Instead, Nutcracker and Mouse King relates directly to Hoffmann’s personal friend Julius Hitzig, a regular attendee of Hoffmann’s Serapion meetings. However, in spite of its eventual fate as the tale to inspire one of the cornerstones of ballet, the biographical inspiration and process were disconnected entirely from Hoffmann’s career as a composer, musical director and music reviewer. Finally, I will focus on to an examination of the most famous cross-media adaptation of the tale, Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, explicitly focusing on the alteration of Drosselmeier’s characterisation and the knock-on effects of this on other vital roles.īiographical aspects of Hoffmann’s life and personal relationships are as present in Nutcracker and Mouse King as they are in his other works. This adaptation transitioned Hoffmann’s story across multiple languages, and I will examine the effects of particular changes on the leading characters and the chosen similarities as an intriguing adherence to Hoffmann’s original themes. Following this, I will compare a particular English translation of Hoffmann’s original tale to an English translation of the most famous and comprehensive adaptation, Alexandre Dumas’s The Tale of the Nutcracker.
Thus, this section will explore two different German to English translations of Hoffmann’s original Nußknacker und Mausekönig to investigate, rather than a list, the level of alteration possible in translation. There is no doubt that the lack of direct cultural association between Hoffmann and the tale of Nutcracker and Mouse King is caused in part by the sheer amount of translation and adaptions it has been processed through. Please note that as I am using texts and productions which feature three variations of the heroine’s name, thus I will also change her name depending on which version I am referring to.ĭespite relative obscurity amongst Hoffmann’s biographers, Nußknacker und Mausekönig has developed into one of the most famous adapted texts. Productions of the ballet also change her name between individual productions, and she can be known as Marie or Clara. However, her name is changed to Maria is one translation. Hoffmann’s original tale features the name of Marie for the leading heroine, the little girl who grows attached to the Nutcracker.
Please be aware that his name may be spelt differently in some quotes referring to his role in the ballet or Dumas’s adaption. For consistency, I will refer to him throughout my discussions of the translations, adaptations and ballet adaptation as Drosselmeier after the spelling present in Joachim Neugroschel’s 2007 translation of Hoffmann’s narrative. Author’s Note: The spelling of Drosselmeier’s name, more so than any other character, changes depending on the source and media referred to.
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