, graphic artist, art director, scene designer. The presented sketch depicts the scenery for the prologue of Act II of the ballet, which is set on Christmas Eve. On a dark background, one can see a contrasting beam of soft light from top to bottom, which illuminates the streets of a snow-covered town. Below, under the sleeping city, lies a skating rink with festively dressed ice-skaters — two adults and a girl. Holiday lanterns hang over the rink.
This sketch is dated to 1979. The Tchaikovsky House-Museum acquired it from the Leningrad Academic Maly Opera Theater (MALEGOT) in September 1984, as evidenced by archival documents.
Tchaikovsky was commissioned to compose the two-act ballet “The Nutcracker” by the Imperial Theaters. He began working on the music in the middle of February 1891 and finished it in June of the same year. Compositions from the future ballet were first performed on March 7, 1892, in St. Petersburg during a symphony orchestra performance of the Russian Musical Society. Tchaikovsky himself conducted that evening.
On December 6, 1892, the premiere of the ballet was held on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. The first performance of “The Nutcracker” included two acts and three scenes. The first one was set in the festive house of Marie’s parents, the second one showed the girl’s dream, in which the Nutcracker fought with the rat army and at the end turned into a handsome prince. The third scene was set in the Land of Sweets, into which Marie and the Prince fell.
Critic Alexandre Benois wrote to his brother Anatoly about the dress rehearsal of “The Nutcracker”: “The Tsar was delighted, called him to his box and praised him. The performance… is magnificent and even too magnificent as a ballet — the eyes get tired of all this luxury”.
The part of Marie at the premiere was performed by Stanislava Belinskaya. Sergei Legat played the role of the Nutcracker. Both dancers were still students at the ballet department of the St. Petersburg Theater School: Legat was 17 years old, and Belinskaya was only 12.
Marina Azizyan is known as a painter, graphic artist, art director, scene designer. The presented sketch depicts the scenery for the prologue of Act II of the ballet, which is set on Christmas Eve. On a dark background, one can see a contrasting beam of soft light from top to bottom, which illuminates the streets of a snow-covered town. Below, under the sleeping city, lies a skating rink with festively dressed ice-skaters — two adults and a girl. Holiday lanterns hang over the rink.
This sketch is dated to 1979. The Tchaikovsky House-Museum acquired it from the Leningrad Academic Maly Opera Theater (MALEGOT) in September 1984, as evidenced by archival documents.
Tchaikovsky was commissioned to compose the two-act ballet “The Nutcracker” by the Imperial Theaters. He began working on the music in the middle of February 1891 and finished it in June of the same year. Compositions from the future ballet were first performed on March 7, 1892, in St. Petersburg during a symphony orchestra performance of the Russian Musical Society. Tchaikovsky himself conducted that evening.
On December 6, 1892, the premiere of the ballet was held on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. The first performance of “The Nutcracker” included two acts and three scenes. The first one was set in the festive house of Marie’s parents, the second one showed the girl’s dream, in which the Nutcracker fought with the rat army and at the end turned into a handsome prince. The third scene was set in the Land of Sweets, into which Marie and the Prince fell.
Critic Alexandre Benois wrote to his brother Anatoly about the dress rehearsal of “The Nutcracker”: “The Tsar was delighted, called him to his box and praised him. The performance… is magnificent and even too magnificent as a ballet — the eyes get tired of all this luxury”.
The part of Marie at the premiere was performed by Stanislava Belinskaya. Sergei Legat played the role of the Nutcracker. Both dancers were still students at the ballet department of the St. Petersburg Theater School: Legat was 17 years old, and Belinskaya was only 12.
