The Nutcracker Anniversary

What Is The Nutcracker Anniversary?

December 18th marks the anniversary of The Nutcracker. On this day in 1892, the ballet premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia, with music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Because the story is set on Christmas night, it has become a fixture of the season in theaters worldwide.

Tchaikovsky's Last Ballet Score

The Nutcracker was the last ballet music Tchaikovsky wrote. Together with Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty, it forms what are often called the three great ballets.

• Premiere: December 18, 1892 (December 6 in the old Russian calendar), Mariinsky Theatre
• Music: Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Op. 71
• Libretto: Marius Petipa
• Choreography: after Petipa fell ill, his assistant Lev Ivanov took over and completed it
• Standing: Tchaikovsky's final ballet score and one of the three great ballets

A Story That Begins on Christmas Night

The tale opens on Christmas Eve, when a girl receives a nutcracker and is drawn into a strange world. Because the work itself is set at Christmas, it became indispensable to December programming. Its Waltz of the Flowers and Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy are familiar even to people who have never seen a ballet.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Listen to well-known pieces from the suite, such as the Waltz of the Flowers
• Read the synopsis, then watch a full performance on video
• Check whether a hall near you is staging a year-end ballet
• Compare Tchaikovsky's three great ballet scores side by side

Music That Has Filled December Theaters for Over 130 Years

More than 130 years after the premiere, the same music still fills theaters worldwide each December. December 18th is a reminder of how firmly a work can attach itself to a season.