Tchaikovsky Research : The Nutcracker (suite), Op. 71a (TH 35)

Catalogue References	TH 35 ; ČW 32
Date	January–February 1892 (arranged from the ballet The Nutcracker)
Tempo/Section Listing	Ouverture miniature. Allegro giusto (B♭ major, 182 bars) Danses caractéristiques: (a) Marche. Tempo di marcia viva (G major, 88 bars) (b) Danse de la Fée Dragée. Andante non troppo (E minor, 84 bars) (c) Danse russe. Trepak. Tempo di trépak, molto vivace (G major, 84 bars) (d) Danse arabe. Allegro (G minor, 102 bars) (e) Danse chinoise. Allegro moderato (B♭ major, 32 bars) (f) Danse des mirlitons. Allegro (D major, 77 bars) Valse des fleurs. Tempo di valse (D major, 353 bars)
Instrumentation	Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, English Horn; 2 Clarinets (B♭, A), Bass Clarinet (B♭), 2 Bassoons + 4 Horns (F), 2 Trumpets (A), 3 Trombones, Tuba + Timpani, Triangle, Cymbals, Glockenspiel, Tambourine + Celesta, Harp + Violins I, Violins II, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses
Notable Performances	Saint Petersburg, 7/19 March 1892, conducted by Tchaikovsky Moscow, 1st Electrical Exhibition concert, 4 July 1892, conducted by Vojtěch Hlaváč Chicago, Auditorium, 10/22 October 1892, conducted by Theodore Thomas Brussels, 2/14 January 1893, conducted by Tchaikovsky Odessa, 1st RMS symphony concert, 16 January 1893, conducted by Tchaikovsky Odessa, Rishelyevskaya School charity concert, 21 January 1893, conducted by Tchaikovsky (2 unspecified movements only) Odessa, 3rd RMS symphony concert, 24 January 1893, conducted by Tchaikovsky Moscow, special RMS symphony concert, 14 February 1893, conducted by Tchaikovsky Moscow, Eduard Nápravník’s concert, 7 March 1893, conducted by Tchaikovsky London, Queen’s Hall, 5/17 October 1896, conducted by Henry Wood
Autograph Location	Klin (Russia): Tchaikovsky House-Museum Archive (a1, No. 46)
First Publication	Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1892
Average Duration	23 minutes
External Links	IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library (downloadable score) Wikipedia (article)

History

The suite from the ballet The Nutcracker originated as a result of a request from the Saint Petersburg branch of the Russian Musical Society for Tchaikovsky to provide something from his new ballet to be performed at a concert on 29 February/12 March 1892, and for him to conduct this music himself [1]. At that time Tchaikovsky was preparing to orchestrate the ballet, and he began with the numbers which he had decided to select for the suite.

Among the surviving rough sketches of the ballet, and also among notes on the manuscripts and other documents, are a number of variants of titles of the suite. Originally, Tchaikovsky intended to call it "Suite from the ballet The Fir Tree" [Сюита из балета «Елка»] [2], or "Suite from the ballet The Christmas Tree" [Сюита из балета «Рождественская елка»] [3]. This title was changed much later to "Suite from music to the ballet The Nutcracker (Casse-Noisette)" [4].

The earliest lists of numbers for the suite also contained Chocolate (Spanish Dance) and Final Waltz. The second movement of the suite — Characteristic Dances — was to be called In the Kingdom of Sweets and Toys [«В царстве лакомств и игруншек»]. The Trepak dance was originally called Russian Dance, the Pipe Dance [«Танец пастушков»] was Reed Pipes [«Свирелки»], and The Sugar Plum Fairy [«Фея драже»] was The Sweet Fairy [«Фея конфект»].

Tchaikovsky began orchestrating the suite on 28 January/9 February 1892 [5]. By 31 January/12 February 1892 the first number of the suite was ready [6]. On 8/20 February, at Maydanovo, the orchestration of the suite was completed (according to a note on the manuscript full score of the suite).

The concert for which the suite was compiled took place on 7/19 March 1892 (the ninth symphony concert of the Saint Petersburg branch of the Russian Musical Society). The author conducted.

On 9/21 March the composer wrote to Pyotr Jurgenson: "The suite from the ballet was a success. I don’t think it would be a bad idea to publish it" [7]. The full score of the suite was issued by Jurgenson in June 1892.

At the request of the Russian Musical Society, Tchaikovsky donated the manuscript full score of the suite to the library of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, and it carries the inscriptions: "To the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, as a souvenir of the concert on 7 March 1892. P. Tchaikovsky" [8].

For many years the full score was believed to have been lost; it was discovered by chance by the conductor E. P. Zablotsky among some unrelated papers in 1946, and transferred to the P. I. Tchaikovsky House-Museum at Klin.

The Nutcracker

(Щелкунчик)

History

Notes: