咬 牙 的 王 子, 不 快 樂 的 彼 得 The Big-toothed Prince and Unhappy Peter, à Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. 7 M a y 1 8 4 0 – 6 N o v.1 8 9 3

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□ ■ □ 咬 牙 的 王 子, 不 快 樂 的 彼 得
The Big-toothed Prince and Unhappy Peter □ ■ □

當 1892年, 胡桃鉗在耶誕節前的星期天 上演的時候, 離1893年, 柴 可 夫 斯 基 以53歲年紀, 一說受不了同性戀傳言的壓力自殺; 一說意志消沉誤飲生水得霍亂死; 一說他的死因 歸究於同儕安排的計謀, 離開人間 已經不到一年。 這是 柴可夫斯基生時 最後一部 安排上演的芭蕾舞配樂作曲, 首演當時, 和他生平的最後一部歌劇 Iolanta 同時上演。 Iolanta 說的是, 在父愛呵護的花園, 長大的公主, 面對自己失明的問題, 找回光明, 與她的男人共築幸福

胡桃鉗 的童趣, 和次年, 12月23日於威瑪首演, Humperdinck 的 Hänsel und Gretel, 一樣是西方 耶誕節的應景戲碼。 不難想像孩子夢想 Hänsel und Gretel 的糖果屋; 但是胡桃鉗, 能教早熟的女孩喜歡上; 男孩要喜歡, 卻顯得奇怪..

故事是負傷的玩具兵, 因為女孩克拉拉的勇敢相挺, 打敗鼠王, 於是他帶著女孩, 共赴他的玩具國, 欣賞精心為她準備的節目。 助負傷的玩具兵取得戰功, 顯現女孩內在男孩的活潑面, 而男孩們, 並不會輕易承認自己身體功能有缺陷, 或看清楚自己的世界, 比起女孩的 更為不切實際

Google於18號今天, 昭告這是 胡桃鉗 自1892年首演以來的120周年誌慶, 當此時 帶有應景耶誕的趣味。 音樂選自 胡桃鉗 第一幕, 當孩子上床後, 女孩放心不下她的胡桃鉗士兵, 跑到客廳抱著她的這個耶誕禮物, 在沙發睡著.. 然後鼠王帶頭鼠輩作亂, 她幫她的玩具兵, 打贏一場戰.. 然後士兵在冬天的雪景裡, 帶領她 開始一趟旅程..

當克拉拉抱著心愛的胡桃鉗士兵睡去, 我能想像, 這柴可夫斯基的語言, 於他抑鬱的心坎, 有位毅立的王子, 老實守護他的國度。 朋友說: 沒有耶誕, 或是佳節, 一切不過是商人炒作商機的點子.. 我認為無關好壞, 快不快樂, 這些時間裡憑添的事記, 一切不過是時令。



P t e r o c a r y a 楓 楊 屬, 胡桃科 from Greek, pteron, wing, karyon, nut; winged nut.

P t e r o c a r p u s 紫 檀 屬, 豆科 from Greek, pteron, wing, karpos, fruit; winged fruit.

H y g i e i a [haɪˈji ə] P a n a c e a [pænəˈsi ə] D a n a u s [ˈdænɪ əs]

ക Batesia plant, in the family Fabaceae; Batesia butterfly, in the family Nymphalidae.

F l o r a: In Greek mythology, P a n a c e a (Greek Πανάκεια, Panakeia) was a goddess of Universal remedy. A daughter of Asclepius and Epione.

The genus name of g i n s e n g is Panax (or "panacea"), reflecting Linnean understanding that plant was widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a cure-all.

F a u n a: D a n a u s comes from the Greek mythological figure who had 50 daughters (monarchs have multiple generations in a year). He was the twin brother of the more well known Aegyptus (they were descendents of Io, the woman the ever-womanizing Zeus turned into a heifer to hide from the ever-jealous Hera). Aegyptus went on to become the king of Egypt and sired 50 sons, all of whom - save one - were killed by the Danaids (the collective name for Danaus's 50 daughters - more here).

Plexippus was one of Aegyptus's sons. The sons drew straws (sort of) to marry one of the daughters. Danaus had no interest in letting his daughters marry his twin brother's sons so they 51 of them fled to Argos. The Aegyptus and his 50 jilted sons tracked them down. Danaus readily submitted, not wanting harm to fall upon Argos, but told his daughters to kill their husbands on the first night of their marriage. Plexippus married and was murdered by Amphicomone.

One daughter, Hypermnestra, spared her husband, Lynceus, as he alone respected his wife's desire to remain a virgin. He later killed Danaus. He and Hypermnestra remained wedded and started the lineage of rulers of Argos (which includes such notables as Perseus). The other daughters chose new husbands by holding footraces. Other milkweeds or tigers have specific epithets that derive from other sons of Aegyptus (like Chrysippus). Link

P.S. Hypolimnas misippus, D a n a i d Eggfly  
C h r y s i p p u s, the illegitimate son of Pelops abducted by Laius.