Notes and Editorial Reviews
Eugene Ormandy's disc of Nutcracker excerpts, including the entire "suite" plus a good bit of additional music (Act 1's journey through the snow and Waltz of the Snowflakes, along with some more Act 2 dances, including the Final Waltz and Apotheosis) must be one of the biggest selling records of all time. Having grown up in the 1960s and '70s, I can't think of anyone who didn't own it at one time or another, and its lustrous musical values haven't dimmed a bit. Ormandy finds every scrap of color in the music. Of course we expect the gorgeous strings, but even the percussion, right down to the suspended cymbals in the March, has a sort of picture-postcard vividness that never has been equaled and makes every other performance of this music,
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however fine, pale just a bit in comparison. As a bonus, we also get fantastic performances of four Rimsky-Korsakov encores, including the best-ever Dance of the Tumblers from The Snow Maiden. The Farewell of the Tsar closes the program quietly, with a sly wink, and I wouldn't be surprised if at this point you immediately decided to listen to it all over again. Sounding better than ever, and at a budget price, this disc deserves to sell another few million copies. [11/8/2003]
--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Nutcracker, Op. 71: no 1a, Act 1 - Miniature Overture by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor:
Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philadelphia Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1891-1892; Russia
2.
Nutcracker, Op. 71: no 2, Act 1 - March of the Wooden Soldiers by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor:
Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philadelphia Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1891-1892; Russia
3.
Nutcracker, Op. 71: no 9, Act 1 - Waltz of the Snowflakes by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor:
Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philadelphia Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1891-1892; Russia
4.
Nutcracker, Op. 71: no 12a, Act 2 - Spanish Dance "Chocolate" by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor:
Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philadelphia Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1891-1892; Russia
5.
Nutcracker, Op. 71: no 12b, Act 2 - Arabian Dance "Coffee" by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor:
Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philadelphia Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1891-1892; Russia
6.
Nutcracker, Op. 71: no 12c, Act 2 - Chinese Dance "Tea" by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor:
Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philadelphia Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1891-1892; Russia
7.
Nutcracker, Op. 71: no 12d, Act 2 - Russian Dance "Trepak" by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor:
Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philadelphia Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1891-1892; Russia
8.
Nutcracker, Op. 71: no 12e, Act 2 - Dance of the Flutes "Toy Trumpets" by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor:
Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philadelphia Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1891-1892; Russia
9.
Nutcracker, Op. 71: no 12f, Act 2 - Mother Gigogne and the Clowns by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor:
Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philadelphia Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1891-1892; Russia
10.
Nutcracker, Op. 71: no 13, Act 2 - Waltz of the Flowers by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor:
Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philadelphia Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1891-1892; Russia
11.
Nutcracker, Op. 71: no 14a, Act 2 - Pas de deux by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor:
Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philadelphia Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1891-1892; Russia
12.
Nutcracker, Op. 71: no 14c, Act 2 - Variation II, Sugar-Plum Fairy and Coda by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor:
Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philadelphia Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1891-1892; Russia
13.
Nutcracker, Op. 71: no 15, Act 2 - Final Waltz and Apotheosis by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor:
Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philadelphia Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1891-1892; Russia
14.
Christmas Eve: Suite - Polonaise by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Conductor:
Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philadelphia Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1903; Russia
15.
Snow Maiden: Suite - Dance of the Tumblers by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Conductor:
Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philadelphia Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1880/1895; Russia
16.
Mlada: Suite - Procession of the nobles by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Conductor:
Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philadelphia Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1903; Russia
17.
Tale of Tsar Saltan: Suite, Op. 57 - Tsar's farewell and departure by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Conductor:
Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philadelphia Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1903; Russia
Sound Samples
Journey Through the Snow; Waltz of the Snowflakes (from Act I)
Chocolate (Spanish Dance) (from Act II)
Coffee (Arabian Dance) (From Act II)
Tea (Chinese) (from Act II)
Trépak (Cossack Dance) (From Act II)
Dance of the Mirlitons (from Act II)
The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe; The Buffoons (from Act II)
Waltz of the Flowers (from Act II)
Pas de deux (From Act II)
Variation II (Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Final Waltz and Apotheosis (from Act II)
Polonaise, excerpt from Christmas Eve Suite
Dance of the Tumblers, excerpt from The Snow Maiden
Procession of the Nobles from Mlada
Farewell of the Tsar, excerpt from Tsar Saltan Suite, Op.57
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