The Story of The Nutcracker in Music Notes

This is the story of The Nutcracker, the most famous ballet of all time, in music notes. Just a few facts about what was happening in Tchaikovsky’s life while he was writing the music for this ballet. Many have a family tradition of going to a performance of the Nutcracker every year. While this year might be a little different, thanks to technology we can still access and enjoy the music we have come to love at Christmas.

Tchaikovsky based the story on E.T.A. Hoffman’s fantasy story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. The BBC has a dramatized recording of this story. There are other audio books and dramatized recordings that you can check out as well!

If you have a hoopla digital account through your library, you have access ebooks, audiobooks, and 72 different recordings.

There are several different types of movies available. Hoopla has this video available which includes the ballet. They also have an animated version and some movies about going to the Nutcracker. Or check out the New York City Ballet’s performance on Youtube!

Note Reading Worksheet

This worksheet tells the story of how The Nutcracker was written. Students identify the names of the notes in the worksheet to fill in missing letters in the words that tell the story. While they work on naming notes, why not listen to your favorite movements! Do you enjoy the Arabian Dance, or the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies, or the overture. It’s hard to pick a favorite! They are hearing good phrasing, good tone, harmonies, timbres, articulations and much more while they listen. Even if they aren’t playing these pieces, those techniques and musical expression is “downloading” into their brains! The Nutcracker Story in Music Not es, covers all the notes in first position. The cello/ bass clef worksheet also includes a E4.

Tchaikovsky in New York conducting for the opening of Carnagie Hall while he was composing The Nutcracker. On his way back to Russia he stopped in Paris and heard the newly invented celeste. If you’d like to learn more about the celeste, there is a video on the history and of the oldest celeste builder in the world.