Peter Iljitsch Tschaikowsky

The Nutcracker, Op. 71, No. 15

The Nutcracker is a two-act “fairy ballet” written by Peter Iljitsch Tschaikowsky (1840-1893). Based on E. T. A. Hoffmann’s 1816 short story, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” the original 1892 production, choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov in Saint Petersburg, was not considered a success, although the 20-minute suite extracted by the composer was. Starting in the 1960s, the popularity of the full ballet has grown enormously, with frequent performances every Christmas season among the major ballet companies. The “Final Waltz and Apotheosis” is the final dance by all of the sweets in the Land of Sweets as Clara and Prince exit. Instrumentation: 2+Picc.2+EH.2+BCl.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp.Perc(1-2): Hp(2).Clst: Str (4-4-3-3-3 in set).