Tchaikovsky - Pytor Illych Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker - Complete Ballet
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Free Music Notes for Pytor Illych Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker - Complete Ballet
Free Music Review: What universal cultural globalization should be
Hit: 5 Stars
This ballet inspired from Hoffmann's tales and the French version by Alexandre Dumas the Elder, is a Christmas Carol that tells us a beautiful story about the imaginary world and the dreamins capability of children. It all starts so nicely with a Christmas party and Christmas presents. But a certain Councillor Drosselmeyer (we can choose between a reference to a thrush or to strangling in this character) comes and brings strange boxes on a modernistic, avant-garde, lopsided and warped music. It is disquieting and frightening, at least for children, and the tale is going to show children feed their wildest imagination on their fears. Here comes a beautiful doll, the Nutcracker, who is for Clara. But the doll is broken by the rough and rude boys. The desolation that ensues will bring Clara back to her doll in the middle of the night and she will be taken to the castle of the Prince this Nutcracker reveals himself to be, the Kingdom of Sweets, the Castle of all sweet desserts on the Sugar Mountain under the control of the Sugar-Plum Fairy. We thus go beyond the looking glass and discover a world of bonbons and sugarpies, of desserts and all kinds of entertainments. But Tchaikovsky is a lot more than just a storyteller. He is a real looting and raiding pirate for the music of absolutely any country and any tradition, among others France, Georgia, the Ukraine, Germany, you name it you can be sure you'll have it. He is the first globalized musician in the 19th century, one century ahead of history. That gives to his music a charm and an appeal that covers the whole world. What's more he uses all instruments in the most creative way and particularly strings, flutes, celesta, horns and many others, in order to create a changing atmosphere that is supposed to reflect the multifarious and evanescent imagination of children who project very general desires and impulses in an everchanging dream and vision. This ballet, that practically no one can produce any more because of the cost of the setting and costumes, has become a universal treasure, a worldwide ambassador for Russian culture,and so many other cultures at the same time, a precursor of what was to come a century later after many great crises, many great revolutions, many hot or cold wars, the detente and finally a world that is free of blocks. And yet Tchaikovsky saw farther and knew that strife, fear, evil are deeply embedded in human nature, in the ruthless boys who destroy the doll, in the voracious mice or rats that are nothing but the dark side of humanity. And in spite of that there is always somewhere, apparently here among girls, the power to dream a world of peace, love and sweetness. And every single instrument in the orchestra brings its little note to this masterwork, its little brick or stone to this eternal wall of beauty.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Perpignan
Free Music Review: The Faster the Better, Dance On, Dance On!
Hit: 5 Stars
There is a very healthy defense called "denial" by which the human psyche protects itself from information too troubling for its system to handle. I have noted people using this defense lately to try to convince themselves that Valery Gergiev doesn't do all that he does. For example, a critic prattled about a recent performance with the Mariinsky (Kirov to us Westerners)that it somehow might be different when Gergiev "leaves" the Kirov for London (where he takes up directorship of the LSO next year). Leaves? Who said anything about leaving? He didn't leave when he directed or guest directed the gazillion other orchestras in the last twenty years. He's just going to keep going hither and thither, looking like a walking advertisement for No-Doz and creating better music than most of us could hope to.
I have heard others say, "Oh, well, you know he just *plays* ballet music, he doesn't conduct for dancers." Valery Abisalovitch is the artistic director of the theater he single-handedly rescued from ruin. He conducts opera. He conducts orchestral works. He conducts ballet. As one can see on the Mariinsky website. So yes, if you're wondering about the tempi on this CD, the tempi Tchaikovsky intended originally for this work, the Mariinsky dancers dance *that fast*.
Now, the only thing wrong with this CD is that you will wish you were at the theater in St. Petersburg, seeing perhaps Ruzimatov and Vishneva in the Pas de Deux, instead of listening to the music alone. Although if you close your eyes, you might be able to conjure the vision. Gergiev brings out every subtle sound from the orchestra. The sotto voce triangle brings an elegant but not overstated joyfulness as Clara plays with the Nutcracker for the first time. The strings climb piano to fortepiano to signify the start of battle between the Nutcracker and Mouse King before the trumpet takes over.
One of the most beautiful pieces is the chorus in the Waltz of the Snowflakes. The tube recording makes this so crisp and clear it truly does sound like one is looking through a wintry white woods as big snowflakes fall all around.
I find this recording to be much clearer than the Ballet Suites recording done in 1988. And it's a small thing, but the picture up front is precious, isn't it?
Next to seeing the ballet, which of course is always best, I do not hesitate to recommend this CD.
Free Music Review: Don't Hesitate in Buying This CD
Hit: 5 Stars
I have heard rival recordings (Previn, Ashkenzy, Dorati, Ormandy) and they have their good points. I have seen the ballet. I thought I knew this score backwards and forwards, then I heard Valery Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra on this recording and realized that I had been missing a lot. This recording is almost perfect. Many other reviewers have complained about how fast the tempos seem and how they couldn't be danced to it but they are wrong about this. I bought the complete score (Dover just recently issued it) and Gergiev's tempos are pretty much on the mark and match what the score indicates they should be (for example, The score indicates that No 3 (the "Galop of the Children" - it's right after the march) should be played at 168 beats per minute. That's fast but that's the way Tchaikovsky wanted it and Gergiev follows the composer's tempo markings throughout. He is even a little slower than indicated on a couple of numbers. Tchaikovsky's orchestrations are masterful and the Philips engineers have managed to make the listener hear most every little detail in this score. For me this was most noticed in the Snowflake Waltz and Mother Ginger sections. One of the pitfalls of such a detailed recording is that it tends to blow small flaws up. The trumpets in this recording seem to be a bit harsh and, unfortunately come across as the weakest part of this fine orchestra. Fianlly, this is a recording that is meant to be listened to, not danced to. I know that sounds silly but all these people saying that it can't be danced to need to realize that this interpretation is not meant to be danced, it is meant to be heard as a continuous, symphonic piece (and the one disc helps this tremendously). Gergiev and his forces convey all the charm, subtlety, drama and playfulness of this score masterfully. If you want to hear a wonderful interpretation of "The Nutcracker" then this is the CD for you.Free Music Review: Gergiev Nutcracker - Excellent
Hit: 5 Stars
RECORDING:
Tchaikovky's famous ballet, the Nutcracker (Op. 71) is among the greatest classical compositions ever composed. Despite people saying that this recording is too fast, this is an excellent recording. While it is faster than most other recordings, it is for that reason that this recording is so much better than others. The Nutcracker is supposed to be fast and it sounds much better when it is fast. Valery Gergiev is a great conductor, and his Nutcracker is one of his best recordings. I definitely recommend this recording.
MUSIC:
The Nutcracker starts out with Scene 1- The Christmas Tree. This scene is very serene and hypnotizing. The second scene is the famous march which moves into more march-like music. Scene 4 is a depiction of the many wonders of Christmas and is my favorite scene. Then comes the lively grandfather dance and a mystical waltz. Scene 7 includes a toy drum in the background as the epic battle between the Nutcracker and the Mouse King is held, this turns into a serene waltz scene. Scene 9 includes a women's chorus to make the sound of the wind and I consider that to be one of the main highlights of this piece. Scenes 10 and 11 are impressionistic scenes of Clara and the Nutcracker. The most famous part of this ballet is Scene 12 - Character Dances. In this scene is included most of the parts of the Nutcracker Suite such as the Chinese Dance, Russian Dance, and Dance of the Reed Flutes. Next comes the Waltz of the Flowers and then the Pas de Deux with Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Finally, at Scene 15 is the Closing Waltz which is probably the greatest waltz ever written. The ending is a very satisfying with rumbling tympani and a triumphant orchestra.
Free Music Review: A Nutcracker that deserves more acculades
Hit: 5 Stars
Of all the recordings by Gergiev I own, I feel more than ready to consider this among his more pleasing efforts. Gergiev brings a new perspective to this well-worn Tchaiokvsy chestnut, such that it is given a more robust performance than typically given during the myriad of Christmas ballet productions. From the lightness of the overture to the weighty grandeur of the finale, Gergiev ably fleshes out the contrasting moods in the score. Adopting generally brisk speeds, he adopts continuity yet still churns out a magical performance for one to revel in the many felicities of the score. The dramatic mood is suitably conveyed in the transformation scene, and the many famous dances in the Suite are given crisp, robust readings. The two Pas de deux scenes and the various Waltzes convey a stately grandeur, especially during the Waltz of the Flowers. Yet there is also a delicacy in the Sugarplum Fairy's Dance, the Arabian Dance and the Dance of the Reed Pipes. Throughout Gergiev elicits a robust sound from the Kirov Orchestra, with a fine balance between the sections, except perhaps for the wobbly Russian brass. The Philips recording is superb, one of their best recent recordings, sumptuous yet clean and well-detailed. An added bonus is the fact that this Nutcracker only takes up one CD rather than two. Highly highly recommended, especially since this fresh and robust rendition seems destined to put other Nutcrackers to shame.
P.S. This "concert" Nutcracker is different from the other balletic Nutcrackers available, but this is a fine, handsome recording on its own terms.