The Nutcracker – Tchaikovsky DVD – Natalya Arkhipova, Ilse Liepa

Recorded at the Bolshoi Theatre in 1989.Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker which was written in 1891 premiered in St. Petersburg in 1892 and first performed at the Bolshoi Theatre Moscow in 1919 shows no sign of losing its hold as the No. 1 Christmas ballet. It is based on the fairytale The Nutcracker and the King of Mice written by E.T.A. Hoffman and tells the story of the young girl Clara who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven heads.The ballet is a fantastic tale presented in the choreography of Yuri Grigorovich. It is filled with beautiful music – the Waltz of the Snow flakes and the pas de deux of Sugar-Plum Fairy and Prince have become immortal – as well as enchanting costumes and a fabulous setting at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.