Nutcracker Suite Selections

Description

Violin 1, Violin 2, Violin 3, Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Piano — This arrangement will challenge students, while fostering rhythmic independence, execution of bowing and pizzicato, and the ability to balance the melody with the accompaniment throughout the arrangement. However, ranges remain primarily in first position with some optional 8va passages, allowing intermediate groups to perform this in time for the winter holiday concert.xa0 Suitable for Grades 3 through 5.To the Director:Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy: A steady tempo is critical when performing this movement, as students may have a tendency to rush during the pizzicato sections. There is a regularly occurring descending sixteenth-note rhythmic figure that is transcribed form the bass clarinet part in the original. It is important to maintain clarity and balance in performing these passages as seen in mm.xa016-19, in the Basses and m.xa034xa0in the Cello and Bass. The balancing of the chords will be a challenge in the execution of the many sforzandosxa0in this movement. March: xa0Measures 2 and 4, and similar melodic patterns that follow, require the performers to carefully balance their forte/pianos on beats 3 and 4, along with the rapid diminuendo. The contrasting rhythmic patterns in mm. 5-8, and later throughout this movement must line up precisely. Strings playing the pizzicato eight note, walking bass line, must not rush, and the upper strings playing the eighth-note/eight-restxa0figure must follow their section leaders in executing this in a unified manner. While there is no formal tempo change from mm. 40 to 41, directors may need to relax the tempo at the beginning of the movement toxa0accommodate the technical challenge of the double time feel that happens in m. 41. Trepak: xa0Tchaikovsky was careful to notate the p, f and sf, requiring the performers to recognize the difference between all three markings that frame the chief melody. The upper strings must be careful to support the melody in the lower strings that begins in m. 33. Directors will challenge their students to have fun in the last twelve measures with the accelerando passage to the end. Care must be taken to use an accelerando that works for all the players in the particular ensemble. Bud Caputo presents Nutcracker Suite Selections for string orchestra featuring three abridged movements ofTchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite:Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, March, and Trepak. These abridged movements are sure to be crowd-pleasers around thewinter holidays.

Preview Pages