In my previous post I discussed the holidays and having memories of going to see ‘The Nutcracker’ ballet. At the end of my post, I left off with the most important aspect of of the ballet. The significance of this work of art is tremendous, not only because the music was written by Tchaikovsky, but because of the era that it was written in…
First, we will start with Tchaikovsky and a short bio: Russian born, Tchaikovsky lived from 1840 to 1893. In 1862, he entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory (against the wishes of his parents). He is one of the most well known composers of the Romantic era of classical music. When writing music, his phenomenal talent spanned from opera, ballet, symphony, and orchestra. Among many other works, he is credited with the ‘1812 Overture’, music for ‘The Nutcracker’ and ‘The sleeping Beauty’ ballets, and ten operas. In 1891, Tchaikovsky began to write the music for ‘The Nutcracker’.
Tchaikovsky was a popular composer of the Romantic era of music (1820 – 1900). Classical music of this era was more energetic and passionate than the Classicism period before it (1750 – 1820). The Romantic era of classical music offered more grand ensembles and freer orchestration. As a side note, this new and more expressive era of music allowed composers to distinguish themselves from one another (based on form and so forth). During this time, the Industrial Revolution was thriving. Russian society at the time had been traditionally very strict: the arts were a very important methods of free thought. Russians began to incorporate Western ideals.
In 1892, Tchaikovsky finished the music for ‘The Nutcracker’. The first performance of the ballet was held on December 18, 1892. The first complete version that was held in the United States took place in 1944, by the San Francisco Ballet. To date, it continues to entertain thousands. Now that you know the storyline of the ballet, a bit about Tchaikovsky, and a little about the Romantic era of classical music; can you connect the dots?
The story, the composer, and the era all combined create perfection. There is perfect harmony of the three, and all three had to be present in order to succeed. If you have not seen ‘The Nutcracker’, please do so. And take your children as well. My first viewing took place when I was seven. I loved it. The costumes/characters make the experience fun for kids. The music and graceful dancers entertain the parents. I have probably seen it about twelve times and it has not gotten old. Whether going for the first time, or going again, go home after and ponder the significance of the fact that a union of three is what created a masterpiece.
