The original is a story written in by E. T. A. Hoffmann in which young Marie's favorite Christmas Prince-shaped toy comes alive and after defeating the evil Mouse King in battle with her help, whisks her away to a magical kingdom. In 1892, the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov turned Alexandre Dumas père's adaptation of the story into the ballet, which became one of Tchaikovsky's most famous compositions and perhaps one of the most popular ballets in the world alongside Swan Lake.
It's Christmas and Uncle Drosselmeyer gives toys to Marie and her little brother including a Nutcracker. What we apparently don't know yet is that the Nutcracker was once a handsome prince who The Mouse King had put under a spell turning him ugly.
The Nutcracker remains to be one of the world's favorite holiday stories. Marie, the Nutcracker Prince, and many other characters (beloved and not-so-much) are all freshly reimagined by the inimitable Mary Engelbreit as she offers her sentimental vision of that joyful night in an exquisite hardcover picture book of 40 sparkling pages dominated by reds and greens with clear text perfect for reading and sharing with children, distinctive movement capturing the magical excitement of Christmas eve, and vibrant details that will leave even the youngsters gasping with delight.
Engelbreit's popular character Ann Estelle, Queen of Holidays, has taken off her glasses and changed her eye color to play the part of Marie in The Nutcracker, now a Christmas tradition; but in 1816, the German Nussknacker und Mausekonig was a wondrous tale from Hoffman's fertile and sometimes sinister imagination. The story has offered Engelbreit multiple opportunities to fill the pages with her trademark borders, adorable children, and liberally scattered details.
Though the author has obviously consulted Hoffman's tale, she has pared it down and sweetened it, bringing in fantasy images from ballet versions as well to produce what is probably the most beautifully illustrated version of the tale. Fans will devour this very enjoyable book eagerly, wildly festive and imaginative as it is. Mary Engelbreit's Nutcracker was published in 2011 by Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins.
The Nutcracker remains to be one of the world's favorite holiday stories. Marie, the Nutcracker Prince, and many other characters (beloved and not-so-much) are all freshly reimagined by the inimitable Mary Engelbreit as she offers her sentimental vision of that joyful night in an exquisite hardcover picture book of 40 sparkling pages dominated by reds and greens with clear text perfect for reading and sharing with children, distinctive movement capturing the magical excitement of Christmas eve, and vibrant details that will leave even the youngsters gasping with delight.
Engelbreit's popular character Ann Estelle, Queen of Holidays, has taken off her glasses and changed her eye color to play the part of Marie in The Nutcracker, now a Christmas tradition; but in 1816, the German Nussknacker und Mausekonig was a wondrous tale from Hoffman's fertile and sometimes sinister imagination. The story has offered Engelbreit multiple opportunities to fill the pages with her trademark borders, adorable children, and liberally scattered details.
Though the author has obviously consulted Hoffman's tale, she has pared it down and sweetened it, bringing in fantasy images from ballet versions as well to produce what is probably the most beautifully illustrated version of the tale. Fans will devour this very enjoyable book eagerly, wildly festive and imaginative as it is. Mary Engelbreit's Nutcracker was published in 2011 by Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins.
No comments:
Post a Comment