Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky, the composer of The Nutcracker, was born on May 7, 1850. He learned how to play the piano well at an early age. He was knowledgeable in multiple subjects, he studied and begun a career in law, and he was known as a polyglot. He decided to pursue music, studying at St. Petersburg Conservatory, where Director Anton Rubinstein was very impressed with Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky composed a number of works including symphonies, operas, ballets, concertos, cantatas and songs. His compositions such as The Nutcracker ballet became famous throughout the world. Sadly, he died at age 53 on November 6, 1893.
The Nutcracker Ballet is based on the story, "The Nutcracker and the King of Mice" written by E.T.A. Hoffman. The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is about a girl who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King. The nutcracker has a complex and upbeat message that compliments the play that it was set for, as can be seen through the content, color, instrumentation used, and overall texture of the piece.
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The melodic and motivic content introduced in The Nutcracker starts from one instrument part to another, from high to lower and back. There are variations in the theme at times. For instance, the B section’s melody is a lovely legato line, which begins by ascending and descending. The music changes to move the narrative forward with changes in theme, tempo instruments seven times, and with more low instruments than in previous pieces. For example, a low clarinet solo introduces a waltz tempo (3-beat groups; fast) followed by