Christmas Concert »The Nutcracker and the Mouse King«

“Crick, crack and crack – stupid pack” – and so the wooden Nutcracker comes to life. In the children’s bedroom at night, a battle breaks out between the Nutcracker and the Mouse King, which Marie can only stop by throwing her slipper with precision. But was it reality or just a dream? Little Marie asks herself the same question when her godfather, Drosselmeier, tells her the story of Princess Pirlipat – a beautiful princess who has been enchanted by Mrs Mauserink and can only be freed by the Krakatuk nut.

In our Christmas concert, we aim to tell the story of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, written by E.T.A.
Hoffmann. With its imaginative imagery, the story inspired the composer Peter I. Tchaikovsky to write his famous ballet music, The Nutcracker. The highlights of this music will therefore form the framework of our concert. As in previous years, the BSOF will be conducted by Ulrich Kern. A musically versatile conductor, he has previously appeared as a guest conductor with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the Dresdner Philharmonie and the MDR Symphony Orchestra. The Deputy General Music Director of the Görlitz Theatre also performs internationally.

This year, the story of the Mouse King’s exciting adventures will be read by Nadine Nollau, who was most recently a member of the Hans Otto Theatre’s ensemble for several seasons. The Sandtheater’s sand artists have been invited to provide the visual accompaniment to the story. With great finesse, they bring the Nutcracker to life in their images using the finest grains of sand.