Characteristic Dances from "The Nutcracker Suite"

Peter I Tchaikovsky

Peter I Tchaikovsky (trans. Rogan; Rev. and Ed. 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
Piccolo/Flute III
Flute I-II
Oboe I
Oboe II/English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Eb Clarinet
Bb Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
Eb Alto Clarinet
Bb Bass Clarinet
Bb Contrabass Clarinet
Eb Alto Saxophone I-II
Bb Tenor Saxophone
Eb Baritone Saxophone
Cornets I-II
Bb Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium (Bass Clef & Treble Clef)
Tuba
Celesta
String Bass
Percussion, including:

• Bells
• 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 by 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

Commercial Discography

None discovered thus far.

Audio Links

• 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

• 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)
• Characteristic Dances from "The Nutcracker Suite" (arr. Rogan/McAllster/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/)
• Entry March from "Swan Lake" (tr. Billis) (1877/1996)
• Faeries (arr. Davis; adapt. Longfield) (1891/)
• Festive Overture on the Danish National Anthem (arr. Godfrey) (1908)
• Finale from Symphony in F minor No 4) (arr. Brooks) (1878/)
• Finale from Symphony in F minor No 4 (arr. Safranek) (ed. Ragsdale) (1878/1912/2004)
• Finale from Symphony in F minor No 4 (tr Hindsley) (tr. Hindsley) (1878/197-?)
• Finale from Symphony in F minor No 4 (arr Sato) (arr. Sato) (1878/2014)
• Gems of Tchaikovsky (arr. Clark) (1917)
• Jurisprudence (1885)
• 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) (1880/?)
• Scenes from "The Nutcracker" (arr. Story) (1884/2010)
• 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. 6 (arr. Hindsley)
  • Symphony No. 6 -- First Movement (arr. Hindsley) (1893/197-?)
  • Symphony No. 6 -- Third Movement (arr. Hindsley) (1893/197-?)
• 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 "The Nutcracker Suite" (arr. Johnson) (1891/1952)
• Two Military Marches (arr. DiCriscio) (1878/1893/2020)
• 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)

References

• The Nutcracker, Wikipedia Accessed 28 September 2017