The Nutcracker

Fans of the Nutcracker Suite who are looking for more of the same type of music need look no further than the complete ballet, which contains almost four times as much music as the eight-movement suite. The suite includes much of the most striking music, but the entire ballet is a lovely, lyrical piece that should appeal to fans of graceful Romantic orchestral music. Mikhail Pletnev, leading the Russian National Orchestra and the Vesna Children's Choir, delivers an elegant account of the score.

On the 18th December, 1892 at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, 'The Nutcracker' was first introduced to the world. Now, almost 125 years since that opening night and from the very same hall, the Mariinsky’s current Artistic Director, Valery Gergiev, reveals only his second recording of Tchaikovsky’s ballet masterpiece. A perfectly judged realisation of one of classical music’s most cherished works.

Tchaikovsky's most famous and one of Classical music's most beloved works performed by Sir Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker. This special, limited edition 2-SACD set features a 52 page booklet detailing the history and context of the work through photographs, illustrations, essays as well as an introduction from Sir Simon Rattle himself.