Friday 4 June 2010
Tune of the Day: Waltz of the Flowers
from “The Nutcracker Suite” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The lilting Waltz of the Flowers originally appeared in Act II of Tchaikovsky's famous ballet The Nutcracker, when Clara and the Prince arrive at the Kingdom of Sweets, ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy. It was later also arranged as the grand finale of the suite derived from the ballet.
Like some other characteristic dances of the ballet, this piece was featured in the 1940 Disney film Fantasia, in which the change of seasons from fall to winter is beautifully illustrated by the dances of the Autumn Fairies, the Frost Fairies and the Snow Fairies.