Track Listing

1. Overture
2. Act 1. Tableau 1. No. 1. The Christmas Tree
3. Act 1. Tableau 1. No. 2. March
4. Act 1. Tableau 1. No. 3. Galop and Dance of the Parents
5. Act 1. Tableau 1. No. 4. Dance Scene - The Presents of Drosselmeyer
6. Act 1. Tableau 1. No. 5. Scene - Grandfather Dance
7. Act 1. Tableau 1. No. 6. Clara and the Nutcracker
8. Act 1. Tableau 1. No. 7. The Nutcracker battles against the Army of the Mouse King - He wins and is
9. Act 1. Tableau 2. No. 8. In the Christmas Tree
10. Act 1. Tableau 2. No. 9. Scene and Waltz of the Snowflakes
11. Act 2. Tableau 3. No. 10. The Magic Castle on the Mountain of Sweets
12. Act 2. Tableau 3. No. 11. Clara and Prince Charming
13. Act 2. Tableau 3. No. 12. Character Dances (Divertissement): a. Chocolate (Spanish Dance)
14. Act 2. Tableau 3. No. 12. Character Dances (Divertissement): b. Coffee (Arabian Dance)
15. Act 2. Tableau 3. No. 12. Character Dances (Divertissement): c. Tea (Chinese Dance)
16. Act 2. Tableau 3. No. 12. Character Dances (Divertissement): d. Trépak (Russian Dance)
17. Act 2. Tableau 3. No. 12. Character Dances (Divertissement): e. Dance of the Reed Pipes
18. Act 2. Tableau 3. No. 12. Character Dances (Divertissement): f. Polichinelle (The Clown)
19. Act 2. Tableau 3. No. 13. Waltz of the Flowers
20. Act 2. Tableau 3. No. 14. Pas de deux: a. Intrada
21. Act 2. Tableau 3. No. 14. Pas de deux: b. Variation I (Tarantella)
22. Act 2. Tableau 3. No. 14. Pas de deux: c. Variation II. (Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy)
23. Act 2. Tableau 3. No. 14. Pas de deux: d. Coda
24. Act 2. Tableau 3. No. 15. Closing Waltz - Grand Finale

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34935 in Music
• Released on: 1998-10-20
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Although Gergiev is highly experienced in the theater, and he is leading an opera-ballet orchestra, this is definitely a concert Nutcracker. Tempos are brisk, textures streamlined, and dancers might have a good deal of difficulty keeping up with the music. For us home listeners, though, this is a superb way to hear Tchaikovsky's complete score and to remind ourselves of how much good music isn't included in the familiar suite. Gergiev justifies his reputation as an interpreter and as an orchestra leader, getting amazingly precise playing from the ensemble. Best of all, Philips has somehow crammed more than 81 minutes of superb sound onto this disc, making it a remarkable bargain. Very highly recommended! --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews

Superb!
There are many fine complete Nutcracker recordings available, and I own a few of them. This recording by The Kirov Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev is simply the best, no contest. Why? For starters, the orchestral playing is outstanding. Every detail is heard, you hear nuances never revealed before. The woodwinds bubble,... the brass are assertive yet smooth,... the strings are lovely and lush;... in all, first-rate playing from a superb Russian orchestra that has this music in their blood and plays it with spirit and total enjoyment. Tempi are brisk, but never feel rushed. The sound is in the demonstration class. The whole ballet is contained on one CD which is quite remarkable. I judge an outstanding performance and recording by several factors, which include tears of joy welling up in my eyes along with goosebumps. This Nutcracker provided me an ample supply of both. If you must only own one Nutcracker, this is it. Superlative recommendation.

Simply the best!
Never before has the complete Nutcracker ballet been presented on one cd. Right there, is a perfect reason to buy this right away. Beyond that, you're sure to be amazed as I was at the sound quality of this recording. I was astonished at how live the recording sounded. My mouth hung agape through most of my first listen (no kidding)! It's as if I was trasported into a great hall hearing the clarity, wieght and purity of the music in person. Astounding!

Further, the entire piece seems to have been imbued with some new life force that makes it demand your attention. It's more than the clarity of sound, it's the soul and love behind it. You can hear that, and it makes an indellible impression!

If you love the ballet, music in general or are an audiophile, you simply can't be without this astonishing recording. Pop it in the cd player and prepare to experience first hand some real life, Christmas magic!

ANOTHER 5 STARS!
Bravo! Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra have again demonstrated that they are masters of ballet music (after all, it was the Kirov/Mariinsky that gave The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and the 1895 version of Swan Lake their world premieres). Compared to other recordings of this ballet, such as Mark Ermler's (Royal Opera House Orchestra) or Richard Bonynge's (National Philharmonic Orchestra), the tempo of Gergiev's Nutcracker appears to be too fast on first hearing; but it doesn't take long to get used to it. Once you get past that initial shock, this recording is very exciting to listen to. Gergiev conducts with the usual gusto. The Kirov Orchestra's sound is actually more refined here than in many of its other recordings. This may owe to the fact that the performance was recorded in the studio, not at the Mariinsky, which doesn't seem to have good acoustics; or that maybe the Kirov musicians have better instruments now; or that the Philips engineers have finally improved their recording techniques. Though both Bonynge's and Ermler's performance have more danceable tempos, they lack the expressive power that Gergiev is able to generate. In addition, this is a 1-CD recording of the entire ballet (only the repeat in the Grandfather Dance has been left out--not a big deal in my opinion), which makes it especially attractive to get. But for whatever reason, get this recording without delay!