Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Op. 71 (Complete Ballet) [Hybrid SACD] [Hybrid SACD - DSD]

Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Composer), Antal Dorati (Conductor), London Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra), Philharmonia Hungarica (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Hungarica
• Conductor: Antal Dorati
• Composer: Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
• Audio CD (October 11, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Hybrid SACD - DSD
• Label: Philips
• ASIN: B000AC5B0C
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #182,941 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Overture

2. I. Decorating And Lighting The Christmas Tree

3. II. March

4. III. Dance Scene: Galop And Dance Of The Parents

5. IV. Scene: Presents For The Children

6. V. Scene And The Grandfather Dance

7. VI. Scene: The Guests Depart/The Children Go To Bed/The Magic Spell Begins

8. VII. The Nutcracker Battles The Army Of The Mouse King/He Wins And Is Transformed Into Prince Charming

9. VIII. Journey Through The Snow

10. IX. Waltz Of The Snowflakes

Disc: 2

1. X. Scene: Arrival in Fairyland

2. XI. Scene: Festival In Honor Of The Children And Prince Charming/XII. Character Dances (Divertissement)

3. XII.a) Chocolate (Spanish Dance)

4. XII.b) Coffee (Arabian Dance)

5. XII.c) Tea (Chinese Dance)

6. XII.d) Russian Dance (Trepak)

7. XII.e) Dance Of The Toy Flutes

8. XII.f) Dance Of The Clowns

9. XIII. Waltz Of The Flowers

10. XIV. Pas De Deux

See all 19 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely high quality recording that is true to the composer's intent, November 15, 2005

By 

C. T. Kalm - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Op. 71 (Complete Ballet) [Hybrid SACD] (Audio CD)

I have been searching for this recording for many years (since LP's went out of production and my turntable died). It is very difficult to find a complete Nutcracker that is true to Tchiakovsky's score--many other recordings add codas or other pieces from other ballets that simply do not belong. This is the "right stuff."

Concerning the SACD--my equipment is not up to the highest standards, but I know this recording inside and out and it was a real pleasure to hear the string and woodwind solos that pepper this ballet. And yes, I even was able to hear orchestral details I hadn't noticed before. This is one instance where digitizing the recording did make a notable improvement.

If you have a daughter who is interested in ballet or you are looking for a gift for someone who loves ballet, I urge you to get this disc. Many small ballet companies throughout the country put on a production of the Nutcracker in December with an edited score. Introduce your child to the beauty and drama of Tchaikovsky with this complete score--which is much more interesting and complex than people generally believe.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I Must Agree With Others: Too. Darn. FAST!!!, March 12, 2009

By 

Erik Morton "Erik Morton" (Carmel, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Op. 71 (Complete Ballet) [Hybrid SACD] (Audio CD)

I'm no classical scholar or Tchaikovsky nut, but I have grown up seeing "The Nutcracker" every Christmas (give or take a year or two), so I know how the music sounds and I know what I like. I don't go so far as to say, "This is not how The Nutcracker is intended to be heard!" because, again, I'm in on position to make such a claim.

But for my money, this particular recording (despite its historical value) is too darn fast. I have nothing to say against the strength of the orchestra or anything like that, and I understand why they play it like they do: in order to get the entire ballet onto an album , it needed to be played at that speed to fit everything. But listening to it now, the speed nearly kills it.

I wholeheartedly recommend the other Antal Dorati recording available on CD (recorded twenty years later and performed by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra), or better yet the "soundtrack" version with the Maurice Sendak drawing on the cover. True, they're not SACDs like this one, but the strength of the recordings make them the better buy(s); they also contain the entire ballet, but the increased time lets them breathe more and flow more smoothly, to make for more satisfying listening experiences. (The ONE exception I would make is for "Pas de Deaux", which in my opinion is stronger on this earlier recording than on the later Dorati version.)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful Performance and Recording, December 16, 2007

By 

J. Poss "Jeff3948" (Pahrump, Nevada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Op. 71 (Complete Ballet) [Hybrid SACD] (Audio CD)

This is s delightfully delicious performance and recording of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. Dorati's conducting reveals subtle nuances in the score. He is delicate when needed like in the Overture, Dance of the Toy Flutes and the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and bold and vivacious when needed like during the Battle scene. The recording is extremely detailed and sounds incredibly natural in SACD multi-channel sound (3 channels [Front Left-Center-Front Right] in this case). It's as if I was seated at the conductor's podium. If I had to say something negative about it, I would have to say there could be just a little more hall ambiance (reverberation). The serenade is a perfect companion piece as well.