Tchaikovsky / Herbert von Karajan, VPO, 1964: Miniature Overture from The Nutcracker

Fifty-six year old Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989) leads the Vienna Philharmonic in this 1964 performance of the Miniature Overture from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a (composed 1892). I created this video from the LP shown above, issued in 1964 on the London label, serial number CS 6420.

So that there is no question in the mind of the listener, I rely principally on images of the LP (label, 1:44) and LP jacket (2:20) in order to document the authenticity of historically important recordings such as these. (Biographical information about from von Karajan from the reverse side of the jacket, 3:33.)

The March, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Trepak, Arab Dance, Chinese Dance, and Dance of the Reed Pipes can now be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gR_9uPCsHo

From the reverse side of this LP: Anitra's Dance from Grieg's Peer Gynt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no1z6mvmjQA
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All my early von Karajan: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=56DFFA3314E73139
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More from Tchaikovsky:

Tchaikovsky / Robert Irving, NYC Ballet Orchestra, 1959: Nutcracker, Suites 1 & 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnAf7mqjZH8

Tchaikovsky / Arthur Grumiaux, 1960: Violin Concerto in D, Op. 35 - Complete - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnr9QCHzOeQ

Tchaikovsky / Чайковский / Hans Swarowsky, 1956: Лебединое Озеро / Swan Lake - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viuQcN67f-0

Tchaikovsky / Hans Swarowsky, 1956: Swan Lake / Лебединое Озеро - Act 1 - Scène - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptbLLIB1N74

Tchaikovsky / Isaac Stern, 1949: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 - Finale - Columbia Recording - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQlbfd2LWvs

Herbert von Karajan, VPO, 1964: Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSDeWvJev_A

Tchaikovsky / Witold Rowicki, Warsaw Philharmonic, 1960: Swan Lake, Op. 20 - Allegretto Agitato - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktHe8BKJqU8

Tchaikovsky / Witold Rowicki, Warsaw Philharmonic, 1960: Swan Lake, Op. 20 - Scene - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ_qvlW-gk8

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More of von Karajan's early recordings:

Bizet, 1958: L'Arlesienne Suite No. 1 - Prelude (1) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZKYXD_YdoE

Bach, 1966: Brandenburg Concerto 1 in F major, BWV 1046 - Allegro (Bach/Бах) - DG: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXfXKKwrjY4

Bizet, 1958: L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-fyBsv3ilI

Dvorak, 1958 - Symphony No. 5 in E minor, "From the New World" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERyj4LRBBsI

Haydn, 1968 - Symphony No. 104 in D Major - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhBKCqRE_cw
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Category:

Music

Tags:

• Tchaikovsky
• Herbert von Karajan
• Nutcracker Suite
• Чайко́вский
• VPO
• Peer Gynt
• Op. 46
• Герберт фон Караян
• Ivan Vsevolozhsky
• George Balanchine
• Marius Petipa
• Swan Lake
• Sleeping Beauty
• davidhertzberg
• Tchaikowsky
• Лебединое Озеро
• Hans Swarowsky
• classicvinylbiz
• Nussknacker
• Casse-Noisette
• El cascanueces
• מפצח האגוזים
• كسارة البندق
• Ο Καρυοθραύστης

[Nattyduck]

it reminds me of Christmas season (it's a kind of a tradition in our family to go and see this wonderful ballet just before New Year Eve :) Thanks

[davidhertzberg]

@Nattyduck ;-)

[billyguns2]

Many thanks for sharing what I think is the best Nutrcracker ever put on a disc; Karajan's VPO recordings for Decca in the early 60s are among the glories of the LP catalog.

[davidhertzberg]

@billyguns2 My pleasure, thanks for writing.