Guest
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) from The Nutcracker, Op. 81 i. The Christmas Tree (transcr. by Aaron Tan) ii. Characteristic March (transcr. by Frederick Hohman) Aaron Tan, organ Recorded live in the Cathedral of the Madeleine Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Eccles Organ Festival, 30th Season 12 November 2023 Watch the entire recital here: @ecclesorganfestival A staple of Utah culture, Tchaikovsky’s 1892 masterpiece, The Nutcracker, was his last ballet. Every year since 1963, Ballet West has performed Willam Christensen’s original version, replicating the first American performance of the complete ballet that he produced in San Francisco in 1944. The story, based on a children’s fairy tale by E. T. A. Hoffmann, is set in Nürnberg, Germany on Christmas Eve, where family and friends have gathered in the parlor. During the opening number, Decoration and Lighting of the Christmas Tree, the parents are busy trimming the tree. Nine o’clock strikes and the children with some friends burst into the scene and all join in a lively March around the room. (from the Concert Program Notes by Dr. Kenneth Udy)
