He began by orchestrating the few numbers which were to be performed as a Suite from the ballet. A series of fascinating performers follow -- Arabian women with veils, Russian dancers doing a native dance, Chinese and Spanish dancers. Some cost way more depending on quality, size and brand. On 25 June/7 July, in a letter to Vladimir Davydov, Tchaikovsky wrote: "Remember when you were here I boasted that I had something like five days left to finish the ballet? It was presented at St. Petersburgs Mariinsky Theatre on a double bill with Tchaikovskys one-act opera, Iolanta. The ballet was commissioned by the Director of the Russian Imperial Theatres, Ivan Vsevolozhsky, who held preliminary talks with the composer in November and December 1890 [9]. Clara gets a beautiful nutcracker in the shape of a soldier, which makes her brother jealous -- he thinks it nicer than his gift! Original pieces from the Ore Mountains typically cost at least 70 ($80). Now, the original story is rather dark (involving bloody cuts, malevolent characters and angry adults), so in the mid-19th century, French author Alexander Dumas adapted it for a younger audience, making it less scary. The story of The Nutcracker is loosely based on the E.T.A. Ravel Piano Concerto in G, III. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. The Nutcracker is a ballet with music written by the Russian composer, Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky. The celesta was used to evoke the sound of the Sugar Plum Fairy. In the opening A section, the brass (led by trumpets) play the dominant role, and strings answer them in a secondary/answering role. Hoffmann's book: "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It is not possible to establish the exact date on which work on the sketches was begun. Letters to various correspondents during June refer to work on the ballet. But Tchaikovsky, according to the somewhat unreliable memoirs of his brother, Modest, was not much pleased with the subject. The arrangement of the sketches allows us to infer the order in which the music was writtenthe composer adhered to the essence of Marius Petipa's plan, indicating any deviations from it in his notebook. 52) [view]. Act II. In the manuscript score and autograph sketches, the title of the ballet is given as, The title in the sketches is listed variously as, According to the sketches, this number was originally to have been called, An audio reconstruction of Tchaikovsky's sketches for the English dance is included in our. Find Watercolor Vintage Nutcracker stock images in HD and millions of other royalty-free stock photos, illustrations and vectors in the Shutterstock collection. In contrast, the Waltz of the Flowers is the final dance of . 88, No. Tap genius Michelle Dorrance puts her stamp on the famous Christmas ballet---There is a cornucopia of Nutcrackers twirling all over New York this holiday season, but none as exuberant as Michelle Dorrance's tap-dancing take on the Christmas staple. And I have been here nearly a week, working all hours; two days remain before I sail for America. On 2/14 June the composer wrote to Anna Merkling: "At this moment my work is coming along very successfully" [36]. By baring their teeth, they were to protect homes by warding off evil spirits. The Russian Dance - the Trepak - is a Cossack dance normally performed by men who would kick their legs out from a squatting position. But if this is impractical, then this choral part may be performed by 24 voices an operatic chorus". As weve seen before, Tchaikovsky showing his forceful side at his best, knowing how to create excitement, and build it up to a thrilling ending. Hoffmann fantasy story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, about a girl who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King. The celesta is a bell-piano that sits upright and is played with keys. Take note of what the percussion section (especially the timpani drums) adds when they make their entrance. Clara bursts into tears. At the beginning of her dream, Clara "awakes" and finds the Christmas tree from her party has grown to an enormous height and there are mice, the size of humans, running around the room. The nutcracker acquired its iconic status through a globalized transmission of popular culture. Un-scientifically, The "1812 Overture" and "The Nutcracker" ballet music probably hold 2 of the top 5 of this measure (at least on a "highlights from" basis). "The Nutcracker" is a symbol of strength. The Prince is greeted by his sisters, and tells how Clara saved his life. Courtney has ten years of instructional experience in a classroom. Adagioassai, 15. Clara and the Prince are guided through the forest by gnomes with torches. Tchaikovsky uses different instruments, like piccolo in the 'Chinese Dance' and harp and French horn in the 'Waltz of the Flower' to color specific passages. Inspired by a discovery he made in Paris, he wrote to his publisher about a new orchestral instrument, something between a small piano and a glockenspiel with a divinely marvellous sound It is called the Celesta Mustel and it costs 1,200 francs I would like to ask you to order this instrument. Hoffmann fantasy story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, about a girl who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King. The Nutcracker Suite, Op. It seems that at this meeting the outline scenario for Act II was finalised. The Nutcracker () [1], Op. The nutcracker, now transformed into a handsome prince, jumps aboard and they ride into a magical winter forest filled with snowflakes. Courtney is a certified Biology and Physics teacher from Pennsylvania. One critic wrote: In the first scene, the entire stage is filled with children, who run about, blow their whistles, hop and jump, are naughty, and interfere with the oldsters dancing. Russian Dance (Trepak). Beethoven Piano Sonata No. A decorative version portrays a person whose mouth forms the jaws of the nutcracker. During this time he wrote the opening of the second scene, and the numbers he had previously omitted from the first scene of Act 1: Petit galop des enfants, Entre des parents, "Bon voyage, M-r Dumolet"; then there followed sketches for the Grossvater dance and some additions to the dance of the Incroyables [29]. The last A section closely resembles the opening, but louder with the brass, and also you hear the strings doing this wild flying scale thing. After their dance through the Land of Snow, Clara and the Nutcracker waltz through the Land of Sweets (via Nutcracker Ballet). The Christmas-tree grows enormously in size. Even the artist Alexandre Benois, who admired Vsevolozhsky and later inspired Diaghilev to follow his example, found the battle scene quite senseless and amateurish.. Said less technically, a waltz also has a kind of spin to it that other dances dont have (in contrast, the dance of the reed flutes is metered in a slower 1-2-1-2). There is a second note, apparently made later: "Grossvater see the end of the copybook after everything else". The Russian musicologist Boris Asafyev acclaimed Nutcracker as representing 'the ripening soul of a little girl' who grows from playing with dolls to 'the dawn of love through dreams of love of a brave and virile hero', while Maurice Sendak, author of Where the Wild Things Are, found the music 'bristling with implied action,' with 'a subtext Art, Music, and Architecture Around the World, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, What is Dubstep Music? ", Create an account to start this course today. According to Britannica, the plot is loosely based off "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," a fantasy story written by E.T.A. The children are alarmed at his odd appearance, until they see that he has brought them toys: a mechanical doll, a toy soldier, Harlequin and Colombine. Hoffmann's original story was darker than the ballet, but the plot remains largely the same. The Nutcracker was first performed in Russia in 1892. 1 inD, 17. Let's see how the opera will turn out" [39]. In her dreams, the nutcracker becomes life-sized and fights and conquers a life-sized mouse king. 2), he noted that If the celesta is unavailable, then this part may be played on the piano. When Clara reluctantly lets him play with it, he tries to crack a nut so big that it is the Nutcracker which breaks. Ravel Piano Concerto in G, II. If Nutcracker was originally intended, in a very real sense, as a ballet for children, this would explain its relatively simple yet brightly coloured themes, and why nearly all the dances, most particularly those in Act I originally intended for child dancers, are relatively short. Here's the story in a nutshell (all puns intended!). Next he continued with Petipa's plan and on 22 February/6 March set about the music for Drosselmeyer's entrance. Because the first act is set at a Christmas party, the ballet is often presented at Christmastime. The full score was published by Pyotr Jurgenson in 1892. Beside a river of rose water, Clara and the Prince appear and are welcomed in the Great Hall of the palace. Mozart Piano Concerto No. 71a 8. According to Britannica, the plot is loosely based off "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," a fantasy story written by E.T.A. Not only is his hair thinning and turning silver as snow, not only are his teeth falling out and refusing to chew food, not only are his eyes weakening and becoming easily tired, not only are his feet starting to drag rather than walkbut his singular remaining faculty is starting to fade and disappear. If the March movement was yellow, perhaps, what color is it now? The Nutcracker origin is from a German fairytale titled "he Nutcracker and the Mouse King". Hoffmann wrote the story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" in 1816. Many ballet companies perform it every holiday season. The Nutcracker tells the story of Clara, a girl who receives a nutcracker as a Christmas present. The last of his three ballets, it was first performed in December 1892. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Hoffmann was set to music by Tchaikovsky and originally choreographed by Marius Petipa. The Nutcracker Ballet is a famous and colorful Christmas ballet based on 'The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,' a story in a book of fairy tales written by German author E. T. A. Hoffman in 1816 . Daniel Jaff tells the tale of a magical masterpiece. Layer 3: Rhythmic accent in the low strings and bassoons. On 17/29 March, Tchaikovsky wrote to his brother Modest: "My work is in full swing, and soon only the final markings will remain, and I hope to completely finish the score by Passion Week" [45]. Now I have started to work" [34]. Keeping watch over the Land of Sweets in the Nutcracker's absence was the Sugar Plum Fairy. In pop culture, Nutcracker music is present in commercials, movies, and television shows. The March in which the glockenspiel appears anticipates Nutcrackers soundworld, including the celebrated Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy. According to legend, a rich farmer who was too lazy to crack his own nuts promised to reward his entire village if anyone came up with a solution. Many people this holiday season will experience the joy of attending a local performance of "The Nutcracker" ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. At the time, it was met with lackluster reviews, but it is now a popular Christmas ballet. Germany is a leading manufacturer of traditional nutcrackers. 5. Yet the fact remains that he was far from played out witness the Sixth Symphony that was still to come, or even the remarkable tone poem Voyevoda which, though he rejected it, has since been widely recognised as one of his most remarkable late works. The Nutcracker () [1], Op. Written in the early 1890s, this was the last ballet score Tchaikovsky wrote - he died less than a year after it was premiered. Trepak (Russian: ; Ukrainian: o, i) is one of the character dances from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's famous 1892 ballet The Nutcracker.It is based on the traditional Russian and Ukrainian folk dance also called the trepak. 71 ( TH 14 ; W 14), is a fairy ballet in 2 acts and 3 scenes, written and orchestrated by Tchaikovsky between February 1891 and April 1892. Bring texture and dimension to your tree with this Fabric Nutcracker Head with Red Hat Tree Ornament from Wondershop. Tchaikovsky Wrap-up and furtherlistening, 21. While they have been around for ages, the wooden dolls only became popular in the US in the 1950s. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Its upbeat tempo accompanies the dance of the toy soldiers gifted to Fritz and Clara at the beginning of the ballet. The Nutcracker Ballet was created in 1892 in Moscow. - Definition & Examples, The Four Seasons by Vivaldi: Analysis & Structure, What is Contrapuntal Music? The Nutcracker transforms into a prince and together they are carried off to The Land of Sweets, where celebrations of the prince's return ensue. They should be played at the points indicated by the children in the scene, and also: The Rattle (Schnarre) is as used in the children's symphonies by Haydn, Romberg, etc. Theres an opening idea (A), followed by something different (B), and then a return to the A idea. The scene ends with a general Grandfather dance. In the palace of the Kingdom of Sweets (Confiturenburg), the Sugar Plum fairy appears to welcome the travellers to the delights of her kingdom. The author's sketch book includes two dates23 February/7 March and 27 February/11 Marchwhich allows us to establish that on these days he finished the scene with Drosselmeyer, and wrote the scene with the children and the Nutcracker (No. You need now only to compose great dances, and not for dancers, and all those variations would only irritate the majority of the audience" [17]. Bon voyage, M. Dumolet", the latter being the title of a humorous 18th-century French song, subsequently used in the music for this number. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. The sequence of sketches in Act II indicates that the composer adhered to Marius Petipa's plan. His homeward journey took him through Paris, where he discovered a new instrument: the celesta, whose clear, bell-like tone was perfectly fitted to The Nutcrackers fairy-tale ambience. All the solos and variations he devised for the first act would be of little interest to the public. 92, II. Nearly 130 production steps are needed to create a traditional handmade Ore Mountain nutcracker. Initially attracting miners, the forested area with long, dark winters also inspired villagers to develop other carved wooden decorations: Christmas pyramids, candle holders called Schwibbogen, and smoking figures known as Ruchermnnchen. These newer models depict politicians Bill Clinton, Helmut Kohl and Gerhard Schrder. The second time around, the lower strings (cello and bass) continue the accompaniment, while the upper strings, violins and violas, do some interplay stuff with the flutes. The full score and the composer's simplified piano arrangement of The Nutcracker were published in volumes 13 (1955) and 54 (1954) respectively of Tchaikovsky's Complete Collected Works, edited by V. D. Vasilyev. The Suite from the ballet The Nutcracker was compiled as a substitute for the symphonic ballad The Voyevoda on the programme of a Russian Musical Society concert in Saint Petersburg scheduled for 29 February/12 March 1892, at which Tchaikovsky was due to conduct his own works. 10), Tchaikovsky noted: The artist performing the Celesta part should be a good pianist. The next day, in a deep depression caused by the unexpected news of his sister Aleksandra's death, he wrote: "Even more than yesterday and the day before, I feel absolutely incapable of depicting Confitremburg in music" [32]. The piano arrangements by Sergey Taneyev and the author were also brought out in 1892 by the same publisher. ], Maydanovo". The Nutcracker Suite is based on E.T.A. Peter Tchaikovsky, conductor. There is coffee from Arabia, tea from China, candy canes from Russia, and chocolate from Spain. This cheerful ornament inspired by the classic holiday story features the Nutcracker's face complete with mustache, while his tall red soldier's hat features delicate gold embroidery for that classic Christmas feel you love. "The Nutcracker" is based on the book "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," by E.T.A. The woodwinds are less obvious, taking a more background/textural role. After finding it, Clara falls asleep with the nutcracker in her arms and begins a long, mystical dream. He was drawn to Hoffmanns The Nutcracker, as re-written by Alexandre Dumas senior, which was enjoying popularity in Russia. Stephanie has taught studio art and art history classes to audiences of all ages. Throughout the ballet, the music is light, playful, and at times dramatic. Now a Christmas classic, the work contributed to the nutcracker's fame worldwide. Tchaikovsky stayed in Rouen until 5/17 April. The libretto was compiled by Ivan Vsevolozhsky and Marius Petipa [6], after the story of Histoire d'un Casse-Noisette (1845) by Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870), which was an adaptation from the German of Der Nuknacker und Mauseknig (1816) by E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822) [7]. 1, http://archiv.narodni-divadlo.cz/default.aspx?jz=cs&dk=Inscenace.aspx&ic=984&sz=0&fo=000&ju=0&abc=0&pn=256affcc-f203-2000-85ff-c11223344aaa, https://en.tchaikovsky-research.net/index.php?title=The_Nutcracker&oldid=58805, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Even on the way here I composed a little of the ballet", Tchaikovsky wrote from Berlin on 8/20 March 1891 [25]. The story was based on a children's fairy tale by E. T. A. Hoffmann, adapted by Alexandre Dumas . Few works of art are as synonymous with the holiday season asPetipa, Ivanov, and Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker," with an iconic score instantly recognizable around the world. The fact that it was originally to be staged as part of a double bill with Yolanta might also explain the ballets length, yet there was nothing in the contract Tchaikovsky signed to suggest that the two works should be indissolubly linked, and after the initial run of performances the opera and ballet went their separate ways. It's the most implausible American tradition imaginable, an import from fin-de-sicle Russia straight to your hometown. Choreographic duties fell to Petipas assistant, Lev Ivanov. The mice, led by The Mouse King, battle with the soldiers, now led by The Nutcracker. But the composer did not write the music for this scene straight away, noting down only a few sketches eventually used for the gallop, beside the note: "This is the start of the coda, composed during a stroll in Piter [Petersburg]". A. Drosselmeyer also gives Clara a nutcracker. On 20 April/2 May, the composer wrote from New York to Eduard Npravnk: "I cannot start working again before June at the earliest otherwise whatever I tried to write would turn out wretchedly" [33]. Clara's godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer, arrives late to the party. No! We cant be certain, as no correspondence from this early stage in The Nutcrackers creation has been found: possibly as was the case with Sleeping Beauty Tchaikovsky initially discussed the project face-to-face with Vsevolozhsky without a formal contract. On 25 February/9 March, the composer wrote to Modest Tchaikovsky: "I am working with all my strength and reconciling myself to the subject of the ballet. 23 in A, II. Jacob Grimm, the oldest of the famous Brothers Grimm, also wrote about nutcrackers in his treatise on Germanic mythology, "Deutsche Mythologie," from 1835. Remembering avant-garde artist Mary Bauermeister, Belgian court paves way for Iran prisoner swap treaty, Palestinians in occupied West Bank live with uncertainty, Thousands of migrants have died in South Texas. Hoffmann wrote the story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" in 1816. Experience the magic of the holidays as it comes to life on stage in the Nutcracker! The result, by all accounts, was too ill-disciplined to charm its audience. "The first theme" in the overture, Scott Speck said, "is light and perky and it really evokes the character of a music box and the kind of thing you'd hear if you wound up a music box." The Nutcracker is transformed into a prince and Clara into a princess. Clara and her nutcracker, transformed into a prince, travel into the Land of Sweets, ruled by a sugar plum fairy. Trepak is one dance from a set of dances found in Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, a ballet from 1892. Another orchestral colour unfamiliar to Tchaikovskys audience was the purring of flutter-tongued flutes, a technique he had recently learned from a flautist who had once been his harmony student: he used this sound to depict the cascading river of Rose essence which greets the arrival of Clara and her Nutcracker prince in Act II. It is a Russian dance featuring squat-kicks and an energetic rhythm. The dolls spring to life, and gingerbread soldiers left over from tea begin to march to and fro. From an early age, Tchaikovsky had relished stage works involving magic or fantasy such as Webers Der Freischtz and Mozarts Don Giovanni. After that, we get started, when the french horns begin the real waltz part. The music in "The Nutcracker" was composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Jeffrey A. Tucker. During the Christmas season, the poor could celebrate their hard year of work by having the nutcrackers break nuts at their command a satisfactory act of political subversion. 17 and Nos. In the Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy (No. Why We Love "The Nutcracker". 71a, 5. He's a skilled clock and toymaker and he comes with gifts for the children. Are we underwater? Vsevolozhskys approach would be emulated and then developed in the early 20th century by the legendary impresario, Serge Diaghilev. On 25 March/6 April he wrote to Jurgenson: "I've finished the ballet; all that remains is to insert the markings and put it in order" [46]. Even beside these exotic colours, Tchaikovskys mastery of evocative orchestral colours remains peerless. Songs from The Nutcracker are commonly referenced and used in pop culture, particularly around Christmastime. At the head of the opening Scene (Act II, No. The ballet begins during a Christmas Eve party, where a girl named Clara is delighted when her godfather Drosselmeyer arrives with toys, including a nutcracker that she takes a liking to, but her brother Fritz breaks it (via Nutcracker Ballet). Check out the big harp cadenza in the beginning im sure that this passage has become an almost archetypal idea of the sound of the harp, if that makes any sense. She has an undergraduate degree from Penn State University in Animal Bioscience, a master's degree from Arcadia University in Secondary Education, and is currently pursuing her second master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Gannon University. The toy instruments are used in Act I (No. It looks like the mice are going to win until Clara throws her slipper at their king, killing him; the nutcracker then escorts Clara through a land of snow, turning into a handsome prince in the process. It is based on E. T. Hoffmann's "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". The grim-mouthed nutcrackers symbolized good luck. Tchaikovsky stayed in Saint Petersburg until 11/23 February, where, evidently, he received the choreographer Marius Petipa's manuscript plan of the first act of the ballet, which was dated "5 February 1891" [O.S.] And another new scene lets talk instruments here. By April, having composed Nutcrackers overture and first five numbers, as well as the Waltz of the Snowflakes, he had reached the end of his tether. After this he wrote: "Return to No. These pieces are all relatively short some almost miniatures. So well look at a bunch of the 8 movements, but not all of them. William Christensen's production with the San Francisco Ballet on 24 December 1944 was the first complete performance in the United States. On 27 February/11 March, after sketching the night scene (Clara's vision), Tchaikovsky wrote: "Here I am leaving out a lot, up to the Waltz of the Snowflakes". Tchaikovsky was previously known for his famous ballet, Swan Lake. (LogOut/ Youve probably heard bits and pieces on TV (especially during the wintertime), and it was also featured in the original Fantasia, if you saw that. The music was composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and features the use of instruments like the celesta. Tchaikovsky probably wouldn't have believed that his ballet would one day become an international success, and sadly he did not live long enough to find out. Selections from The Nutcracker were first performed as an orchestral suite in March 1892. Though everyone is familiar with the "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies," less are certain why those sugarplum fairies are dancing in the first place. The toy soldiers Drosselmeyer had gifted to Clara and Fritz were also life-sized and were now fighting the mice. It is also often used to symbolize a person or thing that protects someone or something else. At such moments Uncle Pyotr, red in the face, wet with perspiration as he sang the tune, presented a pretty amusing sight.. The Russian ballet initially received mixed reviews. He goes to the dead Mouse King and . I arrived in Petersburg, and this morning here. The Land of the Sweets is the Prince's home, where he rules from the Marzipan Palace. Next: Wrap-up of Tchaikovsky, and further suggested listening. It should be obtainable in any musical store". Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, Op. (LogOut/ Returning to Frolovskoye on 22 February/6 March, Tchaikovsky made notes in his sketchbook after the start of the Trepak: "Not finished, because during a visit to Saint Petersburg I learned that Vsevolozhsky did not want dances here and, probably, they will be carried over to the 2nd act". Petipa, having (rather grudgingly, one suspects) cast the roles of Clara, her brother Fritz and the Nutcracker with students from the theatre school, then inconveniently (or possibly conveniently from his point of view) fell ill just as the ballet went into rehearsal. Just as it looks like the nutcracker is going to lose, Clara saves him with a well-timed throw of her slipper, which hits the mouse king and knocks him out. Tchaikovsky's original score contains an overture and 15 numbers. The Nutcracker opened in Saint Petersburg Russia in 1892. Tchaikovsky and Vsevolozhsky had planned from the outset that children would play a major role in The Nutcracker, a highly unusual and controversial decision for that time. Starting with Sleeping Beauty (1890), he created productions in which music, choreography and design (he himself designing many hundreds of splendid costumes) were united into a single concept, rather than, as had previously been the case, haphazardly thrown together. Here, the brass take the back seat. (LogOut/ The Nutcracker is about an adventure taken on by a young girl, Clara, and a life-sized nutcracker that has come to life. The right picture features a model dating back to ca. This was Tchaikovsky's last ballet, from which he compiled a famous Suite of eight numbers for concert performance. Dolls and soldiers join in battle with the mice, who overwhelm the soldiers. Notes by Katherine Baber. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 5, Op. Today, the decorative Christmas figures are collected by people all over the world. Betsy Schwarm is a music historian based in Colorado. The "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" is one of the final dances of the ballet. The ballet proper debuted in December of that year. Adagio, 1. Clara and the Nutcracker Prince, led by Drosselmeyer, fly through the clouds in the Chestnut Shell Boat and arrive at the gates of Candy Kingdom. The Nutcracker Suite, Op. It helped, too, that the celestas sound is reminiscent of the musical boxes one might expect to find in Drosselmeyers clockwork world. Swan Lake: the story behind Tchaikovsky's great ballet score, The best (and worst) recordings of Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet. Unlike pliers, the pivot point is located at the end beyond the nut, rather than in the middle. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Beethoven Symphony No. Beethoven Symphony No. She holds a master's degree in Art History. Some of the most familiar and beloved music comes from the second act, including a spirited Russian dance, the 'Trepak'; the 'Chinese Dance'; the 'Waltz of the Flowers'; and the 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.' You can unsubscribe at any time. Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy. Dance of the Reed-Flutes. The Nutcracker Suite is a sparkly little box of jewels made up of highlights from Tchaikovsky's fairy tale ballet The Nutcracker, which has become a Christmas staple around the world: conductor . Some critics found the choreography chaotic and the performances inconsistent. The newspapers reviled Tchaikovsky, and he did not live to see the piece succeed. This date, together with the note "Rouen" was made by the composer on the inside front cover of his notebook, which on its first pages contains sketches for the opening of the second scene of Act I [28]. In the Ukrainian language the trepak is known as tropak (or tripak).. In the main A theme, a trio of flutes carries the melody, and theyre accompanied by pizzicato (pits-ih-COT-toe) strings plucked with a finger, rather than played with a bow. And also send notes, explaining how the children's instruments should be played" [20].