Listen to how Tchaikovsky uses the celesta in “The Nutcracker,” unleashing the potential of the instrument to signal playfulness and fantasy. By Joshua Barone Photographs and Video by Vincent Tullo ...
NEW YORK — We all know it. The enchanting melody of “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker,” which returns to New York City Ballet on Friday for its annual run through Dec.
With its sparkling celesta and dreamlike rhythm, “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” has become a sonic hallmark of Christmas. But its festive identity is a modern invention. Born in a 19th-century ...