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Monica P.'s avatar

When my daughters were young part of our Christmas tradition was to see The Nutcracker.

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Michael Cirigliano II's avatar

The Nutcracker was one of my earliest obsessions as a kid exploring classical music. Along with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, it was one of the works to show me how powerful storytelling through music could be.

I wish I could have been in the audience for the ballet’s premiere, if only to be one of the first to hear the swirling sounds of the celesta — the bell-toned keyboard instrument Tchaikovsky used to magical effect in the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. He came across the newly invented instrument in Paris, and immediately asked his publisher to buy him one for use in Moscow. But Tchaikovsky also begged him not to let any other Russian composer know the instrument was available. He wanted to be the first in town to use it!

The New York Times recently ran a great piece on the instrument’s history. Here’s a gift link if you're interested:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/03/arts/music/celesta-nutcracker-holiday-music.html?unlocked_article_code=1.hU4.ZsU4.rUlUZbvywwjq&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

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