Music : Classical : Lossless

Pyotr Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Ballet Op. 71 (excerpts); Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Polonaise from Christmas Eve Suite; Dance of the Tumblers from The Snow Maiden, etc. –
The Philhadelphia Orchestra; Eugene Ormandy, conductor
Classical | 1 CD | EAC Rip | 343 MB, 3% recovery | FLAC+LOG+Cue | Complete scans
Publisher: Sony Classical | Recorded: 1963;1965;1966 | Published: 2003


Eugene Ormandy's disc of Nutcracker excerpts, including the entire "suite" plus a good bit of additional music (Act 1's journey through the snow and Waltz of the Snowflakes, along with some more Act 2 dances, including the Final Waltz and Apotheosis) must be one of the biggest selling records of all time. Having grown up in the 1960s and '70s, I can't think of anyone who didn't own it at one time or another, and its lustrous musical values haven't dimmed a bit. Ormandy finds every scrap of color in the music. Of course we expect the gorgeous strings, but even the percussion, right down to the suspended cymbals in the March, has a sort of picture-postcard vividness that never has been equaled and makes every other performance of this music, however fine, pale just a bit in comparison. As a bonus, we also get fantastic performances of four Rimsky-Korsakov encores, including the best-ever Dance of the Tumblers from The Snow Maiden. The Farewell of the Tsar closes the program quietly, with a sly wink, and I wouldn't be surprised if at this point you immediately decided to listen to it all over again. Sounding better than ever, and at a budget price, this disc deserves to sell another few million copies. [11/8/2003]- David Hurwitz

EAC LOG

On this CD:
Pyotr Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Ballet Op. 71
01. Overture
02. March (from Act I)
03. Journey Through the Snow; Waltz of the Snowflakes (from Act I)
04. Chocolate (Spanish Dance) (from Act II)
05. Coffee (Arabian Dance) (From Act II)
06. Tea (Chinese Dance) (from Act II)
07. Trepak (Cossack Dance) (From Act II)
08. Dance of the Mirlitons (from Act II)
09. The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe; The Buffoons (from Act II)
10. Waltz of the Flowers (from Act II)
11. Pas de deux (From Act II)
12. Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairy (From Act II)
13. Final Waltz and Apotheosis (from Act II)
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov:
14. Christmas Eve - Suite - Polonaise
15. Snow Maiden - Dance of the Tumblers
16. Mlada - Procession of the Nobles
17. Tsar Sultan Suite - Farewell of the Tsar


Enjoy and Seed!!