How “The Nutcracker” Became a Christmas Classic

Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker is one of today’s most recognizable – and influential – Christmas works. The ballet has an interesting history, though – one that began four years before its premiere.

Background

How Sleeping Beauty’s Success Led to The Nutcracker

In 1888, Ivan Vsevolozhsky (Director of the Imperial Theaters, an opera and ballet theater in St. Petersburg) approached Tchaikovsky about composing a ballet for the theater. Tchaikovsky readily agreed, hopeful that this second ballet would be more successful than his first. (Swan Lake was considered to be too symphonic and complex for a ballet. And it didn’t help that the choreography was considered unimaginative and the story was thought to be lame).

This ballet, based on the story of Sleeping Beauty, became an instant Russian success upon its premiere in 1890, thanks in part to choreographer Marius Petipa. 

So later that same year, Vsevolozhsky asked Tchaikovsky to write a double-bill program: one opera and one ballet to be premiered on December 18, 1892.

The Double Premiere

Iolanta the Opera

Iolanta, the opera commissioned by Vsevolozhsky, is a one-act 60-minute lyric opera (a nineteenth-century form of French opera emphasizing melody and having a romantic or fantasy theme). The public loved the music, although Tchaikovsky didn’t think it was his best work. The story romanticizes the life of Duchess Yolande de Bar (1428-1483) as told in Henrik Hertz’s verse King René’s Daughter.

The Nutcracker Ballet

And at Vsevolozhsky’s request, Tchaikovsky again teamed up with Petipa for the premiere of the ballet. The choreographer chose to do an adaptation of E. T. A. Hoffman’s story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King written by Alexandre Dumas. Dumas’s adaptation was greatly lightened and simplified, which made it easier to turn into a ballet (and it made the story more family friendly. The original story is quite dark!). Petipa and Tchaikovsky worked together to create detailed music that would lend itself well to the ballet.

However, unlike Iolanta, The Nutcracker‘s premiere did not go as smoothly. After Tchaikovsky completed the music, Petipa began choreographing – until he fell ill and was unable to complete the task. His assistant finished the project, so the choreography was not as good as it could have been. One critic even said of the show’s choreography: “One can not understand anything. [There was] disorderly pushing about from corner to corner and running backwards and forwards – quite amateurish.” The scenery and costumes were considered tasteless, and many of the dancers themselves were also criticized that first show.

Reception of the Music

Tchaikovsky’s music was better received; many critics called it “astonishingly rich in detailed inspiration” and “from beginning to end, beautiful, melodious, original, and characteristic”. In fact, the music is partially what has made The Nutcracker a Christmas staple!

Unfortunately, though, Tchaikovsky himself was not happy with his composing. He said to a friend, “Apparently the opera gave pleasure, but the ballet not really; and, as a matter of fact, in spite of all the sumptuousness it did turn out to be rather boring.” Tchaikovsky did not much like the story of The Nutcracker, and he felt his music was “infinitely worse than Sleeping Beauty“.

A Closer Look at the Music

Despite the failure of the premiere, the ballet – and the music – went on to be one of the composer’s greatest successes. Tchaikovsky filled the music of The Nutcracker with beautiful melodies, quirky characters, and lush harmonies, and audiences around the world fell in love with the musical imagery and the story. Let’s take a closer look at some of the music.

The Celesta

When Tchaikovsky wrote the music for the ballet, the celesta was a fairly new musical instrument. He heard the distinct bell-like sound on a trip to Paris and knew immediately that it characterized the sugar plumb fairy (the celesta begins at 0:20):

A Tender French Horn

In classical music from this time period, the French horn solos usually consist of triumphant fanfares. But in the opening of the Waltz of the Flowers, the horns are warm and tender (hear it at 0:58). This unique writing gives the whole waltz a lush, beautiful atmosphere:

A Melodic Scale

There is a story that Tchaikovsky had a friend who bet he could not write a melody based on the sequential notes in a musical octave. Now listen to the opening theme in the Grand Pas de Deux (the theme starts at 0:18), a beautiful dance in Act II:

The Orchestral Suite

Selections from The Nutcracker were performed as an orchestral suite in March of 1892, 8 months before the ballet’s premiere:

To read a more in-depth breakdown of the music in The Nutcracker, read here!

And that, my friends, is the story of The Nutcracker. Do you have a favorite dance or scene?