If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I love the Nutcracker (I mean, really love it — it’s probably my favorite way to introduce kids to classical music). So when I found out Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn had taken Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and turned it into a jazz suite, I knew I had to make an episode about it.
What You’ll Hear
A few episodes back, we talked about Duke Ellington and what made him such a pioneering force in jazz. This time, we’re picking that thread back up — because in the late 1950s, Ellington and his longtime collaborator Billy Strayhorn took Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and reimagined it as a swinging, improvisational jazz suite. The “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and the “Overture” both show up, but you’d almost not recognize them (in the best way).
We’ll dig into how that collaboration came together and what it actually sounds like when two completely different musical worlds meet in the middle.
Try This at Home
This is such a fun one to play side by side with the original Tchaikovsky. Put on the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from the ballet, then play Ellington and Strayhorn’s version right after. Ask your kids what’s the same and what’s different — the melody’s still in there, but the whole feeling changes. It’s a great, low-pressure way to talk about how music can be reinterpreted and still be itself underneath.
A Little Holiday Cheer
Whether your family has listened to the Nutcracker every December for years or this is your first introduction to it, I think this episode is a fun way to hear it with fresh ears. There’s something kind of magical about classical elegance running headfirst into jazz rhythm, and I hope it adds a little something to your holiday playlist this year.
Wishing you and your family a warm and music-filled season.
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
Music Heard in this Episode:
Duke Ellington – Peanut Brittle Brigade (March)
(1) The Nutcracker, Op. 71, TH 14 (Excerpts) : No. 14c, Pas de deux. Var. 2, Dance of the Sugar
Duke Ellington – Sugar Rum Cherry (Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy)
Duke Ellington – The Volga Vouty (Russian Dance)
Music Listening Schedule for Episode 85
I’ve created a YouTube playlist for you that includes some of Ellington’s and Strayhorn’s re-imagined interpretations from the Nutcracker. You can view the videos I’ve complied here.
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