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Cover: Peter Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker · (Complete recording)

Peter Tchaikovsky

The Nutcracker

(Complete recording)

Russian National Orchestra
Mikhail Pletnev, conductor

ODE 1180-2D · CD · August 2011

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Building on the success of their \

Track listing

25 tracks · 93:06

Listen to samples on selected tracks.

CD 1

Peter Tchaikovsky

  1. The Nutcracker - Ballet in two acts, Op. 71
  2. 1 Ouverture 3:14
  3. 2 Act I: No. 1 Scène : L'ornement et l'illumination de l'arbre de Noël 4:01
  4. 3 Act I: No. 2: Marche 2:31
  5. 4 Act I: No. 3: Petit galop des enfants et entrée des parents 2:30
  6. 5 Act I: No. 4 Scène dansante 6:16
  7. 6 Act I: No. 5: Scène et danse Grossvater 7:56
  8. 7 Act I: No. 6 Scène : Le départ des invités. La nuit 7:37
  9. 8 Act I: No. 7 Scène : La bataille 3:26
  10. 9 Act I: No. 8: Scène : Une forêt de sapins en hiver 4:13
  11. 10 Act I: No. 9 Valse des flocons de neige 7:12

CD 2

Peter Tchaikovsky

  1. The Nutcracker - Ballet in two acts, Op. 71
  2. 1 Act II: No. 10 Scène : Le palais enchanté de Confiturembourg 4:14
  3. 2 Act II: No. 11 Scène : L'arrivée de Casse-Noisette et Claire 4:26
  4. 3 Act II: No. 12 Divertissement I. Le chocolat : Danse espagnole 1:15
  5. 4 Act II: No. 12 Divertissement II. Le café : Danse arabe 3:41
  6. 5 Act II: No. 12 Divertissement III. Le thé : Danse chinoise 1:08
  7. 6 Act II: No. 12 Divertissement IV. Trepak : Danse russe 1:07
  8. 7 Act II: No. 12 Divertissement V. Danse des mirlitons 2:34
  9. 8 Act II: No. 12 Divertissement I. La mère Gigogne et les polichinelles 2:50
  10. 9 Act II: No. 13 Valse des fleurs 7:25
  11. 10 Act II: No. 14 Pas de deux : Intrada. Andante maestoso 5:33
  12. 11 Act II: No. 14 Pas de deux : Variation I. Tempo di Tarantella (Danse du Prince) 0:42
  13. 12 Act II: No. 14 Pas de deux : Variation II. Andante ma non troppo (Danse de la Fée Dragée) 2:21
  14. 13 Act II: No. 14 Pas de deux : Coda. Vivace assai 1:17
  15. 14 Act II: No. 15 Valse finale et apothéose : Valse finale 3:49
  16. 15 Act II: No. 15 Valse finale et apothéose : Apothéose 1:48

About this recording

This CD features star conductor Mikhail Pletnev and the Russian National Orchestra with the complete ballet music of The Nutcracker by Peter Tchaikovsky.

Composed in 1892, this masterpiece of Russian orchestral music is one of the last major compositions of Peter Tchaikovsky and perhaps the crowning achievement of his artistic output. Based on a French adaptation, by Alexandre Dumas père, of E.T.A. Hoffmann's adult fairy-tale Nussknacker and Mausekönig (The Nutcracker and the Mouse King), the libretto by Ivan Alexandrovich Vsevolozsky and Marius Petipa tells the fantasy story of a young German girl who dreams of Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King.

The Russian National Orchestra and Mikhail Pletnev's second CD release on Ondine follows on the great success of their earlier recording of the complete Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky (ODE 1167-2D). Founded by Mikhail Pletnev in 1990, the RNO has quickly reached a position at the top of international orchestras.

This CD was recorded and mastered by Emil Berliner Studios.

Features

2 CDs; booklet with liner notes and synopsis in English and Germa

Press

Ein Top-Orchester holt alles aus seinem Tschaikowsky heraus. Grandiose Klasse.
Christoph Schlüren, Crescendo, Dezember 2011/Januar 2012

Pähkinänsärkijä tarjoaa uskomattoman kavalkadin vuolaita melodioita, rikasta orkesterisointia ja hurmaavia hittejä. Mihail Pletnevin johtama Venäjän kansallisorkesteri tavoittaa upeasti baletin herkät ja taianomaiset tunnelmat.
Lauri Kilpiö, Suomen Kuvalehti, 46/2011

The Russian National Orchestra under Mikhail Pletnev highlights the delicacy of Tchaikovsky's orchestration. Even the more solemn moments have a wit and irreverence about them, as if the players are smiling to themselves as they play.
Paul Gent, The Telegraph, 20 October 2011

Vollendete Magie überzieht den Winterwald der zweiten Szene (...). Akustisch bewegt sich die Produktion bewegt in einem schönen, runden Raum (...). Sehr gelungen!
Rasmus van Rijn, Klassik-Heute.com, 13.10.2011

Niin täynnä satumaailman vivahteikkaita värejä, lumihiutaleiden kuvioita, leikkejä, taikoja ja keijukaispölyä, että fantasiaan heittäytyminen lapsen lailla käy leikiten. (...) Yksityiskohtien kanssa herkuttelevan Pletnjovin taikasauva on lumonnut myös Venäjän kansallisorkesterin, joka loihtii hunajaisia huminoita.
Jaani Länsiö, Amfion, 18.9.2011

Venäjän kansallisorkesterista löytyy virtuooseja joka tehtävään. Mainitun Pas de deux'n nousu kertoo, että lopulliseen rutistukseen Tšaikovskissa tarvitaan edelleen venäläiset muusikot.
Ilkka Ylönen, Muusikko 9/2011

The artists

Russian National Orchestra

The Russian National Orchestra was founded by the conductor and pianist Mikhail Pletnev in 1990, following sweeping changes in the former USSR. Under his artistic leadership, the orchestra soon achieved international renown and established its hallmarks of innovation and excellence. Vladimir Jurowski served as Principal Guest Conductor from 2005 to 2009. In 2008, a panel of international critics named the Russian National Orchestra as one of the world’s top orchestras. In recognition of both its artistic quality and its pioneering structure, the Russian Federation recently awarded the Russian National Orchestra the first-ever grant to a nongovernmental orchestra.

Full biography

Mikhail Pletnev

The pianist, conductor, and composer Mikhail Pletnev is one of the most respected and influential artists worldwide. His genius as an "all-round" musician has enchanted audiences around the globe since he won the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow in 1978, at the age of 21. Two years later, Pletnev made his début as a conductor. In 1988, he was invited by Mikhail Gorbachev to perform at the superpower summit in Washington. In 1990, he founded the Russian National Orchestra, with many of the country's finest musicians joining the ensemble. Under his leadership, in a few short years the Russian National Orchestra achieved towering stature among the world's orchestras. In 1991, it became the first Russian orchestra to perform at the Vatican, in a private concert for Pope John Paul II.

Full biography

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