| Categories
Click to expand
More added daily! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |  | Religion & Spirituality | Home » » » Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (excerpts) | | | | | | | Product Promotions: | | | | | Product Details: | | | Audio CD Release Date:
| September 30, 2003 | | Studio:
| Sony | | Composer:
| Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov | | Conductor:
| Eugene Ormandy | | Orchestra:
| Philadelphia Orchestra | | Number Of Discs:
| 1 | | Format:
| Extra tracks, Original recording remastered | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 8 reviews |
| | | Track Listing: | | | 1. | The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71: Overture | | 2. | The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71: Act I: March | | 3. | The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71: Act I: Journey Through The Snow; Waltz Of The Snowflakes | | 4. | The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71: Act II: Chocolate (Spanish Dance) | | 5. | The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71: Act II: Coffee (Arabian Dance) | | 6. | The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71: Act II: Tea (Chinese Dance0 | | 7. | The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71: Act II:Trepak (Russian Dance) | | 8. | The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71: Act II:Dance Of The Mirlitons | | 9. | The Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe; The Buffoons | | 10. | The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71: Act II:Waltz Of The Flowers | | 11. | The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71: Act II: Pas de Deux | | 12. | The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71: Act II:Variation I-Variation II (Dance Of The Suger Plum Fairy) | | 13. | The Nutcracker Ballet, Op. 71: Act II:Final Waltz And Apotheosis | | 14. | Polonaise | | 15. | Dance Of The Tumblers | | 16. | Procession Of The Nobles | | 17. | Farewell Of The Tsar | |
| | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 8 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 19 found the following review helpful:
 Tchaikovsky, Eugene Ormandy, Nutracker, Success!Aug 08, 2005
By Rudy Avila
"Saint Seiya"
I own two wonderful "Nutracker" ballet recordings, one with Antal Dorati conducting and this one with Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra. While hands down the Dorati edition is superior, this one is a good first choice and not at all bad. The music is beautifully remastered for CD, and it has never sounded better. The Philadelphia Orchestra is one of America's premier orchestras in the East Coast and during the time that Eugene Ormandy was its principal conductor, a lot was accomplished in the field of great symphonic/orchestral music. This recording exists in its entirety (this one) and in excerpts. The Nutcraker was Tchaikovsky's last ballet and one that appeals to children and the young-at-heart. The ballet begins in a 19th century upper-class home celebrating Christmas. The heroine Clara, a young girl, receives a Nutracker as a gift. The magician Dusselmeyer has in fact created such an object for the sole purpose of enchanting Clara (or to make her grow into womanhood in the way that Alice from Lewis Carrol's "Alice In Wonderland" does). At night, the Nutracker comes to life, Clara defeats the evil mice and the Mice King and journeys to the Realm of the Sweets where she is entertained in a lavish, fairy-tale world full of dancing candies. The music is appropriately wistful and magical, much of the segments played ad nauseum during Christmas on tv and movies - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy with its "whisper-like" tinkling of the Glockenspiel, the Russian-flavored Dance, the Waltz of the Flowers and Waltz of the Snowflakes (complete with chorus) and the Pas De Deux- which is in my opinion the most heartbreaking and beautiful piece of music Tchaikovsky ever composed, and that's saying a lot because he composed a number of fine orchestral pieces. The Pas De Deux is melancholy and noble. There is a sadness to the piece because it was said Tchaikovsky's sister died at the time. But I always feel that Tchaikovsky contrasted jovial Russian folk music with the profoundly sad pieces because of his tragic life and his dilemma - he was a gay man in a very straight, Russian Catholic world that could not accept him. Tchaikovsky personally never felt this ballet was his best (Sleeping Beauty was his masterpiece even according to Tchaikovsky and Swan Lake he was also proud of) but it's a bubbly, wonderfully brilliant ballet that warms the soul. Enjoy.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
One of the ten best artistic achievements of Ormandy ever!Oct 30, 2009
By Hiram Gomez Pardo
The close approach Ormandy and the Philadelphians has surpassed by far, the acidic test of time. To think about Philadelphia Orchestra is to evoke tonal opulence, expansive sound and subtle lyricism. It's part of the recent past, but since the middle forties until the late sixties, the Philadelphia formed with the Boston, New York, Chicago and Cleveland the five best North American Orchestras. Moreover, after Leinsdorff left the Boston, the great expectations were focused around the young promise Michael Tilson Thomas; meanwhile, Bernstein decided to perform in Europe (His well known rapport with the Vienna and the BBC) and Szell would make the whole cycle with the Cleveland , other ensembles began to emerge (The Angeles Philharmonic, Houston, Minnesota, Atlanta and Pittsburgh)with solid figures.
But Ormandy could survive to many changes and stood at the front of the Philadelphia during the seventies (despite of the fact his sound in that decade was never the same) and literally wrought and shaped his artistic personality conferring the ensemble of a sober personality that not even Muti has been able to change.
To my mind, there are four fundamental historical versions in the recent past. This one (which I love most), the exuberant reading Ansermet does, the expressive performance of Andre Previn and finally the legendary version of Efrem Kurtz.
This Nutcracker remains unsurpassed among these other extraordinary mentioned versions.
A real treasure in your collection.
 What happened to the sound? (Updated)Dec 21, 2011
By Tom Gossard
Like the other reviewers, I love Ormandy's performance and would give it five stars, were it not compromised by the remastered sound, which has an artificial sounding "reverb" I don't recall hearing in past releases. It sabotages this release, and I wouldn't buy it for that reason. Too bad since the original Philadelphia sound was magnificent.
Updated 22 December 2011: Since I reviewed that C, I l've listened to the same (presumably) recording on another, 2009 CD release on Sony Classics to compare. I've gone back and forth several times and I'll swear I hear a distinctly better sound on the newer release, compared to this one. Instruments sound more forward and clearer and the former reverb is gone, or is much less. FOR THAT VERSION (Sony B0000027BD) I ENTHUSIASTICALLY GIVE 5 STARS! I'm so happy I can now recommend this version to all my friends! (-:
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Excellent CD!Apr 01, 2007
By Rose Ann Ohr
"hbRN"
This is a joy to listen too! If you are a fan of The Nutcracker, you won't be disappointed!
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (excerpts)Feb 11, 2011
By Bernadette M. Walsh
Tchaichovsky The Nutcracker: The Philadelpia Orchestra
I listen to this cd often & enjoy it very much each time. Purchase recommended
See all 8 customer reviews on Amazon.com
| | |
|
