Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker is a ballet lover’s dream with a rich history.
Every December, ballet lovers flock to the theatre in their finest attire to attend a holiday favorite, The Nutcracker. With gorgeous costumes, complex dances and familiar scores in front of dazzling sets, Tchaikovsky’s famed ballet stands the test of time. As the world gets ready to once again enter the land of Clara and her beloved Nutcracker this holiday season, we’ll explore the story behind one of Tchaikovsky’s most famous works of musical history.
Tchaikovsky Does It Again
In 1890, Pyter Tchaikovsky’s composition of “Sleeping Beauty,” in partnership with choreographer Marius Petipa, received a whirlwind of recognition. Following its success, the Imperial Theatre commissioned Tchaikovsky to compose two more programs — a ballet and an opera. The opera went on to become “Iolanta”.
For the ballet, Tchaikovsky found inspiration from “The Story of a Nutcracker” by Alexandre Dumas, an adaption of a beloved children’s story, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” by E.T.A. Hoffman. Tchaikovsky once again joined forces with Petipa for the choreography and design of the story.
The first performance of the ballet took place in 1892 at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was not considered a critical success and received some poor reviews for its dancers and musical story movement. Despite the disappointing opening, over the next few decades, the ballet traveled outside of Russia and made its way to countries like England and the United States. Nearly 40 years after its original debut, the ballet premiered in Western countries where it gained commercial success and quickly imprinted itself in holiday history.
Entering Clara’s World
“The Nutcracker” invites you into the world of a young girl, Clara, who has just received a beautiful nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve. As Christmas approaches, Clara’s imagination creates a thrilling tale that ensues at the foot of her family’s Christmas tree, with the nutcracker and other toy friends coming to life.
With the evil Mouse King and his minions running wild through her home, Clara must help the Nutcracker-turned-Prince restore his place on the throne. Over the two-act ballet, they travel through many magical settings like a Pine Forest and the Land of the Sweets, where they encounter many beloved characters like the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Polichinelles and the snowflakes before Clara makes her way home and says goodbye to her Nutcracker Prince.
“The Nutcracker Suite”
Ahead of the ballet’s premier in December 1892, Tchaikovsky debuted selections from the musical score in March of 1892. In a twist of fate, Tchaikovsky was due to compose and perform selections from “The Voyevoda,” which had been accidentally destroyed earlier that year and the ballet composition served as a substitute for patrons.
“The Nutcracker Suite” included selections from the ballet that were condensed into smaller movements. While the ballet was still a work in progress, the suite included additional musical scores that were later removed ahead of the ballet debut and also featured musical titles different from the final acts. While the ballet itself was not met with positive reviews, the suite was actually a huge success from the start and went on to standalone celebrations in its own right.
A Lasting Legacy
132 years since the original suite and ballet performances, “The Nutcracker” is one the most famous ballets in the world. Today, many different versions of the ballet exist from a variety of famed choreographers, each adding their own interpretations and tastes against the beloved musical movements of Tchaikovsky. Each year the ballet is host to new visitors of Clara’s world, whether they’ve seen the show in theaters or watched it on television as it’s aired each holiday season by a number of major networks.
Tchaikovsky’s influence goes beyond the ballet itself. The musical suite has found its own fame as it is adapted by other works and was famously featured in Walt Disney’s classic, “Fantasia,” alongside other shows and movies. Clara’s story was also adapted by Disney in their 2018 film, “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms,” which serves as a newly imagined homage to E.T.A Hoffman’s original story and the creative work of Tchaikovsky and Petipa. Whether you’re an old familiar or a new explorer of Tchaikovsky’s work in “The Nutcracker,” there is always more to see and learn from this heartwarming Christmas classic, perfect for the entire family.
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Carley Bishop
Carley is an editorial lifestyle writer and aspiring novelist. She is based in North Carolina where she resides with her husband and their puppy, Daisy, and is a proud graduate of University of South Carolina. Carley is a lifelong bookworm who enjoys reading everything from the classics to modern romances. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys traveling, getting outside and trying new recipes at home.
