The Nutcracker

I have a 6-year-old daughter. And just like her parents, she loves music.

She loves singing and dancing. However, she doesn´t want to learn to play any instruments, at least for now.

When we play together, we always have som music on, and she has her preferences. Tchaikovsky is among her favorites. And in this Christmas season, The Nutcracker is a hot pick.

What is it about this piece of music that makes it so marvelous, so enchanting, so perfect? I´ve heard it millions of times and it doesn´t stop to amaze me.

Once, I saw the full ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre in St.Petersburg with the St.Petersburg Ballet and Philharmonic. Actually, it was the only time I´ve ever heard the full ballet live. It was impossible not to be profoundly moved by such an experience.

My daughter´s favorite is the Waltz of the Flowers. I can relate, the melody is so beautiful and catchy that it has become among the most recognizable piece of music ever written.

Some time ago, I adapted a few of these piece for bandoneon, and uploaded them to YouTube. If you´d like to watch my performance, here is the link.

I hope you have yourself some great Christmas holidays this year. My daughter´s last day of school is today, and we have really great and fun plans for these next few days.

Enjoy the weekend! And have a nice day,

Claudio.