Nutcracker Complete

Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. Overture    
2. No. 1 the Christmas Tree    
3. No. 2 March    
4. No. 3 Galop and Dance of the Parents    
5. No. 4 Dance Scene    
6. No. 5 Scene and the Grandfather Dance    
7. No. 6 Scene    
8. No. 7 Scene    
9. No. 8 Scene    
10. No. 9 Waltz of the Snowflakes    
Disc: 2
1. No. 10 Scene    
2. No. 11 Scene    
3. No. 12 Divertissement    
4. No. 13 Waltz of the Flowers    
5. No. 14 Pas de Deux    
6. No. 15 Closing Waltz and Grand Finale    
7. No. 13 Waltz (Eugene Onegin, Op. 24)    
8. No. 19 Polonaise (Eugene Onegin, Op. 24)    

Nutcracker Complete, Music, Various Artists, Christmas, Christmas / Chanukkah, Christmas Music, Classical, Classical Crossover, Opera / Operetta / Oratorio, Xmas Classical Vocal
Pytor Illych Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker - Complete Ballet
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • The Nutcracker - Complete Ballet
  • Crisp Recording
  • Julia Abakaeva
  • A rockin' good time!
  • Don't Let The Word Kirov Fool You!!!
 Pytor Illych Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker - Complete Ballet
Valery Gergiev , Kirov Orchestra and Choir , and Tchaikovsky
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

BalletsBallets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
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Classical InstrumentalClassical Instrumental | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake (complete ballet); Wolfgang Sawallisch; Philadelphia Orchestra
  2. George Balanchine's The Nutcracker
  3. Messiah (George Frederick Handel) London Philharmonic Orchestra
  4. Swan Lake
  5. Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Baryshnikov, Kirkland, Charmoli

ASIN: B00000A1GL
Release Date: 1998-10-20

Tracks:

  1. The Nutcracker - Overture
  2. The Nutcracker - 1 The Christmas Tree
  3. The Nutcracker - 2 March
  4. The Nutcracker - 3 Galop and Dance of the Parents
  5. The Nutcracker - 4 Dance Scene - The Presents of Drosselmeyer
  6. The Nutcracker - 5 Scene - Grandfather Dance
  7. The Nutcracker - 6 Clara and the Nutcracker
  8. The Nutcracker - 7 The Nutcracker battles against the Army of the Mouse King - He wins and is transformed into Prince Charming
  9. The Nutcracker - 8 In the Christmas tree
  10. The Nutcracker - 9 Scene and Waltz of the Snowflakes
  11. The Nutcracker - 10 The Magic Castle on the Mountain of Sweets
  12. The Nutcracker - 11 Clara and Prince Charming
  13. The Nutcracker - 12a Character Dances (Divertissement): Chocolate (Spanisch Dance)
  14. The Nutcracker - 12b Character Dances (Divertissement): Coffe (Arabian Dance)
  15. The Nutcracker - 12c Character Dances (Divertissement): Tea (Chinese Dance)
  16. The Nutcracker - 12d Character Dances (Divertissement): Trk (Russian Dance)
  17. The Nutcracker - 12e Character Dances (Divertissement): Dance of the Reed Pipes
  18. The Nutcracker - 12f Character Dances (Divertissement): Polichinelle (The Clown)
  19. The Nutcracker - 13 Waltz of the Flowers
  20. The Nutcracker - 14a Pas de deux: Intrada
  21. The Nutcracker - 14b Pas de deux: Variation I (Tarantella)
  22. The Nutcracker - 14c Pas de deux: Variation II (Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy)
  23. The Nutcracker - 14d Pas de deux: Coda
  24. The Nutcracker - 15 Closing Waltz - Grand Finale

Amazon.com

Although Gergiev is highly experienced in the theater, and he is leading an opera-ballet orchestra, this is definitely a concert Nutcracker. Tempos are brisk, textures streamlined, and dancers might have a good deal of difficulty keeping up with the music. For us home listeners, though, this is a superb way to hear Tchaikovsky's complete score and to remind ourselves of how much good music isn't included in the familiar suite. Gergiev justifies his reputation as an interpreter and as an orchestra leader, getting amazingly precise playing from the ensemble. Best of all, Philips has somehow crammed more than 81 minutes of superb sound onto this disc, making it a remarkable bargain. Very highly recommended! --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The Nutcracker - Complete Ballet.......2007-01-20

This was a gift to my Granddaughter. She is in College and she told me it was wonderful. She said she loved it.

3 out of 5 stars Crisp Recording.......2007-01-11

I
love the nutcracker ballet, especially the wizened hearthside warmth of the music. Gergiev has certainly fired up the Mariinsky for this one. Was there an other worldly intuition that inspired him to find and revel in a tight rousing theatre of the absurd that no one else has ever seen before in Pytor's composition, who knows but it is quite a nonsensical wash like this; not at all the pacing that is conducive to entering the atmosphere of enchanting mystery that makes the nutcracker a glorious ballet or any kind of enthralling experience, more like something delightful to put in the car's disc player fifteen minutes before rush hour if one is in a hurry to catch a plane. This is after all very detailed music but forget
about it Val is not letting you in with the whole orchestra in the van
late for another rehearsal or whatever really happens to be the case.

1 out of 5 stars Julia Abakaeva.......2006-12-16

This not The Nutcracker-Complete Ballet!!! It's a recording of 6 pieces of Tchaikovsky's music that have nothing to do with The Nutckracker Ballet. Total number of tracks on the CD is 6 vs 24 promised in the booklet inside the CD.

5 out of 5 stars A rockin' good time!.......2006-11-29

First let me say WOW!!!
This recording is about as good as cd quality will allow and the performance is alive and engaging. It is as near perfect as I imagine it could be. The orchestra plays as tight as a good quartet and thier enthusiasm shows thru in spades.
Even a non classical music fan will love it.

1 out of 5 stars Don't Let The Word Kirov Fool You!!!.......2006-09-29

Anyone who thinks that this recording of "The Nutcracker" is on any level exceptional is out of their mind. There are a zillion recordings of "The Nutcracker", whether complete or of excerpts, and for ballet theatre many of these recordings are useless. Alot of famous symphonic conductors have had a hand at recording ballet music, and at least to ballet dancers (the people they were written for) mostly without success - for example Seiji Ozawa conducting "Swan Lake" is like Adam Sandler performing Shakespeare. What makes one a great conductor of symphonic music does not necessarily make one a good conductor of ballet music, and only a very small percentage of the conductors of any recording of "The Nutcracker" or any other ballet have ever conducted a live ballet . As far as I am concerned only a ballet conductor should conduct ballet music.

As a ballet dancer, historian, and a collector of 19th century ballet music, I must say that this is the most appalling recording I have ever heard of "The Nutcracker". Mind you, it is not because of the quality of performance from the orchestra, but of the way the music is handled by Gergiev when conducting so sacred an orchestra as the Kirov/Mariinsky. I find it interesting that Victor Fedotov, perhaps the greatest conductor of ballet music in modern times (who was still alive when this recording was produced) conductor of nearly every ballet performance at the Mariinsky Theatre for over 30 years, was not the one chosen to conduct this recording. Would it not make sense to have the ballet conductor conduct the ballet orchestra in a recording of the ballet music???

The fact that this ballet was all jam-packed onto one CD should be a dead give away as to how horribly raced through and edited the music. This recording has rushed, mathematically maintained tempi (the usual defect with recorded ballet music in the hands of a symphonic conductor), an over bearing brass section, edited passages (optional repeats) - the potential the music has that usually only a ballet conductor can give it is completely gone, as the music is in no way allowed to breathe.

One reviewer on this page says "Tchaikovsky is said to have written the work originaly in a faster tempo than is usualy performed. However, over the years, dancers complained about the brisk pace at which they were to perform. And so, the tempo is now played slower." This statement is horribly incorrect. "The Nutcracker" was written as all 19th century ballet was written - to order - Tchaikovsky was given instructions on what to write by Marius Petipa, and the original performance score does not specify tempo with words. For example "allegro moderato", etc. is nowhere to be found in the variations, as ballet music of the period was played at the preferred speed of the dancer.

Gergiev's recording of Tchaikovsky's original score for "The Sleeping Beauty" doesn't hold a candle to Victor Fedotov's recording of the Kirov Ballet performance score (with all of the proper modifications one only hears in performance).

Whatever Gergiev's strengths are as a conductor of opera or symphony, they are sorely lacking in his conducting of ballet music (Gergiev rarely conducts ballets at the Mariinsky, and it isnt his favorite thing to do) and this recording of "The Nutcracker", just like Gergiev's recording of "The Sleeping Beauty" shows this.

The best recording of "The Nutcracker" you can get is by Richard Bonynge with the National Philharmonic Orchestra. He conducts exactly as the music would be for the stage, and the recording is well balanced, without one section drowning out another. Also there is Sir Chalres Mackares's recording with the London Symphony for the Pacific Northwest Ballet's movie version of "The Nutcracker". Another is by Eugene Ormandy with the Philedelphia Orchestra, though only excerpts.
Tchiakovsky: The Nutcracker [Complete Ballet] [Hybrid SACD]
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Bolshoi, Vedernikov: A Nutcracker For Many Reasons In All Our Seasons
 Tchiakovsky: The Nutcracker [Complete Ballet] [Hybrid SACD]
Vedernikov
Manufacturer: Pentatone
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000L42JEK
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Bolshoi, Vedernikov: A Nutcracker For Many Reasons In All Our Seasons.......2007-03-18

In USA we have come to associate the Tchaikovsky ballet, the Nutcracker, with the holiday season in November-December-January. Whether you call this season Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Festival, or something else, if you live in a large USA city with a professional ballet company, chances are very high that they will be giving the Tchaikovsky Nutcracker.

Too bad dear old gay Tchaikovsky is not still alive to be an icon of the gay pride parades while he rides in a solid gold pink Cadillac down main streets in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Boston, Atlanta, Saint Louis, Miami, Dallas, to show off his royalty monies, maybe.

And at first glance, Russian pride of show seems to be the point here. We get a real, working professional Russian opera and ballet orchestra from the Bolshoi Theater, Moscow. Our conductor is the current Bolshoi music director (since 2001), the gifted and brilliant Alexander Vedernikov. And our engineers are the redoubtable multi-channel super audio team from Polyhymnia in the Netherlands who are doing about as much as anybody else ever has to bring us the best Russian orchestras and soloists now playing or singing before the public.

The bottom line here is nothing but sheer musical magic.

My previous fav sets of the Nutcracker have been the two outings led by Antal Dorati, one with the LSO on old Mercury Living Presence LP's, and the other with the Royal Concertgebouworkest which also came out in the vinyl era, I think. When CD's came along, both of these recordings were quickly transferred to the new format, and now although the CGBO reading lags behind, the LSO reading has also been transferred to super audio.

I can listen to quite a range of approaches in this music, since after all, it is a ballet and probably has had its tempos and textures adjusted in live performance, as many different times as different star soloists and ballet companies have danced it. That said, a recording is above all an auditory outing, like hearing the full ballet performed in a concert setting.

Marvelously, what the band and conductor give us here is a lovely combination of all the best traditions and approaches.

For one thing, since Vedernikov's claim to fame is that he leads real world opera and ballet, all over the world now (including Milan's La Scala), we can hear a reading grounded in the real world in a real music hall. The technical notes are not exact, but it seems as if the venue here is indeed the Bolshoi Theater. Its probable recreation in your own home theater five channel listening room will be subtle, but full, present, vivid, and vital. Bravo, Polyhymnia team.

Like the famed Antal Dorati, Vedernikov encompasses this ballet story as one great whole. Not a symphony, but symphonic in sweep, color, scope, and drama nonetheless. No solo passage or set piece is neglected, but each smaller section unfolds inside a coherent larger music view. One comes to the end of each Act, glowing and satisfied to have been hearing all that has just passed. One would guess that Vedernikov has led enough live Bolshoi Nutcracker's to bring all the athletic grace and power of real dance to this reading, too. The tempos are amazingly rock steady, without becoming dogged. Their integration and flow keeps us moving right along as the ballet's story unfolds. Inside his chosen tempos, Vedernikov encourages the band departments to characterize brilliantly, as if the Late Romantic era had indeed invented the palette that later splashed across our High Definition video screens in a zillion digitized colors.

Between hearing the two acts, I realized that two other conductors were coming to mind as points of reference for the lovely magic that Vedernikov and his Bolshoi players are capturing. One is the legendary figure of Evgeny Mravinsky. I don't think he ever got to record the Nutcracker commercially, but his Tchaikovsky is deservedly recognized. Mravinsky's recordings of the Tchaikovsky symphonies captured all the Slavic soul and sweetness, carried along on the floating, athletic, balletic grace that Vedernikov and company bring to bear in this set. My other conductor is still living. Anthony Pappano often leads performances which manage to capture his music whole, while not stinting on the many particulars. Pappano is also an experienced opera conductor, and so his readings always sing and breathe. Bravo, Vedernikov, for soul, singing, strength, and athletic grace.

None of this inspired leadership would be so lovely if the band were not equal to the challenge. No department of the Bolshoi orchestra fails or lacks. The woodwinds are scintillating. Woody lower reeds to root or medium reeds giving character. Platinum upper lights to give shine or ice. The strings carry the bulk of the musical work, never showing a second of boredom or over-familiarity or deadness of phrasing. We hear nary a hint of any of the old Soviet orchestra shortcomings. No thinness in the strings. No wobbles in the brass, not even the horns. No over-balancing by the woodwinds. One imagines this orchestra has played this ballet music so many times that any member could do it, asleep. But the Bolshoi is certainly not asleep here. Awake, involved, and seeming still to be in deep and fast love with music and with ballet and with Tchaikovsky.

To round out the second disc, you get an excerpt from Swan Lake, plus the polonaise from the opera Eugene Onegin. My idea? Get these wonderful performers to do the other two Tchaikovsky ballets as soon as possible. Then add in the complete symphonies, including Manfred.

These days we can so little afford to take any incarnation of love for music, for granted. If you already have a Nutcracker you dearly love, this set will keep it very good company. If you do not have a Nutcracker, this set will start you right off, at the top of the super audio recordings heap. Let your listening room be transmuted into the Bolshoi Theater, Moscow.
Great Waltzes
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • super naxos collection well performed
 Great Waltzes

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000147C
Release Date: 1995-09-19

Tracks:

  1. Waltz From Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66
  2. Emperor Waltz, Op.437
  3. Donauwellen
  4. Gold And Silver, Op. 79
  5. Waltz From Serenade For Strings In C Major, Op. 48
  6. The Skaters, Op. 183
  7. Un Bal From Symphonie Fantastique. Op. 14
  8. Over The Waves (Sobre Las Olas)
  9. Waltz From Masquerade
  10. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Waltz Of The Flowers
  11. Strauss Festival Orchestra: Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 314

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars super naxos collection well performed.......2007-07-12

Ever since I discovered Naxos about ten years ago I have gotten their catalog which list such collections which are usually sampled from other Naxos discs and sometimes newly performed. This is a combination of the two. Of course this contains Blue Danube and the waltz from symphonie fantasique but it also contains the skaters, over the waves and khachtaturian's waltz from masquerade which contain truly enchanting melodies well worth hearing
A nice collection with some great surprises.
Please excuse typos i have a neurologic disease.
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Complete); The Sleeping Beauty (Highlights)
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • one cold bland nutcracker
  • so HOT, it set my speakers on fire...
 Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Complete); The Sleeping Beauty (Highlights)

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

BalletsBallets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by TchaikovskyAll Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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  4. The Sleeping Beauty
  5. Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake (complete ballet); Wolfgang Sawallisch; Philadelphia Orchestra

ASIN: B0000041A8
Release Date: 1994-10-11

Tracks:

  1. The Nutcracker: Overture
  2. The Nutcracker: Act 1, Tableau 1: The Christmas Tree
  3. The Nutcracker: Act 1, Tableau 1: March
  4. The Nutcracker: Act 1, Tableau 1: Galop & Dance Of The Parents
  5. The Nutcracker: Act 1, Tableau 1: Dance Scene - The Presents Of Drosselmeyer
  6. The Nutcracker: Act 1, Tableau 1: Scene - Grandfather Dance
  7. The Nutcracker: Act 1, Tableau 1: Clara And The Nutcracker
  8. The Nutcracker: Act 1, Tableau 2: The Nutcracker Battles Against The Army Of The Mouse King - He Wins And Is Transformed Into Prince Charming
  9. The Nutcracker: Act 1, Tableau 2: In The Christmas Tree
  10. The Nutcracker: Act 1, Tableau 2: Scene and Waltz Of The Snowflakes
  11. The Nutcracker: Act 2, Tableau 3: The Magic Castle On The Mountain of Sweets
  12. The Nutcracker: Act 2, Tableau 3: Clara And Prince Charming
  13. The Nutcracker: Act 2, Tableau 3: Character Dances (Divertissement): A. Chocolate (Spanish Dance)
  14. The Nutcracker: Act 2, Tableau 3: Character Dances (Divertissement): B. Coffee (Arabian Dance)
  15. The Nutcracker: Act 2, Tableau 3: Character Dances (Divertissement): C. Tea (Chinese Dance)
  16. The Nutcracker: Act 2, Tableau 3: Character Dances (Divertissement): D. Trepak (Russian Dance)
  17. The Nutcracker: Act 2, Tableau 3: Character Dances (Divertissement): E. Dance Of The Reed Pipes
  18. The Nutcracker: Act 2, Tableau 3: Character Dances (Divertissement) F. Polchinelle (The Clown)

Tracks:

  1. The Nutcracker: Act 2, Tableau 3 (Conclusion): Waltz Of The Flowers
  2. The Nutcracker: Act 2, Tableau 3 - Pas de Deux: Intrada
  3. The Nutcracker: Act 2, Tableau 3 - Pas de Deux: Variation I (Tarantella)
  4. The Nutcracker: Act 2, Tableau - Pas de Deux: Varion II (Dance Of The Sugar-Plum Fairy)
  5. The Nutcracker: Act 2, Tableau - Pas de Deux: Coda
  6. The Nutcracker: Act 2, Tableau 3: Final Waltz And Apotheosis
  7. The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (Highlights): Introduction And Marche
  8. The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (Highlights): Scene (The Palace Garden)
  9. The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (Highlights): Waltz
  10. The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (Highlights): Aurora's Variation
  11. The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (Highlights): Panorama
  12. The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (Highlights): Rose Adagio
  13. The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (Highlights): Polacca
  14. The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (Highlights): Vision Of Aurora
  15. The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (Highlights): The Lilac Fairy
  16. The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (Highlights): The Diamond Fairy
  17. The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (Highlights): Puss In Boots
  18. The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (Highlights): Adagio
  19. The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (Highlights): Russian Dance
  20. The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (Highlights): Sarabande
  21. The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (Highlights): Finale - Apotheosis

Amazon.com

Antal Dorati was probably the great dance conductor of our age, and he pioneered recording the complete Tchaikovsky ballets. He made an outstanding stereo Nutcracker for Mercury Living Presence, and that has been reissued on CD. Fine as that version is, this one is even better because the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra simply plays the music more elegantly than the London Symphony Orchestra on the earlier recording. In fact, this has been the version of choice for a couple of decades now, and it's amazing that it took Philips so long to get the thing onto CD. At two discs for the price of one, however, you'll agree that it was worth the wait. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars one cold bland nutcracker.......2005-07-08

fast tempos at times, bland interpretation,no emotion or magic for that matter this is what you need in this work of tchaikovsky and you dont get it here from dorati,the amsterdam players play well still dorati ruins it.get his sleeping beauty with this same orchestra its better, but if you want a great performence of the nutcracker get ansermet,dutiots complete version with the montreal synphony,or eugene ormandys 1960 version there alot better.

5 out of 5 stars so HOT, it set my speakers on fire..........2004-12-08

I bought this CD from over 30 different choices because of the Philips label; their digital remastering of old stereo recordings is first rate and I expected no less from this recording. Having never heard of the orchestra or the conductor, I was reluctant and unsure of what to expect. Little did I know what legends were performing here! That said...

WHAT A SHOCK!!! I have NEVER heard an orchestra play with such gusto, spark, and verve... I own dozens of classical recordings, but this one is, by far, the most dynamic and passionate. The Nutcracker's overplayed music is freshened by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra with youthful, razor-sharp accuracy, bringing out undercurrents in the score that I never noticed before, even in a live performances. It is wonderfully overwhelming to hear a live orchestra play with mechanized MIDI precision and still find room for an enormous amount of expression.

Antal Dorati's conducting is legendary, to say the least. The orchestra seems to have a spinning sound, with different instruments flying wildly out from a very tight epicenter. The orchestra gets so carried away that at times I worried there would be a musical train wreck, but Dorati holds the reins tightly and the frighteningly fast tempos work, providing a white-knuckle ride. His conducting is reminiscent of Herbert Von Karajan and Leonard Bernstein, though without the erratic speed changes and unnecessary theatrics. He brings out the best in the orchestra time and again, especially in the battle with the Mouse King, the Trepak, and the Pas de Deux.

The result is one of the most exquisitely tight, compact, and lustrous sounds I've ever heard. The recording quality is first rate; no static, hiss, crackles, or splats. The uncanny sparkle in the music makes it sound almost digitally recorded while the dynamic breadth allows for rumbling low notes and shattering high notes. Even Telarc and EMI can't match the crisp clarity of the sound. I had to bust many of my pervious reviews down to 3 or 4 stars because this CD set a new standard for me. Money VERY well spent!

(And if you want The Sleeping Beauty, buy the complete recording by Dorati with the Concertgebouw Orchestra... Fistoulari is good and the recording will put most others to shame, but the LSO is simply not as alive as the Concertgebouw.)
Lhevinne: The Complete Recordings
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Magnificent Playing!
  • One of the Topmost Pianists of the Golden Age
 Lhevinne: The Complete Recordings

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Rosina Lhevinne Plays Chopin
  2. Basic Principles in Pianoforte Playing
  3. Piano Playing: With Piano Questions Answered
  4. Frédéric Chopin: Piano Works
  5. The Complete Chopin Recordings

ASIN: B00006669J
Release Date: 2002-06-18

Tracks:

  1. Allegro Con Spirito
  2. Andante
  3. Allegro Molto
  4. Toccata In C
  5. Fruhlingsnacht
  6. Etude In E Flat, Op. 10, No. 6
  7. Etude In G Sharp Minor, Op. 25, No. 6
  8. Etude In B Minor, Op. 25, No. 10
  9. Etude In A Minor, Op. 25, No. 11
  10. Prelude In A Flat, Op. 28, No. 17
  11. Prelude In B Flat Minor, Op. 28, No. 16
  12. Polonaise In A Flat, Op. 53
  13. Blue Danube Waltz
  14. Fetes
  15. Ecossaises
  16. El Contrabandista
  17. Trepak
  18. Prelude In G Minor

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Magnificent Playing!.......2005-07-15

I first heard most of the selections contained on this CD on an LP issued in the early 1970's on RCA, "Josef Lhevinne: Master of the Romantic Piano." As, indeed, he was. I have rarely heard such outstanding, luminous Chopin playing. Rubinstein is the only one I can compare him to in that regard. The piano transcription of Strauss' "Blue Danube Waltz," which Lhevinne frequently played as an encore, is delightful, campy fun, and his duets with his wife, distinguished pianist and teacher Rosina Lhevinne, give a new dimension to his artistry. I read once that Van Cliburn, Mme. Lhevinne's most famous student, expressed his admiration of the Debussy duet to her, and was astonished to learn that the Lhevinnes recorded this complex duet as an afterthought, in one take, at the end of the Mozart session!

All in all, an excellent collection at the perfect price. Highly recommended to anyone who admires great romantic pianism at its best.

5 out of 5 stars One of the Topmost Pianists of the Golden Age.......2004-12-19

Are there any real comparables in our time? Arrau is close, so is Richter or even Casadesus, all Titans of our time. But it seems obvious that as a whole, none is quite his equal. Earlier on, Dohnanyi has long been brushed aside by the younger audience, so has Hofmann and Backhaus, and Rachmaninov is simply unreachable and then Busoni's recording is so abhorring... So, Lhevinne shall for sure prevail.

Why? Give this CD a chance in telling you why. Despite the fact that this is a 30's recording is even inferior to Cortot's remastered records, it is more than adequate in touching your heart strings, if not knocking you out. Furthermore, this is Lhevinne's complete recordings. In case you are not prepared to get his Philips Great Pianist double CD album with his wife, this budget set may be the one for you.
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (complete) / Symphony No. 4 (complete)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • A Fresh Approach to an Old Favorite
  • Diamantine recordings!
  • Wonderful Performances!
  • Rodzinski's "Nutcracker": Quirky, But a Charmer
  • The Most MAGICAL NUTCRACKER On The Planet!
 Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (complete) / Symphony No. 4 (complete)

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

BalletsBallets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. The Sleeping Beauty
  2. The Nutcracker (1993 Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  3. Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake (complete ballet); Wolfgang Sawallisch; Philadelphia Orchestra
  4. Pytor Illych Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker - Complete Ballet
  5. Galanta & Marosszek Dances / Caucasian Sketches

ASIN: B00005OLDM
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Tracks:

  1. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Ov: Allegro Giusto
  2. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 1, No.1 Scene: L'ornement Et L'illumination De L'arbre De Noel...
  3. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 1, No.2 Marche: Tempo Di Marcia Viva
  4. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 1, No.3 Petit Galop Des Enfatns Et Entree Des Parents: Presto...
  5. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 1, No.4 Scene Dansante: Andantino - Allegro Vivo - Andantino Sostenuto...
  6. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 1, No.5 Scene Et Danse Gross-Vater: Andante - Andantino - Moderato...
  7. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 1, No.6 Scene: Allegro Semplice - Moderato Con Moto - Allegro Giusto...
  8. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 1, No.7 Scene: Allegro Vivo
  9. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 1, No.8 Scene: Andante
  10. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 1, No.9 Valse Des Flocons De Neige: Tempo Di Valse, Ma Con Moto - Presto
  11. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 2, No.10 Scene: Andante
  12. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 2, No.11 Scene: Andante Con Moto - Moderato - Allegro Agitato...
  13. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 2, No.12/Divert/No.12a Le Chocolat (Danse Espagnole): Allegro Brillante
  14. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 2, No.12b Le Cafe (Danse Arabe): Commodo
  15. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 2, No.12c Le The (Danse Chinoise): Allegro Moderato
  16. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 2, No.12d Trepak (Danse Russe): Tempo De Trepak, Molto Vivace
  17. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 2, No.12e Danse Des Mirlitons: Andantino
  18. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 2, No.12f La Mere Gigogne Et Les Polichinelles: Allegro Giocoso...
  19. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 2, No.13 Valse Des Fleurs: Tempo Di Valse

Tracks:

  1. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 2, No.14: Pas De Deux/No.14a La Fee Dragee Et La Prince Orgeat...
  2. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 2, No.14b Var I (Pour Le Danseur): Tempo Di Tarantella
  3. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 2, No.14c Var II (Pour La Danseuse) (Danse De La Fee Dragee): Andante...
  4. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 2, No. 14d Coda: Vivace Assai
  5. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 2, No.15 Valse Finale Et Apotheose/No.15a Tempo Di Valse
  6. The Nutcracker, Op.71: Act 2, No.15b L'Apotheose: Pas D'action - Molto Meno
  7. Sym No.4 in f, Op.36: Andante Sostenuto - Moderato Con Anima - Moderato Assai, Quasi Andante...
  8. Sym No.4 in f, Op.36: Andantino In Modo Di Canzone
  9. Sym No.4 in f, Op.36: Scherzo: Pizzicato Ostinato - Allegro
  10. Sym No.4 in f, Op.36: Finale: Allegro Con Fuoco

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A Fresh Approach to an Old Favorite.......2007-02-24

A joyous, creative reading by an orchestra in top form. This is a beautifully remastered recording of a key performance of the twentieth century.

5 out of 5 stars Diamantine recordings!.......2007-01-12


These performances are by themselves legendary treasures framed into we should name top-flight acoustic legends.

The Nutcracker is - with the only exception of Ormandy- Philadelphia- who never recorded entirely, the most extraordinary version ever recorded. Pristine elegence and sumptuous refinement and idomatic eloquence are some of the most exciting adjectives to qualify it.

The Fourth Symphony is another surprising finding; the fate's call and the kaleidoscopic approach and dramatic feature are expressed with absolute conviction, radiant lyricism and fervent passion.

It's time for the new generations of listeners to intend to return and realize about the special significance of this talented conductor.

Recommendation of first priority!

5 out of 5 stars Wonderful Performances!.......2002-03-27

There aren't many Artur Rodzinski performances in the current catalog which is a great shame. Good as is the competition from Dorati, Mackerras, Tilson Thomas and others, I have to agree that this performance of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker is still the performance to own. And the Fourth Symphony is a delicious bonus. Both performances are marvels of orchestral clarity and superb phrasing. Yes, you will notice details in both scores that you've never noticed before. More important, Rodzinski had an uncanny talent for springing rhythms in ways that make many accompaniment parts and transitional sections seem as interesting (& meaningful) as the main lines of musical argument. Delightful! Although the recordings now are almost 50 years old, both are genuine stereo, resplendently re-mastered by Deutsche Grammophon from the Westminster originals. (Westminster was a high fidelity leader in the 1950s, so recording quality here is better than almost any other label could provide at the time.) Over the past year and a half, DG have released a number of Westminster recordings, by Rodzinski, Scherchen and others. I only hope this means that some of Westminster's vast catalog of chamber music and solo instrumental performances will also be released. Having acquired the rights to the Westminster catalog, DG is sitting on a true treasure trove; please release more!

5 out of 5 stars Rodzinski's "Nutcracker": Quirky, But a Charmer.......2001-12-18

This "Nutcracker" was among the earliest incarnations of the complete work available, and possibly the earliest still available today. Recorded in 1958, it appeared only four years after George Balanchine staged his famous version for New York City Ballet and made the work a veritable holiday tradition here in America. It has been a full twelve years since I last heard this recording (in a terrible transfer), and have recently become the proud owner of a copy of the reissue featured on this page. One would hardly believe this recording is almost fifty years old. The sound emerges bright, vibrant, and rich. The folks at Deutsche Grammaphon have done a phenominal job of resurrecting the long lost Westminster recordings.

This particular performance comes to us under the direction of a rather neurotic character. From the booklet insert by Tobias Moeller: "The modest dimension of Rodzinski's fame are not easy to explain, for he had all the prerequisites of a legendary career, beginning with the externals: he was a complete eccentric and, especially in his concert appearances, possessed of strange habits rivalled only by Glenn Gould. Before stepping up to the rostrum, he would always kiss a portrait of his father and insist that someone give him a sharp pinch to raise his adrenaline level. During the concert he kept a loaded revolver in his pocket, fearing a possible attack by someone in the orchestra or the audience. His fears were not entirely unfounded: during the course of his career Rodzinski's intransigent, often irrascible manner made him many enemies."

The recording itself is as quirky as the man himself. None of this has anything to do with Rodzinski's interpretive choices, though. His tempi at first may seem unorthodox - the "Miniature Overture" is slower than average, the "March" faster than average. Yet, I found myself agreeing with his choices the more I listened to this recording. This recording came before Dutoit, or Previn, or Ansermet, or Bonynge, or Mackerras, and certainly long before Gergiev. There is a complete lack of affectation here, consequently: the conducting predates most preconcieved notions of how "Nutcracker" should be performed. This is actually rather refreshing. As a result, the "Children's Galop" actually sounds like a galop. The "March" actually sounds like a lively march. The "Journey through the Pine Forrest" actually feels like a journey - there is a sense of momentum here where, in most other recordings, the drama seems to slow to a dead stop. One can even make out the complex patterned waltz in "Waltz of the Snowflakes."

The playing from the Royal Philharmonic (then calling itself the Philharmonic Symphonic Orchestra of London) is nothing less than exceptional. This brings me to the "quirky" aspects of this recording. Rodzinski was not afraid to experiment with effects. We get strangely melodic toy whistles in the party scene, atmospheric cathedral bells as the Stahlbaum clock strikes midnight just before the battle which seem to pang on forever, a genuine gunshot commencing the battle (legend has it, the shot was fired by Rodzinski himself - with that revolver in his pocket), interesting pan-drums during the opening of the second act, etc. Some may find these little playful touches somewhat distracting. I find them charming, for the most part (the pan-drums are, admittedly, just slightly jarring). This is, after all, the holiday confection of a young girl's dreaming.

To fill out the second disc, we get no less than Tchaikovsky's fourth symphony. That recording is nothing less than remarkable. Rodzinski has a knack for contrast - as with "Nutcracker", we get rather sharp (some might say abrupt and choppy) shifts from slow to fast, from pianissimo to forte. It's an insanely exciting recording. The first movement, especially, never fails to keep me on the edge of my seat.

This is a "Nutcracker" I find myself returning to, often. It is not exactly a "conventional" reading of the work. But Rodzinski does not condescend, or stretch out the music grotesquely (such as the likes of Yevgeny Svetlanov who conducted the recent filmed version of Peter Wright's production for the Royal Ballet). This "Nutcracker" is quirky, warm-hearted, and playful. One of my desert-island recordings of the work, for sure.

5 out of 5 stars The Most MAGICAL NUTCRACKER On The Planet!.......2001-09-25

Although I have been a classical music announcer for almost 20 years, this is my first review of a classical recording. I have avoided doing it for a variety of reasons. Having listened to and/or played hundreds of recordings, it becomes increasingly difficult to single out particular performances as being that much better than the rest. There is no such problem with this recording. I have waited since 1988 (when it first appeared on CD in a substandard transfer) for this remastered version to appear. It has been well worth the wait. This is the NUTCRACKER against which all others must be measured. One of the first recordings of the complete score and STILL the best. Artur Rodzinski knew better than almost anyone how to distinguish and embellish the different sections of the orchestra while never missing a beat. In other words the sound of Stokowski with the precision of Toscanini (he worked closely with both for many years). What you get in this recording is the clarity of chamber music with the power of a full orchestra. Here is Tchaikovsky the master orchestrater not the overblown sentimentalist that he often comes across as. This is one of his finest scores and Rodzinski and the Royal Philharmonic deliver from first note to last. Even the overly familiar sections that make up the famous Suite sound fresh and new here. And as if that weren't enough this double CD set features the Symphony #4 from the same 1956 sessions. This is one of 5 new releases reviving the legendary Westminster label (there are 14 so far). Westminster is to Classical Music what Chess is to Blues or Blue Note is to Jazz. Deutsche Grammophon now owns the rights to these fabled recordings and is doing them up proud with the kind of restoration that they deserve allowing the Westminster "Natural Balance" to come forth in its best incarnation ever. The series is called Westminster-The Legacy and while they are ALL worth your time (even if you're not a fan of Classical Music), this one belongs in every library. The price is a knockout too. The most MAGICAL recording of the piece on the planet! And speaking of planets, DG/Westminster has also released Adrian Boult's 1959 recording of THE PLANETS which is...but that's another story.
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Complete)/ Serenade in C Major/ Dorati
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • All you need to know:
  • Great performance - poor editing
  • Best available? Maybe, but not best ever.
  • A Timeless Holiday Classic, Masterful Recording
  • Perfect Nutcracker From A Perfectionist Ballet Conductor
 Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Complete)/ Serenade in C Major/ Dorati

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake
  2. Adam - Giselle (complete ballet) ~ Offenbach - Gaîté Parisienne ~ Strauss Graduation Ball / Fistoulari, Dorati
  3. Moussorgsky: Picture at an Exhibition/Chopin: Etude in F major/Waltz in A minor
  4. The Sleeping Beauty
  5. Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 1-6

ASIN: B0000057L5
Release Date: 1991-08-09

Tracks:

  1. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Arrival In Fairyland
  2. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Festival In Honor Of The Children And Prince Charming - Character Dances (Divertissement)
  3. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Chocolate (Spanish Dance)
  4. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Coffee (Arabian Dance)
  5. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Tea (Chinese Dance)
  6. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Russian Dance (Trepak)
  7. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Dance Of The Toy Flutes
  8. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Dance Of The Clowns
  9. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Waltz Of The Flowers
  10. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Dances Of The Sugar Plum Fairy And Prince Charming : Pas de Deux

Tracks:

  1. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 10. Scene: Arrival In Fairyland
  2. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 11. Scene: Festival In Honor Of The Children And Prince Charming
  3. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 12. a) Chocolate (Spanish Dance)
  4. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 12. b) Coffee (Arabian Dance)
  5. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 12. c) Tea (Chinese Dance)
  6. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 12. d) Russian Dance (Trepak)
  7. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 12. e) Dance Of The Toy Flutes
  8. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 12. f) Dance Of The Clowns
  9. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 13. Waltz Of The Flowers
  10. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 14. Pas de Deux
  11. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 14. a) Dance Of Prince Charming
  12. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 14. b) Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy
  13. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 14. c) Coda
  14. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 15. Waltz Finale And...
  15. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Apotheosis
  16. Serenade For Strings In C Major, Op. 48: 1. Andante non troppo - Allegro moderato
  17. Serenade For Strings In C Major, Op. 48: 2. Walzer. Moderato. Tempo di Valse
  18. Serenade For Strings In C Major, Op. 48: 3. Elegie. Larghetto elegiaco
  19. Serenade For Strings In C Major, Op. 48: 4. Finale (Tema Russo). Andante - Allegro con spirito

Amazon.com

Mercury's legendary recordings, made in the 1950s and '60s to exacting engineering standards--many of them mastered using 35mm magnetic film--also captured some of the best performances of the orchestral repertoire, performances that hold up today against the digital competition. Antal Dorati's sprightly Nutcracker is a classic, reveling in the sumptuous orchestral color and the score's irresistible danceability. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars All you need to know:.......2006-05-23

Since it was recorded on 3-track 35mm film, the sound quality has been well preserved in The Nutcracker. Serenade for Strings, which is an even older recording, also sounds fine, but Dorati's interpretation is not as good as some of the more recent, more sensitive, more sonorous recordings. The audio splices in The Nutcracker are very obvious sometimes, and really detract from the listening experience once you notice them. Dorati is usually an ideal Tchaikovsky interpreter, as evidenced by his uproarious version of the 1812 Overture, but in this case, he charges through this score with overzealous tempi. The famous Trepak is unsettlingly (and undanceably) fast, and many of the quieter movements barely lack the magical tenderness they deserve.

Recommendation: Look elsewhere, if only because of the splices.

4 out of 5 stars Great performance - poor editing.......2006-02-13

How frustrating. Like the other reviewers, I found Dorati's conducting masterful to the nth degree. Many details were revealed and the music (while not always dancable) was well paced, beautiful, exciting, and full of life. My problem with this recording lies in the many audible splices in the editing. Surely the Mercury team could have done better. One of two would not have been such a bother, but they occur repeatedly and are quite obvious, even on a substandard car system. Overall, the recording is very much worth having, but you may find these splices rather bothersome after repeated listening.

4 out of 5 stars Best available? Maybe, but not best ever........2005-01-24

Beware. Dorati made two LPs of Nutcracker with the Minneapolis Symphony. One of them showed Dorati at his best, where you could hear the strings sing -- changing vowel sounds -- even more beautifully than in his incomparable recording of the 1812 Overture with the same orchestra. This CD uses the cover art of that all-time-best, but it is actually the other Dorati-Minneapolis Nutcracker. It's very good, but it's not on a level with the one they took that cover art from.

5 out of 5 stars A Timeless Holiday Classic, Masterful Recording.......2002-12-18

Antal Dorati was the Toscanini for ballet music as well as Tchaikovsky's music. In the 60's and 70's, he conducted all over Europe and recorded LP's for distribution in America. This Nutcracker was orginally an LP, the Nutcracker in its entirety with the addition of Tchaikovsky's Serenade For Strings. There are many fine interpretations of the beloved Christmas classic, one of which Charles Mackerras' version strikes us as the best. But Dorati has precision and perfectionist zeal that makes the score to the ballet sound more true to the Russian spirit that Tchaikovsky blended with European elegance and symphonic treatment. Sentimentality was always Tchaikovsky's strong points, endowed with musical genius and tonal color and lavished attention to every individual instrument.

The original liner notes for the LP are to be found here, documenting the life of Tchaikovsky and the background for his creating the ballet based on E.T.A. Hoffman's dark fairy tale, The Nutcracker. It is the tale of Clara, how one evening at a family Christmas party she was given a Nutcracker as a toy, how it magically comes to life and defeats the Mouse King and his minions. Clara is whisked away into the magical dream world of Act 2. Through divertissements, dance sequences with no plot to further the story, she encounters Spanish dancers, an Arab dancer, Chinese dancers, Russian Trepak dancers and an incredibly sweeping, romantic Waltz of Flowers. There is solo for the Nutcracker who has become a Prince by Act 2 and a pas de deux between him and Clara. The Pas De Deux is without question, the most romantic, intense and symphonic number in the whole ballet, evoking a climatic union of beauty and that dark fatalism that seems to permeate a lot of Tchaikovsky's music. For the Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky used celeste, a variation of the piano instrument, in the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and was very proud that the other Russian composers, Mussorgsky and Borodin had not beat him to it.

This is the best recording avaible and it is a bonus that it comes with a well orchestrated Serenade For Strings, a melodic, well structured piece of string music that Tchaikovsky wrote as a tribute to the Countess Von Meck who inspired his music and sponsored him financially. It is light, it is dark and it is rich in string symphonic style. Tchaikovsky's music is at best the most romantic and inspiring of his time. Kudos for the producers of this fine recording.

For years, I have been a collector of ballet music and have taught dance as well. Tchaikovsky was a brilliant man, a tortured man, whose sexuality was forbidden by Russian law and who out of the depths of his pain, forged the most beautiful and most seriously romantic music of the nineteenth century, finding himself the equal to Beethoven.

5 out of 5 stars Perfect Nutcracker From A Perfectionist Ballet Conductor.......2002-10-29

Dorati's 60's orchestration of the beloved Christmas-oriented ballet from the Russian romantic Tchaikovsky is the greatest recording out there. There are a humber of reasons why this recording is quality. First of all, the conductor is Antal Dorati, the twentieth century's foremost ballet conductor of all time. He was an effective, brilliant perfectionist who demanded fiery passion and pathos in all his music, since he was true to Tchaikovsky's original intentions. The Nutcracker is played so many times during Christmas, it has become a background cliche for tv commercials and movies. The Russian Dance, or Trepak, is the most popular of the dances, as well as the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Young ballet dancers love the Nutcracker, as well as young and old audiences. It is full of magic, wide-eyed wonders and excellent dancing to excellent music. Particularily impressive on this recording are all of Act I (unfortunately the voices in the sequence of the Waltz of the Snowflakes are a choir of adult women soprano voices rather than the traditional children's voices), the Arabian Dance, Spanish Dance, Trepak, a different, more passionate and precise Waltz of the Flowers (it does not sound as lingering and elegant as most orchestrations), and the incredible Pas De Deux, which sounds absolutely breathtaking. I agree with the music fan from San Francisco and the Tchaikovsky fanatic reviewer Tchaikjp, who happens to be an acquiantance. Five Stars well deserved. Perfect.
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Complete)
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • Very promising, but ultimately a let down
 Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Complete)
Tchaikovsky , Michael Tilson Thomas , and Philharmonia Orchestra
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000026EU
Release Date: 1991-07-16

Tracks:

  1. The Nutcracker: Overture
  2. The Nutcracker: Scene 1: Decoration Of The Christmas Tree
  3. The Nutcracker: Scene 2: March
  4. The Nutcracker: Scene 3: Children's Gallup And Entry Of The Parents
  5. The Nutcracker: Scene 4: Arrival Of Drosselmeyer
  6. The Nutcracker: Scene 5: Grandfather's Dance
  7. The Nutcracker: Scene 6: Clara And The Nutcracker
  8. The Nutcracker: Scene 7: The Battle
  9. The Nutcracker: Scene 8: (In The Pine Forest)
  10. The Nutcracker: Scene 9: Waltz Of The Snowflakes

Tracks:

  1. The Nutcracker: Scene 10: Confiturembourg
  2. The Nutcracker: Scene 11: (Clara And The Prince) - Scene:12 Divertissement
  3. The Nutcracker: a) Chocolate - Spanish Dance
  4. The Nutcracker: b) Coffee - Arabian Dance
  5. The Nutcracker: c) Tea - Chinese Dance
  6. The Nutcracker: d) Trepak - Russian Dance
  7. The Nutcracker: e) Dance Of The Reed Flutes
  8. The Nutcracker: f) Mother Gigogne And The Puppets
  9. The Nutcracker: Scene 13: Waltz Of The Flowers
  10. The Nutcracker: Scene 14: a) Pas de Deux
  11. The Nutcracker: b) Variation l - Tarantella
  12. The Nutcracker: c) Variation ll - Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy
  13. The Nutcracker: d) Coda
  14. The Nutcracker: Scene 15: Waltz Finale
  15. The Nutcracker: Apotheosis

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Very promising, but ultimately a let down.......2006-12-05

[NOTE: Don't be misled by the Maurice Sendak illustration for the booklet: this recording is NOT the movie soundtrack.]

This, among umpteen versions of the score, is one that most everyone seems to have forgotten. There are reasons. It begins very promisingly as a sonic feast for the ears, with wind and brass details that are not highlighted nearly as well as in other recordings: the extra horns in the Grossvater Tanz are most welcome and give the piece a sense of folksy grandeur. Tempos are congenial to brisk, with occasional moments of indulgence: the violin solo in the lullabye tune in the first act has never sounded so romantic. The Snow Scene gets the grand treatment: when the full orchestra finally arrives at the expansive Adagio proper, the crash of the timpani actually gave me goosebumps. The Adagio here is very noble and majestic without dragging too much - in sharp contrast to the brisker tempo in the Act II pas de deux which strives less for romance and more for excitement.

So where does the trouble begin? It begins with some additional sound effects added for theatricality's sake: the chiming of the clock right at the place in the score that indicates "the clock strikes nine...it's time to call in the children." (Dover score, pg. 36) This is a detail left off of most every other recording. The choice of the chime's pitch, however, becomes alarming at midnight: clearly in some other key than the rest of the orchestra, it is gradually electronically modified into a deep rolling boom for a scary effect. Interesting enough - but a bit too modern. Toy instruments are used in several places in the first act: the trumpets and whistles and whatchamacallits that interrupt the lullabye are clearly indicated to be performed by the children on stage, if possible. However, the Irish whistle used to replicate the sounds of toy cuckoos and quails sounds too much like a cell phone going off in mid-performance. The use of a kazoo in the battle scene is not indicated anywhere - an arbitrary and jarring decision, especially since it is not played very persuasively.

As far as the playing of the Philharmonia Orchestra goes, it varies from wildly passionate to downright sloppy. The strings are especially ragged in spots, with mushy attacks and wide vibratos that take things off pitch, but in other places the performance is quite brilliant. (The notorious string passages in the Act II pas de deux Coda are dispatched at breathtaking speed.) Frequently the synchronization between the various sections of the orchestra goes off at odd moments, as in the first act doll waltz, where the triangle, winds and strings are all playing at different tempos. The flutes in the Snow Waltz almost get that syncopated figure right, until the last few bars at the beginning. (So many recordings get it wrong right from the second bar.) Although the Ambrosian Singers are credited with the vocals, it clearly sounds like children's voices to me, and they sing solidly and strongly - they practically hammer the snowflakes into submission at the end. The percussion section sounds like it's sight-reading in a couple of spots: the afore-mentioned triangle in the doll waltz plays ahead of the beat, the glockenspiel at the end of the Christmas tree's transformation plays behind the beat, and the cymbal player in the final waltz actually misfires a beat early, after nearly getting lost in the eight bars previous. The brass play mostly very well throughout - until a wrong note in the Waltz of the Flowers completely changes the chord!

Michael Tilson Thomas clearly had some ideas as to how to make this all-too-familiar score sound fresh and new, but it doesn't always add up to a pleasant experience. Transitional passages are dispatched rather than finessed, as if to get through the "boring" parts and into the next tune. (The C major scale into the Snow Scene is just a scale here - in other recordings, like Andre Previn's, time is taken to make it musical and special - and to provide a sense of relief after the hectic battle and the death of the Mouse King.) The character dances are handled quite well - even the additional trills in the Spanish Dance are not so objectionable, except that Tchaikovsky didn't write any. The Arabian Dance is a real Commodo - not too fast, but not slow either, but Mother Gigogne's appearance is fast and brash and not dancey. The Waltz of the Flowers, aside from that errant chord, is done very well, with the traditional fermata just before the end but without the big ritardando - a nice compromise. The Cavalier's Variation in the second act begins as a sprightly tarantella - which it is - but at the tambourine's entrance the brakes get slammed on to almost half-tempo, an inexplicable choice. The previous Adagio takes the quicker Dorati approach, which leaves me cold, but the final Coda is dazzling.

This recording really wants to be wonderful, but the sloppy performance of the orchestra and the erratic musical leadership keep it below the standard set by others. It's quite a shame, really. But at least I bought it used.
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Complete Ballet Music)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • One of the very best--why is it ignored?
 Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Complete Ballet Music)

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000E3JC
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars One of the very best--why is it ignored?.......2005-11-05

The Leningrad-born conductor Semyon Bychkov was only 26 when he made this complete Nutcracker with the Berlin Phil. He had debuted with the orchestra the year before but had already taken them on a Geman concert tour, the first time a guest condcutor was invited to (one suspects that Karajan's abrupt departure from the podium led to a sudden vacuum). In any event, Bychkov was the real thing, an accomplished musician with lots of good ideas.

This Nutcracker yields to none in terms of orchestral virtuosity, but it is also light and springy, carefully detailed but never fussy. A delight in every way, I would say. No doubt you've never heard of it, even though it rivals Previn, Temirkanov, Jansons, and Dorati. In my opinion it excels them all, but then, I can't account for what happened to Bychkov's career.

Now 51, he did a stint with the Buffalo Phil. in the late Eighties--never a great career move--and is now relegated to a provicial German radio orchestra in Cologne. He's on the comeback trail with a recent well-reviewed Ein Heldeleben and a current Daphne on Decca starring Renee Fleming.

There are lots of early Bychkov recordings on Philips besides this Nutcracker--I own a splendid Rachmaninoff Second Sym. and Shostakovich Eighth, along with an acclaimed Eugene Onegin. But a lot of other CDs, especially those done with the Orchestre de Paris, are out of print. We'll have to wait and see if this outstanding musician gets reborn. He deserves a major orchestra again. Meanwhile, here is a lyrical, dream-like Nutcracker which takes us into the realm of fantasy beyond any other reading I've ever encountered. Highly recommended.
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Complete Ballet)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Complete Ballet)

    Manufacturer: EMI
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    BalletsBallets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by TchaikovskyAll Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    Ballets & DancesBallets & Dances | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake (complete ballet); Wolfgang Sawallisch; Philadelphia Orchestra
    2. Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Baryshnikov, Kirkland, Charmoli
    3. George Balanchine's The Nutcracker
    4. Apollo 13 (Widescreen 2-Disc Anniversary Edition)
    5. Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

    ASIN: B000027FGD
    Release Date: 2005-03-01

    Tracks:

    1. Overture
    2. No.1 The Decoration Of The Christmas Tree
    3. No.2 March
    4. No.3 Children's Galop And Entry Of The Parents
    5. No. 4 Arrival Of Dosselmeyer
    6. No.5 Grandfather Dance
    7. No.6 Scena (Clara And The Nutcracker)
    8. No.7 Scena (Battle)
    9. No.8 Scena (In The Pine Forest)
    10. No.9 Waltz Of The Snowflakes

    Tracks:

    1. No.10 Scena - Confiturembourg (The Kingdom Of Sweets)
    2. No.11 Scena (Clara And The Prince)
    3. No.12a Divertissement: Chocolate (spanish Dance)
    4. No. 12b Divertissement: Coffee (Arab Dance)
    5. No.12c Divertissement: Tea (Chinese Dance)
    6. No.12d Divertissement: Trepak (Russian Dance)
    7. No.12e Divertissement: Flutes (Danse De Mirlitons)
    8. No.12f Divertissement: Mother Gigogne
    9. No.13 Waltz Of The Flowers
    10. No.14 Pas De Deux: Pas De Deux
    11. No.14a Pas De Deux: Variation 1: Tarantella
    12. No. 14b Pas De Deux: Variation 2: Sugar Plum Fairy And Coda
    13. No.15 Final Waltz And Apotheosis: Final Waltz And Apotheosis

    Track Listings:

    1. Orbon; Villa-Lobos; Estevez; Chavez: Latin American Masters
    2. Paul Chihara: Guitar Concerto; Mistletoe Bride; Grass
    3. Per Nørgård: Sinfonia austera; Symphony No. 2
    4. Phantasmic Broadway
    5. Piano Trios Nos 1 & 2
    6. Prokofiev: Semyon Kotko
    7. Rachmaninov: 24 Preludes [Import]
    8. Saint-Saëns: Music for Cello
    9. Schubert: Songs Transcribed by Liszt, Vol. 3
    10. Schwankungen Am Rand

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