Renee Montagne talks with Miles Hoffman about the history of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite. Hoffman is the violist of the American Chamber Players, and authored The NPR Classical Music Companion.
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RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
Here is a holiday tradition that seems as old as Christmas trees and mistletoe.
(SOUNDBITE OF PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY SONG, "NUTCRACKER OVERTURE")
MONTAGNE: Those are the opening notes of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet "The Nutcracker." Thousands of musicians and dancers all over America perform it during the holidays. And here to talk about how "The Nutcracker" became a tradition is MORNING EDITION music commentator Miles Hoffman. Good morning, Miles.
MILES HOFFMAN, BYLINE: Good morning, Renee.
MONTAGNE: Christmas and "The Nutcracker," honestly though, it feels like the two have gone together forever.
HOFFMAN: It does seem that way, especially since at this time of the year, it's hard to find a ballet company of any size anywhere in the country that doesn't present "The Nutcracker."
(SOUNDBITE OF PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY SONG, "DANCE OF THE MIRLITONS")
HOFFMAN: Believe or not, though, Renee, the tradition of presenting "The Nutcracker" at Christmas time is a relatively recent tradition.
MONTAGNE: Although since the story takes place on Christmas Eve, isn't the connection rather a natural one?
HOFFMAN: Well, yeah, it is. And the very first performance, which was in St. Petersburg in Russia in 1892, did take place around Christmas. But the ballet itself wasn't terribly successful. Everybody liked the first act with the big Christmas tree and the children and the toy soldiers and the battle with the Mouse King. But there's really hardly any drama in the second act. It's just essentially a series of colorful dances, and many people just didn't find the story terribly convincing.
(SOUNDBITE OF PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY SONG, "MARCH OF THE TOY SOLDIERS")
MONTAGNE: Though here we are with the "March Of The Toy Soldiers." That's pretty convincing.
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