Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite is one of the most popular orchestral works ever created for ballet. The suite, written in 1892, embodies the range of uninhibited emotional expressions that characterized the Romantic era. Tchaikovsky wrote in all musical forms – symphonic works to program music to ballets and this suite, with its vivid orchestral voicing, shows its debt to all of them. The symphonic orchestra, with its great tonal resources, dynamic range, and infinite variety of color is used to its full capacity. Adapted from E.T.A. Hoffman’s Christmas tale, The Nutcracker recounts the story of a young girl who dreams that the nutcracker she received as a gift has turned into a handsome prince. It is a fairytale piece whose lyrical, romantic melodies have transfixed audiences for centuries.
Ellington & Strayhorn's Nutcracker
Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (was the most prolific composer of the 20th century in both number of pieces and variety of forms. His artistic development was one of the most spectacular in the history of music: more than 50 years of sustained achievement as a composer culminating in his late masterpieces: Such Sweet Thunder, The New Orleans Suites, and The Nutcracker Suite, arranged in 1960 with collaborator Billy Strayhorn. Ellington met Tchaikovsky late in his career while on tour in Las Vegas with his orchestra. Soon after, Ellington and Billy Strayhorn decided for the first time to devote an entire album to arrangements of other composers’ work. As the suite was one of Ellington’s favorite compositional forms, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker was a natural choice. With the composer’s approval, Ellington and Strayhorn bravely began their work, infusing this treasured ballet with the rich, varied timbres and complex rhythms of jazz. Violins and violas were replaced by a variety of saxophones, delicate waltzes were transformed by the momentum of swing, and classical themes received a healthy dose of syncopation. The result was a complete retelling of a Christmas classic, reflective of modern American ideals and yet as timeless as Tchaikovsky's original work.
