Tchaikovsky Nutcracker

Simon Rattle recorded Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky's festive ballet the Nutcracker in 2009 with the Berlin Philharmonic, and this double-disc package is a first-rate presentation of the beloved holiday favorite. Rattle's approach is warm and inviting, and the music is played with brilliant flair and playful buoyancy. A late-comer to appreciating other works by Tchaikovsky, Rattle claims he always had a special affection for the ballets, and found the Nutcracker especially interesting when he learned of its influence on Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka. This is not to say that Rattle conducts this work in a revisionist or ironic manner, à la Stravinsky, for there is a richness here that is pure Tchaikovsky. Yet a case could be made that Rattle interprets the work with little sentimentality and with an ear for the piquant, and in that manner makes a connection between the two great Russian composers. The Berlin Philharmonic is exceptional in its radiant colors, full textures, and cohesive playing, and the Nutcracker is a delight with such a superb ensemble. EMI's reproduction is also deserving of praise, for the digital sound is as close to state-of-the-art as possible in a regular CD format, and the audio range is wide and deep, with every note easy to hear.

Simon Rattle recorded Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky's festive ballet the Nutcracker in 2009 with the Berlin Philharmonic, and this double-disc package is a first-rate presentation of the beloved holiday favorite. Rattle's approach is warm and inviting, and the music is played with brilliant flair and playful buoyancy. A late-comer to appreciating other works by Tchaikovsky, Rattle claims he always had a special affection for the ballets, and found the Nutcracker especially interesting when he learned of its influence on Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka. This is not to say that Rattle conducts this work in a revisionist or ironic manner, à la Stravinsky, for there is a richness here that is pure Tchaikovsky. Yet a case could be made that Rattle interprets the work with little sentimentality and with an ear for the piquant, and in that manner makes a connection between the two great Russian composers. The Berlin Philharmonic is exceptional in its radiant colors, full textures, and cohesive playing, and the Nutcracker is a delight with such a superb ensemble. EMI's reproduction is also deserving of praise, for the digital sound is as close to state-of-the-art as possible in a regular CD format, and the audio range is wide and deep, with every note easy to hear.

This "Nutcracker" is a fresh, imaginative new arrangement of one of the most famous works of classical music
Following the albums "Swan Lake" and "Sleeping Beauty," the new album completes the trilogy of Tchaikovsky's music arranged by Estonian conductor Kristjan Järvi. The first two albums of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic under Järvi were internationally praised: "Brilliantly orchestrated throughout and also extremely catchy melodically - some pieces have downright earworm character" (Fono Forum), "wild dances, igniting rhythms, fulminant choruses and soulfully poetic moments" (Audio)

Just in time for the 2007 Holiday season, Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra record selections from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker for the GRAMMY Award-winning Telarc label. This family favorite is guaranteed to appeal to all ages!

Tchaikovsky’s perennial holiday favorite- a sparkling recording of all the best-loved highlights from the ballet.

The Baltic Sea Philharmonic and Kristjan Järvi will take the seasonal concert to a new dimension on their ‘Nutcracker Reimagined’ tour of Germany and Switzerland in December 2022.

A young girl’s enchanted present leads her on a wonderful adventure in this classic ballet, danced to Tchaikovsky’s glittering score. Live at Royal Opera House, London CG, on December 16, 2015.

A magnificient live performance Tchaikovsky's classic at Royal Opera House, London December 12, 2016.

During the 140 years of its existence, the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire de Paris was the most stable and the best orchestra in the city of Paris. Shortly before the Revolution, the composer Gossec and others founded the Ecole Royale de Chant (Royal Singing School) with fifteen students in 1784. The National Directory established a country-wide system of musical education with a Conservatoire Superior (the Paris Conservatoire) as the head institution. It took over the staff of the former Ecole Royale de Chant and opened in October, 1796, with 115 professors and 351 pupils. In its very first season, the Conservatoire initiated its practice of giving an annual concert featuring its prizewinning students.