Classical Music Discoveries

Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker, which has its origins in a novella by E. T. A. Hoffmann, contains some of the best-loved music ever written. But its composer wasn’t very happy with it, perhaps because the plot he was given to work with allowed him to present only a series of dances, losing the moral basis of Hoffman’s surprisingly modern tale, with its messages of inclusivity and what is now called ‘women’s agency’ – here it is the little girl who saves the prince. Hoffmann’s aspirational story continues well after the ballet ends, with the little girl, now grown up, marrying the prince, who is now king. John Mauceri has brought the ballet back to its inspiration, calling on music from elsewhere in Tchaikovsky’s orchestral output to fashion this ‘retelling’, marrying Hoffmann’s text and Tchaikovsky’s music for the first time.  

Tracks

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King

1. Overture (2:11)

Part One: Nuremberg, 1416 (19:04)

1. Once a Long Time Ago (2:57)
2. The Mousetrap! (1:59)
3. Princess Pirlipat (1:59)
4. The Curse (3:54)
5. Searching for a Cure (4:18)
6. The Krakatuk Nut (2:19)
7. The Curse is Lifted (0:27)
8. The Mouse Queen’s Death (1:11)

Transition

1. The Drosselmeyers (2:36)

Part Two: Nuremberg, 1816 (42:08)

1. Christmas Eve (2:11)
2. Godfather Drosselmeyer (1:20)
3. The Miniature Marzipan Castle (1:18)
4. The Nutcracker (3:04)
5. Stranger Things (2:30)
6. The Great Battle (1:16)
7. After the Dream (2:04)
8. Drosselmeyer’s Story (2:50)
9. Marie’s Devotion (1:30)
10. The Mouse King Returns (2:25)
11. Fritz’s Sabre (3:24)
12. The Great Voyage Begins (2:30)
13. Candy Meadow (1:54)
14. The Mechanical Ballet Troupe (1:47)
15. Sailing on Rose Petals (5:08)
16. The Capital City (2:24)
17. The Marzipan Castle (3:07)
18. Empty Twaddle! (1:26)

Part Three: Nuremberg, 1834-Today (9:11)

1. As Time Goes By (1:43)
2. Nathaniel Drosselmeyer (1:37)
3. The King’s Proposal (3:05)
4. Epilogue (2:46)

First Recording

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This album is broadcast with the permission of Sean Dacy from Rosebrook Media.