Characteristic Dances from "The Nutcracker Suite"

Peter I Tchaikovsky

Peter I Tchaikovsky (trans. Rogan; rev. and ed. Clark McAlister and Alfred Reed)

The actual title of this work is Suite from 'The Nutcracker:' II. Characteristic Dances

General Info

Year: 1892 / 2001
Duration: c. 15:00
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Master Publications
Cost: Score and Parts - $110.00 | Score Only - $20.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute I-II-III (III doubling C Piccolo)
Oboe I-II (II doubling English Horn)
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Celesta
String Bass
Percussion, including:

Bells
Crash Cymbals
Suspended Cymbal
Tambourine

Errata

Euphonium BC : March: bar 37, the second 8th note should be an A natural, not A flat.

Program Notes

The second movement from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker contains some of the most colorful and familiar themes from the beloved ballet, including March; Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy; Russian Dance (Trepak); Arabian Dance; Chinese Dance and Dance of the Toy Flutes.

- Program Note from publisher

Tchaikovsky made a selection of eight of the numbers from the ballet before the ballet's December 1892 première, forming The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a, intended for concert performance. The suite was first performed, under the composer's direction, on 19 March 1892 at an assembly of the St. Petersburg branch of the Musical Society. The suite became instantly popular, with almost every number encored at its premiere, while the complete ballet did not begin to achieve its great popularity until after the George Balanchine staging became a hit in New York City. The suite became very popular on the concert stage, and was featured in Disney's Fantasia. The Nutcracker Suite should not be mistaken for the complete ballet. The outline below represents the selection and sequence of the Nutcracker Suite culled by the composer.

I. Miniature Overture
II. Danses caractéristiques

a. Marche
b. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy [ending altered from ballet-version]
c. Russian Dance (Trepak)
d. Arabian Dance
e. Chinese Dance
f. Reed Flutes

III. Waltz of the Flowers

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Whitehouse Wind Symphony (Somerville, N.J.) (James P. Sheeley, Jr., conductor) – 8 December 2019
San Luis Obispo (Calif.) Wind Orchestra (Jennifer Martin, conductor) – 17 December 2017
Walnut Creek (Calif.) Concert Band (Harvey Benstein, conductor) – 28 November 2017
Vienna (VA) Community Band {Cornelius A. Young, conductor) – 11 December 2016
Encore Concert Band (Mokena, Ill.) (Bill Schuetter, conductor) – 14 December 2014
Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps Symphonic Band (New York City) (Kelly Watkins, conductor) – 12 December 2014

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Douce Rêverie (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vernay) (1878/2020)
Scenes from "Swan Lake" (Adaptable Band) (arr. Fisher) (1876/2016)
Themes from "1812 Overture" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vinson) (1891/2008)
Themes from "The Nutcracker" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Huckeby) (1891/1999/2010)

All Wind Works

The 3-Minute Nutcracker (arr. Conley) (1891/2010)
1812 (arr. Brown) (1880/1938)
1812 Overture (arr. Lake) (1880)
1812 Overture (arr. Kimura) (1880)
1812 Overture (arr. Mol) (1880)
1812 Overture (arr. Laurendeau; ed. Schissel) (1880/1904/2010)
1812 Overture (arr. Whitcomb) (1880)
1812 Overture (arr. Williams) (1880/1997)
1812 Overture (tr. Patterson) (1880)
Andante Cantabile (arr. Safranek) (/1913)
Capriccio Italien (tr. Hindsley) (1880/1984)
Chanson Triste (arr. Reed) (1878/1989)
Characteristic Dances from "The Nutcracker Suite" (tr. Rogan; ed. McAllster and Reed)
Cossak Dance (tr. Bourgeois) (2008)
Dance of the Jesters (arr. Cramer) (1873/1997)
Dance of the Reed Flutes (arr. Cook) (1892/1990)
Dance of the Reed Flutes (arr. Schwalbe) (1892/2015?)
Dances from The Oprichnik (tr. Bourgeois) (1872/2008)
Dances des mirlitons (arr. Buitenhuis) (1892/)
Douce Rêverie (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vernay) (1878/2020)
Entry March from "Swan Lake" (tr. Billis) (1877/1996)
Faeries (arr. Davis; adapt. Longfield) (1891/)
Fantasy on "March Slav" (arr. Bobrowitz) (1876/2019)
Festive Overture on the Danish National Anthem (arr. Godfrey) (1908)
Final Scene from "Swan Lake," Act IV (1876) (arr. Lienhart) (1876/2012)
Finale from "Concerto for Violin" (arr. Howey) (1878/2008)
Finale from Symphony in F minor No. 4 (arr. Balent). See: Finale from Symphony No. 4
Finale from Symphony in F minor No. 4 (arr. Brooks) (1878/)
Finale from Symphony in F minor No. 4 (tr. Hindsley) (1878/197-?)
Finale from Symphony in F minor No 4 (arr. Safranek; ed. Ragsdale) (1878/1912/2004)
Finale from Symphony in F minor No. 4 (arr. Sato) (1878/2014)
Finale from Symphony in F minor No. 4 (arr. Singleton) (1878/1912/2003)
Finale from Symphony No. 2 (arr. Williams) (1872/1880/2002)
Finale from Symphony No. 4 (arr. Balent) (1878/2005)
Gems of Tchaikovsky (arr. Clark) (1917)
Highlights from "1812 Overture" (arr. Hanna) (1880/1997)
Jurisprudence (arr. Godfrey) (1885/1909)
Le Lac des Cygnes: Act I, Scene 1 (arr. Nefs) (1876/)
Mad Russian's Christmas, A (arr. Phillips and Megaw) (1891/1996/2015)
March from "The Sleeping Beauty" (arr. Bourgeois) (1890/2018)
March Slav (tr. Daehn) (1876/1994)
March Slav (orch. Simpson) (1876/2000)
Marche Slav (arr. Laurendeau) (1876/1906)
Marche Slave (arr. Godfrey) (1876/1917)
Miniature Overture from "Suite from 'The Nutcracker'" (tr. Rogan; ed. McAlister and Reed) (1892/2001)
Nutcracker Fantasy, The (ad. Yo Goto)
Nutcracker Suite (arr. Lake) (1891/1924)
Nutcracker Suite (arr. Curnow) (1891/1987)
Nutcracker Suite (arr. Lavender) (1891/1999)
Nutcracker Sweets (arr. Corwell) (1891/2010)
Polonaise from "Third Suite" (arr. Godfrey) (1884/1916)
Romeo and Juliet (trans. Hindsley) (1870/?)
Romeo and Juliet (trans. Holcombe) (1870/1981)
Scenes from "Swan Lake" (Adaptable Band) (arr. Fisher) (1876/2016)
Scenes from "The Nutcracker" (arr. Story) (1884/2010)
Selections from "The Nutcracker Suite" (arr. Hartman) (1884/2013)
Selections from "The Nutcracker Suite" (arr. Longfield) (1884/1992)
Sleeping Beauty, The (arr. Bennett) (1960)
Sleeping Beauty: Waltz (arr. Eilhardt) (1889)
Suite from "Swan Lake" (tr. Yodo) (1876/)
Suite from the Ballet "The Swan Lake" (arr. Godfrey) (1876/1911)
Symphony No. 4 Finale (arr. Fyffe) (1878/2000)
Symphony No. 6: Third Movement Finale (arr. Daehn) (1893/2007)
Symphony No. 6 (arr. Hindsley)
- Symphony No. 6 -- First Movement (arr. Hindsley) (1893/197-?)
- Symphony No. 6 -- Third Movement (arr. Hindsley) (1893/197-?)
Tchaikovsky Ballet Suite (arr. Bourgeois) (2012)
Tchaikovskyana (arr. Daehn) (1979/2015)
Tchaikovsky's Greatest Hits (arr. Moss) (2003)
Theme and Variations from "Suite in G Major" (arr. Winterbottom) (1884/1937)
Themes from "1812 Overture" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vinson) (1891/2008)
Themes from "The Nutcracker" (arr. Huckeby) (1891/2010/2013)
Themes from "The Nutcracker" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Huckeby) (1891/1999/2010)
Themes from "The Nutcracker Suite" (arr. Johnson) (1891/1952)
Three Chorales for Band (with Handel and Pasquini; arr. Thornton) (1992/2004)
Three Dances from "The Maid of Orleans" (tr. Bourgeois) (1879/2007)
Violin Concerto in D Major (trans. Lane) (1878/2020)
Waltz from "Sleeping Beauty" (tr. Lake) (1889/1937)
Waltz of the Flowers (tr. Lake) (1892/1919)

Resources

The Nutcracker, Wikipedia Accessed 28 September 2017