The Nutcracker is an 1892 two-act classical ballet by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It is the second entry here from the composer after the 1812 Overture (1882).
The Nutcracker is set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree in a child’s imagination featuring a Nutcracker doll. The plot is an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’s 1844 short story The Nutcracker, itself a retelling of E. T. A. Hoffmann’s 1816 short story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Since the late 1960s, The Nutcracker has been danced by many ballet companies, especially in North America. Major American ballet companies generate around 40% of their annual ticket revenues from performances of the ballet.
Synopsis
The Nutcracker tells the tale of a young girl named Clara who receives a wooden nutcracker as a Christmas gift from her mysterious godfather, Drosselmeyer. That night, the nutcracker comes to life, battles the evil Mouse King, and transforms into a prince. Together, Clara and the prince journey through a magical world, first to the Land of Snow and then to the Land of Sweets, where they are welcomed by the Sugar Plum Fairy and treated to a dazzling array of dances from around the world. The ballet blends fantasy, childhood wonder, and festive tradition, culminating in a dreamlike finale that leaves Clara back at home- uncertain if it all truly happened.
The two pieces I presented below from the Nutcracker are the Pas de deux (Step of Two) and Overture respectively. The reason I presented the Pas de deux before the Overture (which of course opens the concert) is because it is my preferred piece from the Ballet. It is simply one of the most hauntingly beautiful pieces I have heard.
Pas de deux
(Sugar Plum Fairy and Her Cavalier) grand pas de deux 14th scene in Act 2.
Pas de deux nearly always follows the Waltz of the Flowers scene – a very famous piece in its own right. In ballet, a pas de deux (French, literally “step of two”) is a dance duet in which two dancers, typically a male and a female, perform ballet steps together.
Tchaikovsky is said to have argued with a friend who wagered that the composer could not write a melody based on a one-octave scale in sequence. Tchaikovsky asked if it mattered whether the notes were in ascending or descending order and was assured it did not. This resulted in the Adagio from the Grand pas de deux. Another story is told that Tchaikovsky’s sister Alexandra had died shortly before he began composition of the ballet and that his sister’s death influenced him to compose a melancholy, descending scale melody for the adagio of the Grand Pas de Deux.
The performance below is by the Royal Ballet from the the Royal Opera House in London. The principals of The Royal Ballet are Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov. In fact The Nutcracker will be performed at the Royal Opera House later this year from 22 November 2025 to 5 January 2026.
Overture
The performance below is by the Moscow Ballet. The Overture opens The Nutcracker and it shows where Uncle Drosselmeyer puts the finishing touches on his Christmas gifts for the party that evening. He has magic dolls of all kinds ready to dance for Masha and Fritz.
References:
1. The Nutcracker – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
I’ve went to see a production of this decades ago…I didn’t think I would…but I liked it!
You saw the ballet production ? Wow, stupendous!
You know..when I was listening to all this music and researching the article, it suddenly occurred to me – how isn’t the viewing of this ballet an almost mandatory Christmas event? I suppose it is for many.
I have to take my kids one day.
Yes I saw a production of it at TPAC (Tennessee Performing Arts Center) at one time. Yes it came around Christmas time and Jennifer got me to go…I really enjoyed it.
You got a good girl in Jennifer!
When I hear now ‘Pas de deux’ I just want to curl up and thank God. It’s just so beautiful that part.
It was beautiful to see and hear and I’m not a ballet guy…but I did appreciate it and saw the beauty in it.
I saw it live back in 1981 at Eastman Theatre in Rochester, NY. It was wonderful. I always wanted to be a ballet dancer.
I can see why!
I’m comparing apples to oranges, but I thought the movie Billy Elliot also elevated Ballet to the masses. Loved that movie.
While I only knew it by name, based on the two clips you featured, “The Nutcracker” by Tchaikovsky undoubtedly is a beautiful piece of music.
I guess there’s a reason why Chuck Berry included Tchaikovsky in “Roll Over Beethoven,” namely, “Roll over Beethoven, tell Tchaikovsky the news” – such a brilliant lie. Granted, Tchaikovsky is the perfect rhythmic fit, which may well have been the main reason Berry used his name. “Roll over Beethoven, tell Mozart the news” wouldn’t have worked as well!
It is indeed so gorgeous not withstanding the talent from the dancers. I first heard ‘Pas de deux’ by accident since so much of his other music in the ballet is beyond common knowledge and insatuated in culture. I just fell in love with that piece and decided to pull the trigger.
It’s not dissimilar to what I did with his 1812 overture. I had only heard that part of it we had all heard before. But the initiation of that piece is so wondrous.