Casse-Noisette: A Holiday Tale in Music

Our holiday family concert returns! We are delighted to welcome back the Arpeggione Ensemble for a magical, miniature Nutcracker: Tchaikovsky's beloved music, paired with narration in French from Alexandre Dumas's Histoire d'un casse-noisette.

Few people know that Tchaikovsky's ballet owes its story to France. The original tale by E.T.A. Hoffmann was dark and complex. It was Alexandre Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers, who retold it in 1844 as a gentler, enchanted fairy tale, and his version became the basis for the ballet that premiered in St. Petersburg in 1892.

In Thomas Carroll's original arrangement for five musicians, with plenty of fun surprises along the way, Clara's adventure comes to life through the Waltz of the Flowers, the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, the March, and more. Projected illustrations accompany the story, helping young listeners follow along whether or not they speak French.

Doors open at 5:30 PM for a holiday craft atelier in the gallery for children and families, followed by the concert at 6:00 PM and light refreshments.

Narration in French [with English subtitles]