Program Notes

Piotr Illyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

The Nutcracker

Turning up every year like a favorite friend, The Nutcracker by Piotr Illyich Tchaikovsky is one of those works that seems always to have existed. But since we know it was written during Tchaikovsky's life, then presumably there must have been a time when the ballet didn't exist. And if you guessed that it was anytime before 1890, you'd be right.

Following the huge success of Tchaikovsky's ballet The Sleeping Beauty , A. Vsevolozhsky, the director of Russia's Imperial Theaters, decided that The Nutcracker , a story by E. T. A. Hoffmann would be the perfect inspiration for a new work that would bring the same kind of acclaim. M.I. Petipa, the choreographer of Sleeping Beauty was hired and was asked to supply Tchaikovsky with the scenario. This he did – in much annoying detail:

An empty stage. The moon shines into the dining room through the window. 8 bars of mysterious and delicate music. Clara quickly returns to look at her darling Nutcracker once more. 8 bars, still more mysterious music for her entrance. Something frightens her. 2 bars. She trembles. She goes up to the Nutcracker's bed – a fantastic flame seems to be glowing there. 8 bars of fantastic and still more mysterious music. The clock strikes midnight. A pause in the music. A short tremolo... 5 bars to imitate mice scratching and another 4 bars for their squeaking... After the squeaking, 8 bars of accelerating music ending in a chord.

Tchaikovsky was understandably upset at being told how his music should sound. He seriously considered withdrawing from the project. But then, on a trip to Paris, he was introduced to the celesta.

The unique sound of the keyboard instrument reminded him of one of Petipa's instructions that the Sugar Plum Fairy's music should sound like sprays of a fountain. Tchaikovsky immediately had one shipped to him and was now fully inspired to write the music for The Nutcracker , using this find as a starting point. But he was also a little paranoid: "Have it sent directly to St. Petersburg . . . but no one there must know about it. I am afraid others might hear of it and make use of the effect before I could. I expect the instrument will make a tremendous sensation."

Work progressed slowly, but by March, 1892, Tchaikovsky was ready to introduce some of the music to the public. The now famous Nutcracker Suite , taken directly from the unfinished score of the complete ballet was an overwhelming success. But the fully realized production was another story.

At its world premiere in December, 1892, the reviews were mixed and the attitudes divided. It is hard to imagine, but by Tchaikovsky's death only a year later, what was to become the most famous ballet of all time had only been performed four times and was nearly forgotten.

But, as we know, the story has a happy ending. There were those who refused to give up on the work, and by the early part of the 20 th century, The Nutcracker became an established tradition in Russia, Europe, and finally America.

It is difficult now to imagine that time before 1890, and The Nutcracker will remain the Christmas tradition that is a delightful discovery for our children, and for the child in all of us, the one that's always been there.