Even though Sweden today has a centre-right government, when
this recording was made in 1999 the country was still run by
the Swedish Social Democratic Party, who, according to their
Wikipedia entry, were and are “strong supporters of feminism,
equality of all kinds, and - [display] a strong opposition to
what they perceive as discrimination and racism.”
This, the Royal Swedish Ballet’s fifth production of The
Nutcracker and one heavily influenced by Swedish folklore,
seems to be – and do forgive me if I seem to become a little
fanciful here - very much a politically correct version that
reflects the Social Democrat values of its time in rejecting
the “conventional” Nutcracker story’s sexism, hierarchical
class structure and racial stereotyping.
Folklore first - Anyone looking for E.T.A. Hoffmann’s familiar
characters will be disappointed – though also, I wager, intrigued
by their replacement with traditional characters made familiar
to Swedish children through Elsa Beskow’s Petter and Lotta’s
Christmas. The young heroine has become Lotta and, to avoid
any accusations of sexual discrimination, her brother Petter
has been given a significantly beefed up role that sees him
virtually replicating his sister’s part for long stretches of
the action. Meanwhile, the children’s parents and grandparents
have been replaced by three aunts and an uncle, with the latter
the equivalent of that enigmatic and rather dark character Drosselmayer.
There is also a comely family housemaid who later becomes the
prince’s big squeeze - you’ll look in vain for any sugar plum
fairy. Finally, the prince gains an extra persona, for he is
not just the nutcracker in this version but also a charcoal
burner.
Political correctness - As well as the gender equalisation that
enhances Petter’s role to match Lotta’s, and the rejection of
class antagonism demonstrated by the prince/housemaid romance,
the Swedish Nutcracker also tackles the issue of racial
stereotyping head-on. Not only are generic make-up and costumes
abandoned, but the entire concept of “national” dances is dismissed
too. Thus, there’s no Spanish dance, just one by the
“gingerbread folk”. Similarly, the usual preening pair of Chinese
dancers have been replaced by dancing “peppermint rock candy”,
while the girls of the Arabian dance have been pensioned
off to the great harem in the sky. Instead we see the three
aunts in an amusingly choreographed display of musical sleepwalking.
The usual prancing and kicking cossacks have their Russian
dance performed by “Christmas crackers”, and the Dance
of the mirlitons is executed by a team of tame mice, presumably
to placate the Swedish Mouse Liberation Front’s outrage at their
earlier defeat in battle - even though in a politically correct
world, no one is ever actually allowed to “lose”.
Anyway, enough of this somewhat extended and increasingly fragile
flight of fancy. What of the performances? In that respect,
you’re in for a treat. While, admittedly, none of the principals
is a world superstar, all are more than competent in their roles,
while, as an ensemble, the whole company is well matched and
performs to an undeniably high standard. They may lack the tight,
disciplined precision of a Russian troupe but more than make
up for that deficiency - if that’s how you see it - with masses
of twinkly charm – which is a real plus in The Nutcracker
above all.
I enjoyed too the contribution of the orchestra under Kazakh-born
Renat Salavatov. The most detail that I have been able to discover
about him comes from the website of Turkey’s Aspendos International
Opera and Ballet Festival (see
here) which supplies the intriguing information that, touring
to the United Kingdom with the Mariinsky company after 1989,
he “made great achievements - “Salavatov the Magnificent”,
“Moderate Grace of Salavatov”. These are how Great Britain press
emphasized their impressions regarding performances of the conductor”.
I must, I suppose, have been out of the country at the time
to have missed all that ballyhoo – but I’m belatedly and genuinely
pleased to make Salavatov the Magnificent’s acquaintance on
this DVD.
The sets and lighting will, I’m afraid, worry some. A great
deal of the action takes place in comparative gloom and, while
I don’t think it’s entirely justified to label this - as some
have done – as a psychologically dark production, it
might have been more enjoyable from the viewer’s point of view
to have seen some of the dancers’ skilful footwork just a little
more clearly.
Not, then, a first choice for a Nutcracker, perhaps,
but certainly an interesting supplement for anyone seeking a
new slant on a popular old favourite or intending to cast a
vote next time for the Social Democratic Party.
Rob Maynard
Choreography by Pär Isberg
[95:00] 