Nutcracker Suite

The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a is a selection of 8 musical numbers Tchaikovsky made from The Nutcracker ballet for a concert performance before the St. Petersburg branch of the Musical Society on March 19, 1892.^[1] Every number was acclaimed and repeated, and the suite became an instant hit.^[2] The complete ballet was first performed on December 17, 1892. It was not a success. It did not gain any popularity until George Balanchine staged a production in New York City.^[3] The suite however was very popular in concert. It was featured in Disney's Fantasia. The Nutcracker Suite should not be mistaken for the complete ballet.

Variation of the Sugar-plum Fairy

The Sugar Plum Fairy and Prince Coqueluche in The Nutcracker, St. Petersburg, c. 1900

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The numbers chosen by Tchaikovsky for The Nutcracker Suite and their sequence within the suite are as follows:

I. Miniature Overture

II. Danses caractéristiques

a. Marche

b. Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy [ending altered from ballet-version]

c. Russian Dance (Trepak)

d. Arabian Dance

e. Chinese Dance

f. Reed-Flutes

III. Waltz of the Flowers

References

↑ Alexander Poznansky, Tchaikovsky: The Quest for the Inner Man, p. 544
↑ "Full text of "Men Of Music Their Lives Times And Achievements"". Archive.org. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
↑ "The Nutcracker Profile: The History of The Nutcracker". Classicalmusic.about.com. 11 June 2010. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.

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[1] Alexander Poznansky, Tchaikovsky: The Quest for the Inner Man, p. 544

[2] "Full text of "Men Of Music Their Lives Times And Achievements"". Archive.org. Retrieved 1 July 2011.

[3] "The Nutcracker Profile: The History of The Nutcracker". Classicalmusic.about.com. 11 June 2010. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.

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