Tchaikovsky was one of the first composers to use the celesta, a bell-piano, in his music. These pieces are all relatively short some almost miniatures. So well look at a bunch of the 8 movements, but not all of them. In 1891, the director of a theater in Moscow commissioned Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) to write music for a Christmas ballet. In the Pas de deux, Tchaikovsky omitted the male variation, and on a blank page he wrote: "Transfer from the 1st act (formerly the tarantella) but tone lower", and wrote out the first two bars. Many ballet companies perform it every holiday season. Together they travel to mystical lands while battling the mouse king. Display of nutcracker dolls Collection of fairy tale nutcrackers Nutcracker dolls, also known as Christmas nutcrackers, are decorative nutcracker figurines most commonly made to resemble a toy soldier. On the day of his departure from Saint Petersburg, the composer discussed the ballet with Marius Petipa [23]. On 15/27 March, he wrote to Vladimir Davydov: "I shall leave Paris on 6th April/25 March, I still don't know where to, in order to work on the ballet" [26], and on 30 March/11 April he reported to Praskovya Tchaikovskaya from Rouen: "I came here yesterday for a few days' rest and solitude from Parisian life" [27]. And the music for the Nutcracker, arranged into an orchestral suite, is a beloved standard at concerts. Here, the brass take the back seat. This was Tchaikovsky's last ballet, from which he compiled a famous Suite of eight numbers for concert performance. He had been turned into a nutcracker by the evil Mouse King, and only by the King's death could the Nutcracker regain his human form. The last of his three ballets, it was first performed in December 1892. In a letter to Sergey Taneyev of 27 June/9 July 1891, Tchaikovsky also reported that he had finished the ballet "with a feverish haste and the constant doubts that I would muster the energy to finish the ballet in rough" [41]. So, how did this ballet come about? Eventually staged in Moscows Bolshoi Theatre in 1877, where it was hobbled with mediocre choreography and indifferently danced, its music nonetheless stood head and shoulders above the usual run of ballet scores. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Despite the failure of its initial performance, The Nutcracker has become the most frequently performed of all ballets and has served as an introduction to classical music for many young people. French writer Alexandre Dumas came up with his own adaptation of the story in 1844 . Our midwinter holidays bring light into the darkest days of the year, each in their own waysbut music always casts the warmest glow. "The Nutcracker Suite" is a compilation of several songs. 71 ( TH 14 ; W 14), is a fairy ballet in 2 acts and 3 scenes, written and orchestrated by Tchaikovsky between February 1891 and April 1892. Stephanie has taught studio art and art history classes to audiences of all ages. No! Now in charge of the Mariinsky Theatre and eager to raise its standards, Vsevolozhsky soon proved an able administrator with a genius for devising ballets. Indeed, he omitted the battle scene between the mice and toys, and start of the second scene of Act Idepicting the forest at nightand instead the composer went on to the Waltz of the Snowflakes. Clara and her nutcracker, transformed into a prince, travel into the Land of Sweets, ruled by a sugar plum fairy. The Nutcracker () [1], Op. The origin of the Nutcracker, a classic Christmas Story, is a fairy tale ballet in two acts centered on a family's Christmas Eve celebration. Russian Musical Society. https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Nutcracker, Internet Archive - "The Nutcracker Ballet", Humanities LibreTexts Library - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - "The Nutcracker". Often described as the least of Tchaikovskys three ballets, it has been derided by scholars for its trite plot (Claras ultimate reward, after rescuing her wooden prince, is a childs paradise of sweets and hot beverages). The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky is based on the version of Dumas. Vsevolozhsky naturally wrote back reassuring Tchaikovsky that everything could be postponed a year. Now, the original story is rather dark (involving bloody cuts, malevolent characters and angry adults), so in the mid-19th century, French author Alexander Dumas adapted it for a younger audience, making it less scary. Like Handel's Messiah, it has long enjoyed a place of de facto holiday tradition throughout the Western world. (LogOut/ Ravel Piano Concerto in G, I.Allegramente, 14. Tchaikovsky then asked Vsevolozhsky whether the productions of the ballet and opera could be postponed until the next season: "I could complete my voyage to America without the torments, the doubts, and the fears; return home calm and rested from any conceivable traumas experienced in Paris and America, and enjoy working little by little, confident that I will be writing two masterpieces (pardon my immodesty)" [30]. 5. A series of fascinating performers follow -- Arabian women with veils, Russian dancers doing a native dance, Chinese and Spanish dancers. In the celestas ethereal notes, Tchaikovsky recognized the voice of his Sugar Plum Fairy, and he immediately wrote to his publisher, asking that the instrument be acquired for the performance. Beethoven Symphony No. The children burst into the room with some friends, and all join in a lively march round the room, before breaking into a galop. The toys come to life. The brief B section, which shifts to a minor key, features a very chatty exchange between flutes and violins. Tchaikovsky was one composer who you could say was really good at painting with sound creating all sorts colors, textures, moods, and landscapes. German abortion clinics targeted by US-style protests, German family minister takes on anti-abortion activists, Spain passes laws on trans rights, abortion, menstrual leave, Tunisia labor union protests President Saied. Courtney has ten years of instructional experience in a classroom. Written in the early 1890s, this was the last ballet score Tchaikovsky wrote - he died less than a year after it was premiered. When Clara reluctantly lets him play with it, he tries to crack a nut so big that it is the Nutcracker which breaks. 5), except for the Grossvater[18]. Such is the kernel of this famous ballet, whose fate curiously mirrors that of its wooden protagonist. We cant be certain, as no correspondence from this early stage in The Nutcrackers creation has been found: possibly as was the case with Sleeping Beauty Tchaikovsky initially discussed the project face-to-face with Vsevolozhsky without a formal contract. When Clara sneaks back to the tree at midnight to check on the repaired nutcracker, she shrinks, and witnesses a battle between an army of mice and toy, tin soldiers, led by her beloved nutcracker. Later, our heroes ride through the magical snowy forest accompanied by the 'Waltz of the Snowflakes.' If creating a childrens ballet was indeed Vsevolozhsky and Tchaikovskys intention, they were 40 years ahead of their time. He composed during the Romantic Period and is best known for his composition of The Nutcracker and Swan Lake. There are unexpected distractions" [38]. This concluded Tchaikovsky's work on the ballet before his departure abroad on 6/18 March. 35, III. 23 in A, II. Alexandre Dumas Pre's adaptation of the story by E.T.A. Clara and the Prince are guided through the forest by gnomes with torches. The Russian Dance - the Trepak - is a Cossack dance normally performed by men who would kick their legs out from a squatting position. The ballet is infinitely worse than "The Sleeping Beauty"of this I'm sure. The ballet was inspired by "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," published in 1815 by the German author E.T.A. It should be obtainable in any musical store". There are many traditional nutcracker producers in the Ore Mountain region, which makes up the natural borderland between Germany and the Czech Republic. 23 in A, I.Allegro. And the psychological depth of Tchaikovskys music has been realised quite independently in both countries. On 18 February/2 March, Tchaikovsky went again to Saint Petersburg. How has this happened? The last A section closely resembles the opening, but louder with the brass, and also you hear the strings doing this wild flying scale thing. Bon voyage, M. Dumolet", the latter being the title of a humorous 18th-century French song, subsequently used in the music for this number. Are we floating? The ballet begins during a Christmas Eve party, where a girl named Clara is delighted when her godfather Drosselmeyer arrives with toys, including a nutcracker that she takes a liking to, but her brother Fritz breaks it (via Nutcracker Ballet). 92, II. In a letter to Pyotr Jurgenson of 25 January/6 February 1892 from Saint Petersburg, the composer reported: "I want to catch up with orchestrating some numbers from the new ballet, which I've promised will be played at a local Musical Society concert on 29 February" [O.S.] Published in Germany in 1851, his illustrated tale was titled "King Nutcracker or The Dream of Poor Reinhold," and told the story of a poor child who dreams of the "Fairy Town of Toys" and meets the "Nutcracker King with royal jaws.". Ballet, Classical Music, Music Appreciation, Romantic era, Tchaikovsky. This date, together with the note "Rouen" was made by the composer on the inside front cover of his notebook, which on its first pages contains sketches for the opening of the second scene of Act I [28]. Petipa had fallen ill, and the choreography was instead devised by his less-inspired assistant. The ballet proper debuted in December of that year. Hoffmann's "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". Rachmaninov Prelude in g minor, Op. The ballet was premiered at Christmastime in 1892, and has since been one of the most popular ballets in the world. He was drawn to Hoffmanns The Nutcracker, as re-written by Alexandre Dumas senior, which was enjoying popularity in Russia. June 3, 2011. The second time around, the lower strings (cello and bass) continue the accompaniment, while the upper strings, violins and violas, do some interplay stuff with the flutes. In the divertissement, Tchaikovsky used dances that were originally written for Act I. The Nutcracker is transformed into a handsome Prince, and he offers Clara a journey to his kingdom. But if this is impractical, then this choral part may be performed by 24 voices an operatic chorus". 52) [view]. If the March movement was yellow, perhaps, what color is it now? The Nutcracker transforms into a prince and together they are carried off to The Land of Sweets, where celebrations of the prince's return ensue. Mozart Wrap-up and furtherlistening, 3. Discover its composer, Tchaikovsky, and learn about famous songs like "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Why We Love "The Nutcracker". Had Tchaikovsky and Vsevolozhsky badly miscalculated? Tchaikovsky's manuscript score is now preserved in the Russian National Museum of Music in Moscow (. In the night, Clara gets up to find the nutcracker. Its upbeat tempo accompanies the dance of the toy soldiers gifted to Fritz and Clara at the beginning of the ballet. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Courtney is a certified Biology and Physics teacher from Pennsylvania. Another orchestral colour unfamiliar to Tchaikovskys audience was the purring of flutter-tongued flutes, a technique he had recently learned from a flautist who had once been his harmony student: he used this sound to depict the cascading river of Rose essence which greets the arrival of Clara and her Nutcracker prince in Act II. Clara gets a beautiful nutcracker in the shape of a soldier, which makes her brother jealous -- he thinks it nicer than his gift! He wrote to Vsevolozhsky begging for a postponement. Whats that moving around, and how does it move? By the 1700s, Austrian, Italian and Swiss carvers were making animal and human-shaped nutcrackers. From an early age, Tchaikovsky had relished stage works involving magic or fantasy such as Webers Der Freischtz and Mozarts Don Giovanni. He goes to the dead Mouse King and . You are an exceptionally kind soul for not refusing me" [13]. This was confounded by Petipa, who suddenly insisted that the sequence be replaced by solos and variations for the Mariinskys principal adult dancers. Inspired by a discovery he made in Paris, he wrote to his publisher about a new orchestral instrument, something between a small piano and a glockenspiel with a divinely marvellous sound It is called the Celesta Mustel and it costs 1,200 francs I would like to ask you to order this instrument. Clara's godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer, arrives late to the party. to Mr. P. Tchaikovsky in Paris" [24]. Trepak (Russian: ; Ukrainian: o, i) is one of the character dances from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's famous 1892 ballet The Nutcracker.It is based on the traditional Russian and Ukrainian folk dance also called the trepak. Left and center are more recent models, depicting a Swiss knight and an American soldier. I think it will be finished by the summer" [44]. It is all the more desirable that they should be youths from a choir. Fritz hears the noise of the nuts cracking, and tries to seize the nutcracker. The titles of numbers in French (italic type) and Russian (Cyrillic) are taken from the published score, with English translations added in bold type. The nutcracker acquired its iconic status through a globalized transmission of popular culture. Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker is based on the short story by ETA Hoffman called "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King." Today it's one of the most popular ballets in the world, and many ballet companies perform it every holiday season. Allegretto, 10. Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a 7. He is what the French call vieu jeu [16]. After that, we get started, when the french horns begin the real waltz part. The celesta produces a tinkling sound that gives "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" its distinct sound. It has not been established whether Tchaikovsky composed anything on his way to Berlin. The ballet is called "The Nutcracker" because Clara's adventure starts with her gift of a nutcracker. 9 in d, Op. The result, by all accounts, was too ill-disciplined to charm its audience. The celesta is a bell-piano that sits upright and is played with keys. As weve seen before, Tchaikovsky showing his forceful side at his best, knowing how to create excitement, and build it up to a thrilling ending. Then the old-woman-who-lived-in-a-shoe dances with all her children and a group of clowns. Context Tchaikovsky's iconic Waltz of the Flowers is a piece of orchestral music that features in the second act of his ever-loved festive ballet The Nutcracker. Are we underwater? It was considerably later that Tchaikovsky set about the instrumentation of the ballet, in January 1892, after he had already orchestrated the opera. Learn about "The Nutcracker" ballet and its music and story. 22 was the start of the battle scene), and sketches for the battle of the mice and toys followed. Just as it looks like the nutcracker is going to lose, Clara saves him with a well-timed throw of her slipper, which hits the mouse king and knocks him out. William Christensen's production with the San Francisco Ballet on 24 December 1944 was the first complete performance in the United States. The principal performers were: Stanislava Belinskaya (Clara), Sergey Legat (Nutcracker), Timofey Stukolkin (Drosselmeyer), Feliks Kshesinsky (Silberhaus), Augusta Ogoleit (Frau Silberhaus), Vasily Stukolkin (Fritz), Antonietta Dell'Era (Sugar-Plum Fairy) and Pavel Gerdt (Nutcracker). In any case, the balletmaster's plan of this act was sent to Tchaikovsky only while he was abroad. The principal soloists were Valentina Kudryavtseva (Clara), Yefim Yefimov (Nutcracker) and Aleksey Bulgakov (Drosselmeyer). Tchaikovsky began work in February 1891, continuing his efforts while on an American tour later that year for the opening of Carnegie Hall. Vsevolozhskys approach would be emulated and then developed in the early 20th century by the legendary impresario, Serge Diaghilev. Marche. Bring texture and dimension to your tree with this Fabric Nutcracker Head with Red Hat Tree Ornament from Wondershop. There are many designs, including levers, screws, and ratchets. Midnight strikes, and mice appear from every corner. Youve probably heard bits and pieces on TV (especially during the wintertime), and it was also featured in the original Fantasia, if you saw that. A complete performance of The Nutcracker lasts around 90 minutes. Hoffmann. The Nutcracker is a ballet with music written by the Russian composer, Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky. 1 inD, 17. Clara and the nutcracker are greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy, who throws a party in their honor with music and, of course, dancing. Presto, 16. In honor of the prince's return, there is a celebration of international sweets. It is also often used to symbolize a person or thing that protects someone or something else. B section follows with trumpets leading a new melody in minor, and then were led safely back to the A section. It was only on 30 January 1934 that the ballet received its first complete performance in London, at the Sadler's Wells Theatre, directed by Nicholas Sergeyev. I feel like its a lifeline. During the Christmas season, the poor could celebrate their hard year of work by having the nutcrackers break nuts at their command a satisfactory act of political subversion. Waltz of the Flowers. The Nutcracker opened in Saint Petersburg Russia in 1892. Trepak is one dance from a set of dances found in Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, a ballet from 1892. After The Mouse King falls, The Nutcracker removes his crown and places it on Clara's head. The Nutcracker, Russian Shchelkunchik, ballet by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. And so, where the plan called for "Dances", under the title Le chocolat, Tchaikovsky noted: "Spanish dance, see 1st copybook"; the same applied for the dance Tea "See 1st copybook" (the Chinese dance was used). After a final waltz between the fairy and her cavalier, Clara awakes to find herself by the Christmas tree with her nutcracker. Though the original dance was unsuccessful, minus Tchaikovsky's instant classic score, the ballet grew in popularity over the 20th century to become the Yuletide staple it is today. 9) includes a wordless chorus. A nutcracker is an instrument used to crack nuts, typically consisting of two hinged metal levers between which the nut is squeezed. "On 9th May [O.S.] 3Girofl-Girofl, popular French song", i.e. She has an undergraduate degree from Penn State University in Animal Bioscience, a master's degree from Arcadia University in Secondary Education, and is currently pursuing her second master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Gannon University. This is the final farewell to the prince from the Sugar Plum Fairy. Find Watercolor Vintage Nutcracker stock images in HD and millions of other royalty-free stock photos, illustrations and vectors in the Shutterstock collection. The mice army quickly carries away their king. Spun Sugar Angels and Cherubs, an assortment of Candies come to life, and the beautiful Sugarplum Fairy and her handsome Cavalier greet them. Clara falls asleep with the Nutcracker in her arms. In Moscow the first production of The Nutcracker did not take place until 21 May 1919, in a production at the Bolshoi Theatre by the balletmaster Aleksandr Gorsky, conducted by Nikolay Fyodorov. Clara and Fritz are put to bed. At such moments Uncle Pyotr, red in the face, wet with perspiration as he sang the tune, presented a pretty amusing sight.. Evidently, in Rouen Tchaikovsky resumed work on 31 March/12 April. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The celesta was used to evoke the sound of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Tchaikovsky and Vsevolozhsky had planned from the outset that children would play a major role in The Nutcracker, a highly unusual and controversial decision for that time. The Nutcracker is a ballet with music composed by Tchaikovsky. The Nutcracker is a classic Christmas tale first adapted by Alexandre Dumas from E.T.A. The original story was more dark and disturbing, with choreographer Marius Petipa deciding to take a lighter approach to Clara's Christmastime dream when adapting it for the stage. Experience the magic of the holidays as it comes to life on stage in the Nutcracker! 8 in the sketchbook is the date: ", Sketches for Act II were begun in a separate copy-book; it seems probable that all sketches for Act I were completed in, International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP), The Tchaikovsky Handbook. Tchaikovsky's unfavourable attitude to the using The Nutcracker for a ballet scenario is reflected in a letter from Ivan Vsevolozhsky to Tchaikovsky of 9/21 August 1891: "I have experienced agonies of remorse for asking you to do this ballet. In her dreams, the nutcracker becomes life-sized and fights and conquers a life-sized mouse king. Theres just a magical quality to this that you just cant quantify! Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Mozart The Marriage of Figaro (Overture andexcerpts), 2. Peter Tchaikovsky, conductor. Nine o'clock strikes, on a clock consisting of an owl which flaps its wings at each stroke. 88, No. The suite includes "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy", the "Russian Dance", "Arabian Dance", "Chinese Dance", "Dance of the Reed Flutes", and the "Waltz of the Flowers". While they have been around for ages, the wooden dolls only became popular in the US in the 1950s. You can unsubscribe at any time. Many of Tchaikovskys works are among the most widely-recognized pieces in all of classical music. The Nutcracker Suite, Op. I floated away from America on 20th May [O.S.] Even the artist Alexandre Benois, who admired Vsevolozhsky and later inspired Diaghilev to follow his example, found the battle scene quite senseless and amateurish.. The Nutcracker starts with an 'Overture' and then moves to the music of the Christmas party, including 'The March of the Children' and a dance between Clara and her nutcracker. According to Britannica, the plot is loosely based off "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," a fantasy story written by E.T.A. Act 1 takes place on Christmas eve at a Christmas party of the town mayor's, Hans Stahlbaum's, house. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The company develops new collectible models every year, and Darth Vader is among the 350 figures they have on offer. By April, having composed Nutcrackers overture and first five numbers, as well as the Waltz of the Snowflakes, he had reached the end of his tether. It is often used in Christmas-themed movies, television, and advertisements. On 25 February/9 March, the composer wrote to Modest Tchaikovsky: "I am working with all my strength and reconciling myself to the subject of the ballet. On 2/14 June the composer wrote to Anna Merkling: "At this moment my work is coming along very successfully" [36]. Jeffrey A. Tucker. Elgar Pomp and Circumstance March No. 71a 8. During this time he wrote the opening of the second scene, and the numbers he had previously omitted from the first scene of Act 1: Petit galop des enfants, Entre des parents, "Bon voyage, M-r Dumolet"; then there followed sketches for the Grossvater dance and some additions to the dance of the Incroyables [29]. The Nutcracker returns and suddenly turns into a Prince, who looks just like Drosselmeyer's nephew. . A one-time diplomat, Vsevolozhsky had developed his love for French culture (shared by Tchaikovsky) and particularly ballet while posted in Paris. The Nutcracker Ballet is a famous and colorful Christmas ballet based on 'The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,' a story in a book of fairy tales written by German author E. T. A. Hoffman in 1816 . And again, enjoy all the nice colors and textures going on, and appreciate how imaginative and visually evocative Tchaikovskys writing is. The Nutcracker is able to overcome the stunned Mouse King and claims victory. Many of Tchaikovsky's works are among the most widely-recognized pieces in all of classical music. 71a 2. The Nutcracker is a ballet with music written by the Russian composer, Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky. Tap genius Michelle Dorrance puts her stamp on the famous Christmas ballet---There is a cornucopia of Nutcrackers twirling all over New York this holiday season, but none as exuberant as Michelle Dorrance's tap-dancing take on the Christmas staple. Tchaikovsky was a Russian civil servant who entered the Saint Petersburg Conservatory to study music at the age of 21. Reception to the ballet was mixed when it opened in 1892, but now it is one of the most popular ballets in the world. In a letter to a friend, Tchaikovsky himself remarked, Apparently the opera gave pleasure, but the ballet not really; and, as a matter of fact, in spite of all the sumptuousness it did turn out to be rather boring. He thought little of it, describing it as infinitely worse than Sleeping Beauty. The reference was to the second of his three ballets; the first had been Swan Lake. After WWII, the family business quickly grew by developing contacts with US soldiers based in the Hanover area who brought back nutcrackers to their families as original German souvenirs. 1, composed in 1879. As angels and delightful music hover over their heads, the bed turns into a magical sleigh, floating higher and higher. The toy soldiers Drosselmeyer had gifted to Clara and Fritz were also life-sized and were now fighting the mice. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. But the question is, when will I be able to do the rest?". On the same day, Tchaikovsky wrote of this to his brother Modest [31]. The Classic Christmas Story Ballet. On 17/29 June, Tchaikovsky wrote to his brother Modest: "It is also good for me here, but work isn't going as quickly now as at first. Listen for the different sections of this movement in more formal language, its in ABA form, also known as Ternary Form. All rights reserved. Here is where the famous sugar plum fairies arrive, and after hearing of the bravery of Clara and the Nutcracker, the fairies reward the victorious pair with a series of dances that accompany different sweets from around the world, from Spain to Arabia to China. By baring their teeth, they were to protect homes by warding off evil spirits. Heinrich Hoffmann, best known as the creator of the children's book "Der Struwwelpeter" (Shaggy Peter), also wrote his own version of E.T.A Hoffmann's story. The Nutcracker is still very popular in today's culture as a Christmas ballet. The old man is evidently declining. On 3/15 April, Tchaikovsky wrote from Rouen to Ivan Vsevolozhsky: "As I expected, during my three weeks in Paris, it goes without saying that I could not write a single note. Musically speaking, a waltz is a dance that is in 3-beat meter, to which you can count a quick 1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2-3. Some critics found the choreography chaotic and the performances inconsistent. 2 (marchentrance of the children), after which came a number of characteristic dances: Chinese and Spanish dances, a tarantella, an English dance ("Gigue") [15], and the start of a Trepak. Layer 2: Melody simplified to quarter notes in the woodwinds. 71a 4. Said less technically, a waltz also has a kind of spin to it that other dances dont have (in contrast, the dance of the reed flutes is metered in a slower 1-2-1-2). Everyone then bids the nutcracker and Clara goodnight, and the wonderful scene disappears. It seems that at this meeting the outline scenario for Act II was finalised. Typically, ballets are the result of collaboration between a composer and a choreographer. 231 lessons. The story of The Nutcracker is loosely based on the E.T.A. If youre wondering, that instrument is a celesta a relative of a piano where the hammers, instead of hitting strings, hit metal plates, like a metal xylophone. The Nutcracker leaves and the bed finds its way into a snow-covered forest. Mozart Piano Concerto No. A nutcracker is a tool designed to open nuts by cracking their shells. He's a skilled clock and toymaker and he comes with gifts for the children. Several scholars have blamed the scenario, which they claim failed to inspire Tchaikovsky. The full score and the composer's simplified piano arrangement of The Nutcracker were published in volumes 13 (1955) and 54 (1954) respectively of Tchaikovsky's Complete Collected Works, edited by V. D. Vasilyev.