Pytro Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer who is popular for his work in the
ballet, The Nutcracker. Tchaikovsky composed music during the romantic period with
much of his work being classical collection. Tchaikovsky was born May 7, 1940 in
Votkinsk, Russia. Initially, Tchaikovsky was not interested nor did he set out to go in to
the musical field, but instead was set to go into the labor field. When he graduated in
1865, he found those journeys that lead him to his career in music.
The Nutcracker Suite, a selection of pieces from Tchaikovsky's now-classic
Christmas ballet The Nutcracker, is a personified depiction of the changing of the
seasons; first from summer to autumn, and then from autumn to winter (Nutcracker
Suite. Disney Wiki. n.d.). The Romantic era is known best for the energy and passion
within a piece of music. Tchaikovsky's "Russian Dance" is one example of the romatio
era of music with that energy and passion. New and not-so-common instruments also
make the Romantic era of music what it was. Some of those instruments used in the
Nutcracker Suite were flutes, oboes, English horn, clarinets, bass clarinet, bassoons.
horns, trumpets, trombones, tambourine, triangle, cymbals, glockenspiel, percussion,
harp, and strings. Although what is seen on the stage today is different in detail from the
original story, the basic plot remains the same; The story of a young German girl who
dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven
heads (The Nutcracker Ballet - Listing Nutcracker performances across the nation and
around the world. N.d.). The Nutcracker was first performed in December 1892 and is
made up of several small pieces and is written in ABA form. In Dance of the Sugar Plum
Fairy, wanting to create the effect of water droplets shooting from a fountain,
simple meter, with the harmony repeating itself to give that effect. In The Dance of the
Reed Flutes, mostly wind instruments are used; however there are cymbals throughout
that give it that dramatic pizazz. I hear this song more around the Thanksgiving and
Christmas holidays as a song from most television commercials.
Pytro Tchaikovksy passed away in 1893 at the age of 53 years old, nine days
after the premiere of the Sixth Symphony. He was diagnosed with cholera, which was
an epidemic that was widespread through St. Petersburg. Despite all medical efforts to
save him, he died four days later from complications arising from the disease
(Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc)
References
Encyclopedia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Years of fame of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pyotr-Ilyich-
Tchaikovsky/Years-of-fame.
Nutcracker Suite. Disney Wiki. (n.d.). https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Nutcracker_Suite
The Nutcracker Ballet - Listing Nutcracker performances across the nation and around
the world! (n.d.). https://www.nutcrackerballet.net/html/nutcracker_story.html.