Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Waltz of the Flowers from the Nutcracker

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Variations on the Rococo Theme for Cello and Orchestra op. 33

Nikolaj Rimskij-Korsakov
A Christmas Eve Story, A Christmas Eve Suite

Raphael Wallfisch – cello
Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava
Lukasz Borowicz – conductor

Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker inseparatebly linked to the Christmas atmosphere, although its author did not plan it. Magical music with elements of romanticism encourages dreaming. The floral waltz from the second act is one of the most famous numbers of the ballet inspired by the fairy tale.

The second piece we have chosen for the Christmas concert also comes from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Variations on a Rococo Theme is one of the most famous pieces for cello and orchestra. Tchaikovsky’s style here is actually closer to Mozart whose work he admired all his life.

The evening concludes with A Christmas Eve Story by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The Russian composer who studied at the Naval Cadet School in St. Petersburg and later travelled extensively, made a significant contribution to the development of Russian national music in the 19th century. The story is set in Ukraine, where a blacksmith courts a coquettish woman who demands the tsarina’s shoes as a token of her love. The blacksmith’s mother tries to help her son and wants to obtain the shoes with the help of a witch who is related to the devil. The blacksmith finally delivers the shoes to his chosen one and she agrees to marry him…