The Dark Side of The Nutcracker

[@ListeningIn]

Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed the video. Thank you for those who have pointed out the mis-pronunciation of Petipa’s name. I noticed this just after publishing the video.

[@musiclover-zb5wl]

Hi:) can you please turn the captions/subtitles on again? Brilliant video btw. Thank you!

[@vickhs]

Tchaikovsky is the composer closest to my heart. The way he turned his sadness into the most beautiful expressions of human nature is simply beyond me. I'm glad he's experienced success through his career (unlike many genius artists who die in obscurity), but I wish he could know just how beloved he actually is, more than a century after his death. Thanks for the incredible video.

[@thesilvershining]

Same. He put such sincere emotion into his works, he is by far my favorite. I would love to go back in time and meet him just once to tell him how he changed my life: because of him I took up piano and clarinet, and his music helped me cope with bullying and trauma as a child.

[@theyakkoman]

"Pain is easy to portray, but to use your passion and pain to portray the ecstasy and joy and magnificence of our world..." That is something unique and the mark of a true genius. The first part is taken from a speech about Vincent van Gogh, but I'd say it fits Tcaikovsky very well too.

[@clintgolub1751]

Sadly, I’m sure in his grief, posterity and fame, and even the acceptance being gay wouldn’t have abated his grief over the loss of the person he cared most about. I’m just supremely grateful the world was able to experience a piece of his musical genius with his incredible scores out of the darkness of his emotions before he left.

[@petercoles2325]

Mop

[@saraaltuna8724]

Sometimes, I wish I could just give him a hug and tell him, he is loved, he is enough. I'm happy we have his eternal musical legacy...

[@rougeakane]

And here I was thinking it was just a christmassy acid trip

[@Sofia-wx2ht]

😂🤣👍🏽

[@christinacody5845]

The story itself definitely is that if you try to read it.

[@hi-uf2od]

Oh boy you haven't watched the nutcracker 3D movie then.

[@sallyiocca6672]

I've always felt such incredible sadness from the Pas de Deux that I couldn't really understand. Thank you for bringing to light the tragic yet hopeful story behind it - that moment of understanding in this video left me in tears.

[@Isa-tn7ex]

I recently performed the music virtually...I thought it sounded sad but I ‘knew’ it was supposed to be happy so I played it so...aughhh I did it wrong T-T

[@emmal9534]

First time I heard it, I didn’t see the ballet with it but just listened to music, I always thought it’s a scene where someone died and another person kneeling on the ground crying his/her heart out.

[@kathyparrow1390]

Yes. Every single time I hear that piece I bawl my eyes out. I never understood why it sounded like true love and longing and agony at the same time when they were together in that beautiful dance. Ugh. I'm going to be a wreck for the rest of the day.

[@chalkedlines8960]

Same here. It makes sense now.

[@TryinaD]

I knew Barbie and the Nutcracker was doing something right by making it a sudden farewell sequence! The disappearance of Clara from the fantasy world is timed perfectly with the music - I somehow knew this was based on something from the original! (For reference, here’s the ending scene kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5qvg61tia1lZs0 )

[@aj_skapayjay]

As I watch this before we record our performance of Nutcracker, I am realizing that I am playing a character who was very important to someone and I feel like now I will dance with more feeling as Clara.

[@hiwelcometochillis2579]

upload videos 🥺 I wanna see

[@aj_skapayjay]

@@hiwelcometochillis2579 We had to postpone to January because somebody caught covid, but If I am able to, I will try to upload it!

[@bridgetkane2856]

I was going to be a snowflake and the baker, but I got a stress fracture in my foot.

[@aj_skapayjay]

@@bridgetkane2856 Oh no! I hope it gets better!

[@irenedevisser5816]

I'm watching this as I wait for my little son to dance his first nutcracker. This adds such depth and sadness and so much more meaning to an already beautiful ballet.

[@stephenkingfan]

This contextualization of his sister's death makes so much sense into why that pas de deux sounds both joyous and also mournful at the same time...it also doesn't surprise me how that moment in Matthew Bourne's reinterpretation of the ballet has a sad moment for Clara (which I recommend viewing at least once for the uniquely different story that is told).

[@meganhartmann180]

Thank you for mentioning Matthew Bourne's reinterpreted production. I had not heard of it before this, and I'm now intrigued!

[@jenniferl.8111]

"I am experiencing crippling depression" -Tchaikovsky, probably

[@jenniferl.8111]

The first time I heard the Pas de deux I completely fell in love with it. Even though the scale is major I always felt so desperately sad from it, not knowing why.

[@oceanelf2512]

It's the harmonies underneath that really make the melody sound haunting.

[@mar-cl2gg]

@@oceanelf2512 also, the violins make that sound that is like crying. I don't know if I can explain how I perceive that, but the effect of the vibration of the violin reminds me completely of a crying

[@oceanelf2512]

@@mar-cl2gg Wow, it might be that it's in a descending pattern, with the highest note starting out and being a little longer than the rest. Although, that can also be a laugh, especially from the brass in the midsection where the piece is at it's loudest before the major section returns.

[@mar-cl2gg]

@@oceanelf2512 I have always felt pas de deux melancholic. It can have different views, but we all agree that is a real masterpiece I truly recommend you to hear "op 7, act 1, no. 8 - a Pine Forest in Winter" By berliner symphonyker Hear that berliner interpretation! The song was made, obviously, by Tchaikovsky That song gives you everything and left you speachless at same time Amazing. Delightful.

[@shwheat6315]

me too

[@elizabethhanantaylor6332]

I always hear pain when I hear Arabian Dance. There’s something about it that reminds me of something mournful-like a couple dancing before one of them goes off to war. There’s also the pas de deux, which reminds me of lovers as well but somehow the sadness in love in addition to the good parts-how love is not an easy journey. Even waltz of the snowflakes seems frantic at times. I think the biggest emotive part for me is the part where Clara dances with the nutcracker and the music swells. That E minor is so urgent. It’s so full and filled to the brim with the whole uncertainty of love but how transformative it is. It’s just so big and ugh it’s why Tchaikovsky is my favorite composer. Nothing says “soulmate” like his work.

[@EvelynMaya1]

Elizabeth Hanan Taylor I disagree I find the music very sensual.

[@yp3424]

The main theme of the so called Arabian dance, was based actually, on a popular Georgian lullaby. The composer & musicologist M. Ippolytov-Ivanov also used that tune, in his 2nd orchestral suite,"Caucasian sketches", the "Iveria". In "Nutcracker's" score is referred as No 12b "кофе",coffee.

[@thaissa215]

Me as well. It's very melancholic

[@Iceechibi]

Arabic Dance - Coffee is my favorite part of The Nutcracker

[@audenisarat8179]

mashallah your words are beautiful i have trouble summing up emotion in words these days but this did it perfectly, you have a talent

[@gunnarhallstedt484]

Someone has said that Tchaikovsky missed his sister so much that he included some tunes (8) from the Russian Funeral Mass ("Eternal memory") in the middle section of the Sugar Plum Fairy´s dance. You can hear the same tunes in the first movement of The Pathetique Symphony (in "the bursting" part). The Pas de Deux Music (also called "Intrada") is one of the most beautiful and inspired compositions by Tchaikovsky. So brilliant composed (when you analyse the piece) . But it is also a strong forebode of The Pathetique Symphony. (But in the symphony he dropped the harp.) Tchaikovsky is the greatest! He is number one!!!

[@Carbonated_Clara]

This is my first year not doing ballet since I was very little. Every other year at my dance studio we would do the Nutcracker, and once or twice we did Sleeping Beauty. The music Tchaikovsky wrote was always so beautiful to me, and put me in the perfect mood to do whatever dance I was performing. When I was a candy cane, the music was joyful and exciting. When I was a flower, the music was graceful and slow. When I was Drosselmeyer, it was intense and mysterious, and part of my love for his character probably goes out to his music when he enters a scene. The Nutcracker has always been a large point of interest for me since I performed it so many times, but it's not very common to see people talking about it. Thank you for telling this story and revealing what went on behind the scenes when the music was wrote, it certainly will change the way I listen to this music.

[@ashimochi]

This year is greatest material loss has definetly been dance, I've also been missing my fellow dancers a lot, dance has always been the greatest outlet for humanity

[@elizabethsedai854]

So well said! I think that for those of us who have danced The Nutcracker that the music has so much meaning that we can't even convey! Your comment comes very close though! I'm not in good enough health to dance anymore and it is just.... heartbreaking. The void of ballet in my life almost feels like someone's died. So happy that you've gotten back to it!!

[@hollyshouse928]

The Pas De Deux is my favourite from Nutcracker and has always made me cry. As a child it always felt like it was goodbye, the end, when Clara had to leave. Now I understand

[@lindsaycole4077]

Tears in eyes and beautiful. As a child who did ballet in the 60's, this record was played again and again - a favourite. The story behind the composition is so enlightening and so dreadfully sad.

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Brilliantly interesting video! Great work once again 👍🏼😊🎄

[@ListeningIn]

Thank you David!! Hope you have a fantastic Christmas.

[@monikachatty3002]

The story behind shows a complex and hidden reality which makes a more bright understanding of this Chrismas fairy tale. A wonderful way of saying good buye to his sister. And referring to the end. Maybe the personal angel needs sleep sometimes and help of human assistance.

[@jaybonn5973]

Ah..... No wonder the Pas de Deux sounds so sad, or desperate.

[@LukeJohnston_Google]

I'm in tears. As a gay man myself, I grew up watching Baryshnikov and Kirkland's production of the Nutcracker on VHS with my sister, with whom I feel very close. Her support of my coming out and my career as an artist has meant more than I can convey. I can only imagine Tchaikovsky's pain, but I will never listen to the Pas de Deux the same way again. Here's to all you loving, supportive sisters of gay men. You make all the difference. ♥️

[@danthomas6587]

My sister was my closest friend as a child. Until puberty. Then she became part of the haters that made my early life miserable. It was never the same after that. My rock was my mother. If as a gay guy you have your mother's blessing, nothing else can hurt you.

[@JamesTAbernathy]

@@danthomas6587 I am sorry to hear about your sister, but I'm so glad your mother is accepting! That is indeed a blessing.

[@mjinba07]

@@danthomas6587 I've never understood the point of hating someone's sexual preference. When my brother finally came out he was very worried about how we'd all react. Our parents had been raised with such strong edicts against homosexuality, it took them a long time to come to terms. They had to work at accepting, and for that they get my deepest respect. For us sibs, it was much easier. I hope your sister has - or will - come to see the light.

[@gabrielleangelica1977]

Yes, Gelsey and Mikail had the best version. Their pas de deux was truly sad. I do recommend her autobiography entitled Dancing On My Grave. 🥀

[@Dragonrose36]

The Baryshnikov/Kirkland production was the one I watched over and over again as a child. According to my Mom, I watched it so much that the tape finally broke. I have it on DVD now.

[@littleredwitch]

The choreographer’s name is not “Pepita” but Petipa. Famous choreographer of all! He deserves respect.

[@lumi6945]

the loss of a sibling can be hard to go through. even though his sister passed away, Tchaikovsky still made beautiful music in the end!

[@bettedavis1409]

It's like losing a limb, like a broken branch off a once perfect tree💔

[@artemisquill6542]

I've worked in theatre my entire life, and I've honestly come to resent it a little, since it's so inescapable in the industry it's become trite to me. This is the first year in nearly two decades I haven't done a production (because of covid), and I think I took it for granted. I've found myself listening to the score endlessly this year, but it's not really the same. It's a little like an old friend at this point. Thank you for giving it a little more depth and meaning, I have too often reduced it to it's simple narrative and cheerful tone.

[@mgrainger3805]

I wish I could work in a theatre

[@PixieoftheWood]

I've always really liked it, but I've also always heard the music and thought it would be fitting to add elements of tragedy to the piece. Now I know why some moments sound almost sad, but I actually think there's a lot of room in the piece for more depth if you look at the original novel from 1892. In the original novel, the reason the Mouse King is going after the Nutcracker is because it's the end of a long feud between him and the human royal family after the Mouse Queen and her children trick the human queen into eating lard that was meant for the human king's dinner. She's embarrassed after literally eating lard, so in retaliation, the human king has Drosselmeyer create traps to kill the Mouse Queen's children, which leads to revenge happening back and forth until the Mouse Queen ends up dead and Drosselmeyer's nephew (who is completely innocent) ends up turned into a Nutcracker. Because of this, I've always wanted to see a version of the Nutcracker where the Mouse King is portrayed as a tragic hero, justified in his anger but so blinded by vengeance that he can't see that the targets of his rage aren't his real enemy, ultimately leading to his death.

[@twinkletoes6290]

As a retired professional ballerina, I totally share in your love/hate relationship w The Nutcracker!! Lol.

[@monicacall7532]

I quit counting how many Nutcrackers I played after I got close to 400. For those of us down in the pit playing the same music six days a week two shows a day for an entire month with only Sundays and Christmas off and just one show on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve days, playing the same music got old very, very quickly. When I was growing up my dad’s mom and sister would take me, my sister and all of our girl cousins who were old enough to sit through the entire show to see the Nutcracker. As an aspiring cellist I couldn’t wait until the day when I was good enough to be able to play the entire score well. It was one of my dreams to be able to play this ballet music in the pit of a professional ballet company. When my dream came true I discovered that it wasn’t anything like I had thought it would be. Yes, the pas de deux towards the end of Act 2 is gorgeous and is the most interesting thing that the cello section gets to play in the entire score. We introduce the theme for the very first time after the introduction. Perhaps knowing the story of Tchaikovsky’s sister’s death would’ve staved off boredom a little longer. Unfortunately, after doing so many performances every season, and especially because our work to provide the iconic music without which the ballet couldn’t function was just taken for granted, most of us would go on autopilot (unless a guest conductor showed up) after we got the first down beat in both acts. When the musicians’ union decreed that we pit musicians didn’t have to play every show during the entire month of December and that we could get qualified substitutes to take our places there was great rejoicing. However, the damage was done and many musicians had to leave the orchestra because of overuse injuries. Playing Tchaikovsky’s orchestral music is extremely taxing on musicians’s bodies. Playing as much Tchaikovsky as we were playing in one month was brutal. I was one of the people who had to leave because of injuries to my hands and shoulders. (It took a while but I did finally recover from those injuries.) To this day if I hear even a snippet of the Nutcracker I all but break out in hives and want to scream. I guess that I have Nutcracker PTSD!

[@willschneider4616]

Well now I'm crying.

[@Ahvilon]

With the video's title, I thought this was going to be something about spilling tea about how us dancer's can be treated horribly by our rehearsal mistresses and yet we have to dance with a smile lol

[@PixieoftheWood]

I thought it was going to be how there are darker elements in the original novel the ballet is based on, because part of the reason the Mouse King is so pissed off is because his family was executed by the human royal family for embarrassing the human queen.

[@pitbull635]

@@PixieoftheWood holy shit.... i would love to hear about that that’s so interesting!!

[@twinkletoes6290]

Amen!!!! Lol.

[@RagPlaysGames]

My favorite part of the Nutcracker Suite is the Arab Dance. Reminds me of coming in and warming up after walks on cold December evenings.

[@amygodward4472]

I always felt Pas de Dieu as a spectacular moment of despair. When you love fiercely, the pain becomes fiercer, also. The repetitive nature of the music is like grief...you feel it again and again without it actually resolving. It just fades after a while..

[@thesilvershining]

I’ve been in love with The Nutcracker for 30 years and I always felt that Pas de Deux had much sadness in it. It’s his shortest ballet but every single piece in it is absolutely magical and stunning, with exquisite orchestrations. The short opera Iolanta that premiered with The Nutcracker is also absolutely gorgeous and one of my favorite operas of all time.

[@AforAwesome3604]

Me, a ballerina who was in the nutcracker watching this: 👁👄👁

[@elha1562]

Samwee

[@pavelchenarev7215]

The Pas de Deux is completely stunning. It's such an eloquent musical expression of nostalgia. The juxtaposition of a major key and a melancholic flow, makes this piece ever more poignant. Thank you for the video, well done!

[@sophiayamagughi]

no wonder that one part that is repeated is so sad, it sounds like cries of pain

[@TheBitterness]

I agree!

[@joose6667]

I just KNEW there was SOME backstory of the Pas De Deux. When I first listened to it, it always sounded to me of an heart wrenching yearning, deep, indescribable sorrows, or an agonizing heart break.

[@8moltovivace8]

"...source of light in the darkness" I cried

[@veniaminf5105]

Hi! I’m from Russia and I wanted to thank you for writing such elaborate videos on Russian composers and their music! I deeply enjoy this kind of videos ever since I’ve graduated music school and there is so much passion and energy in your script that it is impossible to stay indifferent. I wish there was more content like this on KZbin. Brilliant work, wish you the best! ❤️ You definitely deserve more subscribers :)

[@veniaminf5105]

Seriously, your videos just made my day

[@jankubat2694]

Am I crying watchig a video essay? Brilliant work, thank you!

[@ListeningIn]

My pleasure! Sorry for making you cry!

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

I feel privileged to get early access to this, thank you! It almost brought me to tears when you describe the descending major scale melody, I truly felt his grief, in the most beautiful way possible.

[@ListeningIn]

Thank you so much Louie! I'm privileged to have you as one of my patrons!

[@LouieTaylorMusic]

@@ListeningIn it's my pleasure! By the way, I sent you an email, Barnaby, no pressure to reply soon. Just wanted to check that you got it :)

[@christopheratkins7746]

You made me cry....AGAIN!!! Damn it, Sir! You need more waaaaay more subscribers than you have.

[@ListeningIn]

Sorry! I keep doing this...

[@christopheratkins7746]

@@ListeningIn No problems, dude. Keep it up! It's wonderful!!

[@saramartinez103]

This kind of content is not for the masses! Thank you so much for your excellent and exquisite work!

[@user-tb5mb2ng9n]

The Nutcracker is definitely my favorite ballet from Tchaikovsky. However, I did not know his sister's death had affected him that much, eventually compelling him to compose a score filled with hope and nostalgia. Such a well done vid!

[@karhart6663]

I adore the Pas de Deux. The first few times I saw the ballet as a kid, they didn't include that piece. When I purchased my own cd copy of the ballet, I was astonished when this achingly beautiful piece played, and I've loved it ever since.

[@culbycove4963]

I wept listening to the Pas De Deux the other night. My dog passed away last year a couple of weeks before Christmas (old age, she was 15), but this movement came on my playlist and suddenly I felt the loss - the loss of my dog, and the loss of Tchaikovsky’s sister - at the same time. Tchaikovsky will always be my favorite composer, and I have such a deeper appreciation and respect for The Nutcracker as a whole.

[@gabrielak7783]

I fondly love and very into Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Pas De Deux. Extremely extremely beautiful piece, full of light, love, but very fragile. Also if you hear closely to this piece-a "fell in love" song, it also-I could hear a deeply tragic and sad notes in that piece. But still crafted beautifully enveloped with beautiful notes. Now I know why this piece is such like that. The tragic life from the composer inform me clearly what is really behind this song. What the composer had, confirming the strands of tragic and sad notes in this piece. Now I know the story, the heart, the Tchaikovsky's desire behind this piece. This piece could take you to a high fantasy bright full of love and also a subtle stands of tragic and sad notes. Genius genius Composer indeed. Tragic life. Beautiful and fondly crafted piece. Thank you for sharing this to us.

[@vioJulie]

I always thought I was reading too much into how happy yet mournful Pas de deux sounded to me. This video saved a lifelong riddle for me. Thank you

[@stagelinedpro]

The Nutcracker's Pas de deux is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.

[@mar-rv2qb]

pas de deux is the only piece of music that can make me cry every time i hear it, no matter what, and this video completely opened my eyes to a part of my childhood that i really didn't know that much about, so thank you ❤

[@PADARM]

Great, the Pas de Deux always makes me cry and I didn't know the backstory. The next time I will be a crying mess on the floor.

[@lilianguo7005]

Scary or not it ,it is still perfected with love and passion flowing from his heart .Never will this video effect our/my life .Not in a million years

[@Cru674]

Marvelous video! I had no idea that "The Nutcracker" had such a dark and sorrowful side. I always thought the music, while exquisitely beautiful, seemed brimming with some kind of mournful longing. Now i understand why. Thank you!

[@cwu555]

damn. now i finally understand why the pdd music makes me cry every time i listen to it. thank you for this video

[@pag5436]

as someone who is a ballet dancer, i absolutely loved this video. I was recently Clara, in the nutcracker and looking beyond the notes has gave me chills. almost cried. the darkness, yet the lively hood brings this piece of the Nutcracker gives a whole other perspective. this was such an amazing video. as you mentioned, the scale that descended, i had to dance to. the music made me questioned, whether i should be sad or even scared. this video captured my emotions.

[@msl_marine]

The final pas de deux has always been one of my favorite classic music and ballet dance and now I just feel like I have understand something so big... Thank you so much for your work !

[@cecilyerker]

Jeeze he didn’t just lose his sister he lost his little nieces too

[@robertcase1435]

Tchaikovky was a flute player. Can you confirm that he wrote some of the hardest piccolo solos in the repertoire for a piccolo in Db? The Db piccolo has gone out of favor since the mid 20th century, but in Tchaikovky's time it was common. Some of the thorniest solos become relatively easy when played on a a Db instrument.

[@AngelDivinity111]

I have always felt there was such an underlying sadness in this ballet! I feel so validated

[@CreativeIsolation]

It’s hard to find the words that describe your brilliance at combining words and music while being informative and educational, truly remarkable. Well done, good sir!

[@thaissa215]

The pas de deux is my favorite piece from Tchaikovsky. It always gave me the feeling of meeting someone after being forced apart for a long period. Now knowing the backstory it's as if it all clicked together

[@wordforger]

That story and the music together just has me in tears. It's amazing how his love for his sister has endured not just beyond her death, but also his own. Over a hundred years later we still share his music.

[@the_pudding_boy8834]

i’ve danced this PDD more times that i can remember and it never really felt like a happy one..like underneath all of the ornaments there’s deep sadness and this explains why..thank you for such a great video

[@robkunkel8833]

“The Darker Side Of The Nutcracker” is too simplistic a title for this excellent video. It is brilliantly thought out and quite inspiring. I love the use of the original score. I would call your video “The Transformation Gave Us The Nutcracker.” EHEM , looking at it in print, maybe yours reads better, after all. Thank you ... and I have signed up. 🦌🦌🛌🎉

[@boaz1353]

very good use of music, almost cried

[@thobat14]

Once again another great video it made me cry I don’t think I will ever listen to the nutcracker the same way again. Can’t wait to see what’s next.

[@Skip6235]

It is absolutely criminal that the pas de deux was left out of the orchestral suite and therefore doesn't have the popularity that the rest of the second act dances do

[@c_dorado]

Please allow captions, so more people can have access to this beautiful video.

[@cmtippens9209]

I've always loved the music of the Nutcracker, but disliked the story which always seemed a little creepy to me. So, when I read the title of this video, my reaction was, "The whole story is dark already." Now I really understand how truly sad it is.

[@rubydoo3307]

All of us who have ever taken a ballet class know his music, but to hear the history adds a whole other layer, thank you so much for this video!

[@dhulbert855]

It was WONDERFUL to actually get glimpses of the original scores penned by the man himself!

[@lala-4458]

The editing is so pretty and well done, mustve taken quite a while

[@b26t4]

we need a movie about this legendary man

[@arthurlyhne-gold2262]

All I can say is that I'm grateful that this level of quality video is free! Awesome stuff!

[@qalaphyll]

man i got goosebumps and i wanna cry

[@ernestuz]

This side is not dark, it's deeply human.

[@sekaihatsu]

I've always adored the Nutcracker more than any other ballet but now I love it even more. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story.

[@ZNC16]

I LOVE the analysis of what I've always found to be the two most emotionally impactful songs in this ballet. So interesting to consider the relationship between the two.

[@shaylaharris8919]

I always felt the emotion in this ballet and was almost infatuated with it as a child. Its always been my favorite. I was in tears by the end of this video. It was so well done.

[@honeydew75]

What a brilliant video! I'm Russian and we learned this in the music school I went to growing up, that simple melody to me always resonated with him saying that his pain was like being stung by a snake and we talked about that longing. It makes me tear up to this day when I hear it. It was always associated in my mind with being struck by pain and love because it's so intense, ever since my first exposure to the Nutcracker was the Barbie movie lmao which surprisingly showcases some of those darker anxious tones, I could definitely feel it even as a small kid

[@bretts8070]

He is my favorite classical composer, but somehow I had never heard this story or how it came about. Thank you for sharing. It brought tears to my eyes and deepened my appreciation even further than before.

[@Kasia_Luna]

This video was so well done, holy smokes.

[@BohemianScandalous]

Every time I heard the Pas De Deux I would start to cry. There was always something so achingly moving about it, and now I know thanks to this video.

[@tuxtlali]

This reminded me of the Australian TV show "Dance Academy", where the protagonist dances inspired by the memory of her dead friend. It was the red shoes so her grief helps her perform with sincere pain. I'd say It Is truly impossible to separate an artistic piece from its artist. Any creator invests time and thoughts into their work, but artists invest their feelings as well. Now, about the video. I loved it, but I disagree when you say "The nutcracker" is simple. Many composers have mastered technical complexity, however they have not touch their audience' hearts. Finally, thank you for another great video. I am looking forward to the next.

[@ingrid5944]

I'm crying dude. It's so sad to see such a wonderful person and mind go through all of that pain! You know when you wish you have met someone and talked to them and tried to help??? This is what I feel right now towards Tchaikovsky!!! He did so many beautiful things expressing all of his feelings in his compositions! I know too little about him, but after yesterday that I listened to an orchestra playing his 2nd symphony I just felt in love with his music and I feel more and more connected to his soul and I want to know everything that he did and all his story!!! Maybe one day I can talk to him, who knows huh? But dude... What a wonderful soul!!! I wish he had lived a happier life!!! ❤️

[@GeekyGaia]

I actually shed tears, now knowing the meaning behind this music, it's quite exceptionally chilling and eerily beautiful.

[@ananasdance]

I always was crying when I heard the nutcracker.. I have Russian roots, but growing up in Germany, far away from the Russian side of my family, I was kind of looking for the culture and what shaped the lives of my parents, who have been musicians back then. My mother loved the nutcracker. Music was the key for me. I have been dancing since I was little, so this connected uns. I never knew why I felt so emotional, listening to the music. It feels like family, I feel secure, like I finally arrived and found the answer of what shaped my parents and what connects us. And now I also know that my mother was so emotional, listening to to the music, that describes such a loss, because she has lost her first child due to cancer, before I was born. 2020 my dad died and I felt just like that. Music helps to understand feelings.

[@zara.f5368]

At 8:30 that melody right there always brings me to tears. I've always felt that raw emotion and connection but I never realized why until now.

[@thea7160]

I'm into music and also a ballet dancer. I literally just performed in a Nutcracker show some days ago and didn't know all that. Thank for the video!

[@chirho777]

Thanks for the upload. I was blessed 😌🙌🏼 to play as a Christian musician and to be best pals with Steven Brubaker as a kid. So proud of my granddaughter playing Clara this year (2022) with the Tacoma city ballet. Its unfortunate about the life and death of Tchaikovsky.

[@danieljakubik3428]

Well done. Thank you for producing this thoughtful, respectful video which makes known the hidden dark side of this world famous beloved ballet.

[@Littleladyduck]

I am an ex-ballerina and have done performances for the nutcracker for many years... it hold a special place in my heart, and now know what he went threw and the amount of love he put in the piece for his sister make me love it even more

[@goldenlion7]

Masterful analysis. I always felt such emotion from Pas de Deux, so I'm not surprised to hear the backstory surrounding that piece. You've got another sub!

[@magicallyella7740]

this video is outstanding. between the visuals and the very soothing voice, i learned more about this ballet i have always loved. as a dancer, and a classical music fan this is a beautiful video and i know i will be back to watch more.

[@williamm374]

If you place Tchaikovsky's notes on the Nutcracker in perspective, he said the same thing about all his compositions at the time. He was very critical of his work during his later years. Critics assert that he was disinterested in the Nutcracker so he borrowed much of the music from French nursery rhymes, Ippolotov-Ivan, etc. But he only did this under the direction of Petipa. The modern Nutcracker is an evolution and modification from many versions, Anna Pavlova, the pas de deux added by Alicia Markova, for instance. It's a beautiful score, a masterpiece.

[@twinkletoes6290]

“It’s almost impossible not to smile when hearing this music” Well.......not if you’re a retired professional ballerina who’s done basically every role in The Nutcracker way more times than you could ever even count!! Lol. As much as The Nutcracker haunts my dreams, I still love it!! When I still go to watch a performance, my eyes well up w tears multiple times......always, always during the pas de deux, which I’ve just always loved that piece so very much, and my body is covered is goosebumps!! The music evokes so many memories for me and reminds me of my first love, ballet, and how much you miss it when your decrepit body finally gives out and you can no longer dance (well, you can still take class, not like you used to, but you definitely can’t perform anymore and you’ll never get over that)! I was very surprised to see a KZbin video done on this, it’s very refreshing to see someone not in the ballet world know the history behind the music and ballet! Thank you for making this! ❤️❤️ I can still perform this ballet start to finish, every single role (as w pretty much every other single ballet!! Lol) bc it’s just entrained into your brain and body to the point where I swear I won’t ever be able to get it out of my head & muscle memory!! Lol. Side note ; you put the wrong emphasis on the wrong syllable (old SNL reference from I don’t even know how long ago!!) on your pronunciation of Petipa. It’s pronounced Pet-i-pa (the “i” pronounced like “eh”).

[@danieldubei]

I really didn't need tears in my eyes this morning, but thank you for the great dive into Tchaikovsky's music. Nice touch, btw, with how you timed the fourth movement of his 6th while discussing the devastating news.

[@yanneswiththebearr]

it is Christmas again and I am here because the act makes me sorrow everytime

[@gv5884]

I always thought the melody and flow of the Pas de Deux Suite were too rich and complex for a dance supposedly so sweet. It's not pure joy, there's also a longing and sadness for something in its end. It is, after all, just Clara's dream, and a metaphor for the transition between childhood and adulthood - I always supposed her to be 13 or 14 years old, and as in the Victorian times there was no adolescence as we perceive today, the dream marks Clara's maturity process, as she is no longer a girl, but a lady. This piece is just so incredibly romantic and emotional.

[@EvilSnips]

Thank you for making this video. I always wondered why the Pas De Deux was so different and much sadder than the Sugar Plum solo dance, because the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Cavalier seemed like a very one dimensional characters for such a dramatic music piece. Definitely my favorite piece in the Nutcracker and I hope to dance to it one day. However, the Arabian dance and the Snow Waltz some of my favorites as well.

[@Nova_the_starcatcher]

I have rewatched this video... sooo ... many... times

[@alexachew3348]

the production value on this video is amazing! loved it

[@julietteoh_xx]

"Progress is dancing to the same song that used to break you."

[@alexvictoria84]

Love it, thank you for making this - I've struggled to make head or tail of the nutcracker; I find the premise and storyline uninspiring, but the music itself and the dances, especially the pas de deux in the second half, so enchanting and moving, it is interesting to know the background to give me some insight into why I picked up on this

[@markbeck8384]

Thanks for this. I have always felt that the pas de deux at the end had a weight and quality that hinted at something else than just a happy ending top prettiness; and this explains it a bit. there is something about Tchaikovsky's music that often seems to suggest stories untold or sadness & majesty beyond what it is being used for. He teases you with the unexplained.

[@s.Iwaarden]

the descending C major scale is just the most beautifull thing.

[@chowderhead1001]

I hope you enjoyed MAKING the video - my little sister Camila

[@ListeningIn]

Ha! Tell your little sister that I did!!

[@mr.t.1237]

We share nothing in common

[@balladeviolin342]

This channel is so underrated

[@mistressofuniverses]

In the version of the nutcracker and the rat king that I heard, Clara never comes back from her journey with the nutcracker. In this way, her story too mirrors that of Sasha’s. I think that having the full context makes it all the more tragic

[@zyxw2000]

In Hoffman's original story, she does return, and the Prince comes back when she is older and marries her. The Pacific Northwest Ballet version, designed by Maurice Sendak, contains the entire story.

[@emmyssenioryear]

as a dancer this makes me want to tell the story differently and truly show that deeper meaning of it