I have a love/hate relationship with Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. I like the music, but having spent my formative years in over 6 productions of the ballet, I know the score inside and out -- which somewhat hinders my enjoyment of the holiday classic. For a new take on some familiar tunes, I checked out Harlem Nutcracker, a collection of jazz-inspired renditions arranged by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, and David Berger. Close listeners of Tchaikovsky's original music will be able to pick out "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" in "Sugar Rum Cherry" and the "March" in "Peanut Brittle Brigade." So instead of the same old Nutcracker, try something a little different this holiday season! HM
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
A Holiday Classic -- With A Twist
I have a love/hate relationship with Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. I like the music, but having spent my formative years in over 6 productions of the ballet, I know the score inside and out -- which somewhat hinders my enjoyment of the holiday classic. For a new take on some familiar tunes, I checked out Harlem Nutcracker, a collection of jazz-inspired renditions arranged by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, and David Berger. Close listeners of Tchaikovsky's original music will be able to pick out "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" in "Sugar Rum Cherry" and the "March" in "Peanut Brittle Brigade." So instead of the same old Nutcracker, try something a little different this holiday season! HM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment