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Podcast: Today In History with The Retrospectors
Episode: Introducing The Nutcracker
Description: The premiere of Tchaikovsky’s seminal ballet ‘The Nutcracker’, on 18th December, 1892, at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg. It was NOT a hit.The composer, who thought the Alexander Dumas source material was slight and childish, only agreed to write the piece if it was shown in a double-bill with his opera, ‘Iolanta’. He certainly didn’t want to repeat the critical failure of his earlier work: a certain ‘Swan Lake’.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how a trip to Paris inspired one of ballet’s most famous moments; check out some of...