Dances from the Nutcracker

Composer: Pjotr Tjajkovskij

Instrument: Glockenspiel

Level: Advanced

Published: 2021

• Description

  These arrangements are based on the orchestral score of the ballet (not the suite Op.71a) and the piano reduction written by the composer himself. Dynamics, execution orders and voicing are transferred as faithfully to the sources as possible but still had to be notably adapted to the specific istrumentation requirements of the glockenspiel at certain points.
  
  The original has all repetitions written out in music. The repetitions indicated in this edition are for simplifaction only. In „Children’s Galop“ and „March“ repetitions have been cut by the arranger. Metronome numbers were provided by the arranger. No indications on sticking, choice of mallets or pedaling were added. Studying numbers weren’t adapted. Bar numbers refer to this edition and partially don’t fit those in the ballet.
  
  
  Index
  
  Act One
  Children’s Galop
  March
  
  Divertisment
  Dance of the Reed Flutes
  Chocolate
  Coffee
  Tea
  Trépak
  
  Pas de Deux
  Tarantella
  Dance of the Sugar PlumFairy
  Coda

• (Percussive Notes, June 2022)
  
  We have all heard the dances from “The Nutcracker.” If you have prepared for percussion auditions, you have no-doubt practiced the cymbal part for the “Mirliton” movement, the tambourine part for the “Trepak,” or an excerpt from almost any part of the ballet. However, we never get the lead voice. German percussionist Edzard Locher has arranged selected movements from the ballet for glockenspiel to give us that opportunity.
  
  This is a collection of the ten short dances that occur throughout the ballet, including the “March,” “Tea,” “Trepak,” and the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.” Aside from a reduction of repetitions in two of the pieces, each dance lines up with the subject material in terms of melody, implied harmony, and length.
  
  To accommodate the range necessary to keep this level of authenticity on the glockenspiel, the performer will need a 3-octave instrument to accomplish the whole collection. even though not all the pieces require such a range. For example, “Children’s Gallop” and “Chocolate” can fit on most standard box/table glockenspiels. The arranger recommends that the instrument have a dampener pedal, assumingly because there are so many notes for each hand that there are rare ideal moments for hand dampening to occur.
  
  Only one of the pieces requires four mallets. The “Arabian Dance,” also known as “Coffee,” calls for denser harmonies and metered one-handed tremolos that make four mallets necessary. This is also the dance that sounds the most like the original version due to its incorporation of thicker sonorities.
  
  Locher designed the other works to be playable with two mallets. This does not lessen their difficulty level, however. He still incorporates lines of accompaniment for one hand while the other hand plays the melodic material. Depending on the piece, the secondary material can occur above the range of the melody, below it, or both. So one of the key challenges of this collection is being able keep the accompaniment at an appropriate dynamic so as to not overwhelm the listener with a cacophony of bell sounds. When done correctly, this creates an impressive version of these works with an added music-box characteristic that represents them in a new and appealing way.
  
  The only movements that lose the authenticity from the original are the “Tarantella” and the “Coda.” In both movements, some of the original bass accompaniment did not make it into the glockenspiel arrangement, so some downbeats are left as rests. This causes the feeling of the dance to be momentarily lost until the next downbeat is played.
  
  Locher took on an impressive undertaking, and the results are magnificent. The glockenspiel is lacking in repertoire, and this is a welcome addition to a growing collection of pieces that demonstrate the musical capabilities of the instrument.
  
  —Kyle Cherwinski