Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s “The Nutcracker Suite”
Duke Ellington, 1966. Photo by James Kriegsmann. Wikimedia Commons
Ever felt The Nutcracker dilemma? Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker has become a staple of the pre-Christmas season all over the world. It’s difficult to imagine the holiday season without it – and yet, even though you might not be willing to admit it, there is such a thing as Nutcracker fatigue after too much Nutcracker. Just think how the dancers might feel by the end of their annual Nutcracker marathon.
But we have a remedy for all those wishing to rekindle the magic of their first Nutcracker. What about listening to Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s jazz version of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite? In 1960, the two jazz legends released an album featuring jazz interpretations of themes from Tchaikovsky’s beloved ballet. They also gave the titles of the different numbers a more jazzy, American feel. Instead of the mysterious, bell-like sounds of Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy,” you get drums, saxophones and a sultry “Sugar Rum Cherry.” Instead of the violins of Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers,” you get trumpets. And instead of Tchaikovsky’s rousing “March,” you get the full Ellington band giving everything they got in the “Peanut Brittle Brigade.” And if you are living in Chicago, give the new show Sugar Hill a try, a re-imagined Nutcracker combining different dance styles, from swing, hip hop, to ballet (click here to find out more in our interview with principal dancer Natascha Mair.)