March of the Wooden Soldiers (Nutcracker Suite)

About This Song

Like other late Romantic composers, Tchaikovsky relied heavily on orchestration for musical effects. Tchaikovsky, however, became noted for the “sensual opulence” and “voluptuous timbre virtuosity” of his scoring. Tchaikovsky’s melodies, stated with eloquence and matched by his inventive use of harmony and orchestration, have always ensured audience appeal. Although the original production of the Nutcracker Suite Op. 71a was not a success in 1892, the twenty-minute suite (featuring the “March of the Wooden Soldiers”) that Tchaikovsky extracted from the ballet was. However, the complete Nutcracker has enjoyed enormous popularity since the late 1960s and is now performed by countless ballet companies, primarily during the Christmas season. Tchaikovsky’s score has become one of his most famous compositions, in particular, the pieces featured in the suite and this “March of the Wooden Soldiers”. Mr. Pasero began the transcription from the orchestral score in 1982 and completed the work in 1984, recording it in 1985. It was first released on vinyl records, then cassette tape, CD, and now downloads and streaming.