Waltz of the Flowers (Nutcracker Suite)

About This Song

The “Waltz of the Flowers” (1892) is a piece of orchestral music from the second act of The Nutcracker composed by Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky told his fellow musicians he was working on a “fantastic” ballet called The Nutcracker: “It’s awfully fun to write a march for tin soldiers, a waltz of the flowers, etc.” The waltz is also the last number in his Nutcracker Suite. The “Waltz of the Flowers” is very popular. It has been arranged for various instruments and for various combinations of instruments. This duet arrangement by Stevan Pasero is 7 minutes and 30 seconds in length and can be performed as a final piece of a concert set. Mr. Pasero’s transcription is the first adaptation for the guitar repertoire. He 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.