Tchaikovsky and the Nutcracker

1. THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC
ESSENTIAL LISTENING
EDITION
by
Kristine Forney
Andrew Dell’Antonio
Joseph Machlis
THIRD EDITION
Lecture Slides

2. Ballet
• During Renaissance, choreographed dance central to lavish
festivals & theatrical entertainments at court
• Intermedio, Italy; Masque, England; ballet de cour, France
• Independent art form in 18th
century
• French ballet
• Russian ballet
• (Hoffer book)

3. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
(1840-1893)
• Born in Votinsk, Russia
• Studied law, worked in Ministry of Justice until age 23
• Studied at St. Petersburg Conservatory of music with Anton
Rubinstein
• Taught music at Moscow Conservatory until age 37 when he
retired to compose
• One failed marriage, lived with brothers in St. Petersburg
• Supported financially by Nadezhda von Meck, required they
never meet
• 1893-contracted cholera

4. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
(1840-1893)
• Toured Russia, London, Europe as guest conductor
• Guest conductor with New York philharmonic for
opening of Carnegie Hall
• NOT accepted into Russian Five; believed to be too
cosmopolitan and influenced by music of other
nations be be a Russian nationalist
• Suffered hatred because of his homosexuality;
probably committed suicide at age 53

5. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-
1893)
• Some famous works
– Opera: Eugene Onegin, The Queen of Spades,
Mazeppa
– Orchestral music: Ballets: Swan Lake, Sleeping
Beauty, The Nutcracker; Overtures: Romeo and
Juliet, 1812 Overture, March slav; 6 symphonies
No. 2 Little Russian, No. 3 Polish, No. 5
Pathétique; Concertos: 3 piano, 1 violin;
Miscellaneous: Capriccio italien, Capriccio
espagnol

6. The Nutcracker
• Popular every Christmas
• Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz_f9B4pPtg&li
• Trepak
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=qiiuN9eAy9Y&list=PLxgWBmUi9H8J7CBtFu0IM
scEKuXXrrF0A&index=60

7. Swan Lake
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sMc-
p19FIk&list=PLD2FA7A1A4352F58A&index=88

8. Piano Concerto No. 1
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ItSJ_woWnmk&list=PLxgWBmUi9H8J7CBtFu
0IMscEKuXXrrF0A&index=61

9. by
Kristine Forney
Andrew Dell’Antonio
Joseph Machlis
Lecture Slides
THIRD EDITION
THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC
ESSENTIAL LISTENING EDITION
http://wwnorton.com/web/enjoyess2

10. by
Kristine Forney
Andrew Dell’Antonio
Joseph Machlis
Lecture Slides
THIRD EDITION
THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC
ESSENTIAL LISTENING EDITION
http://wwnorton.com/web/enjoyess2