The Nutcracker Ballet has been inspiring audiences for over a century. Based on the book "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" written by E.T.A. Hoffman, the beauty of ballet is wonderfully matched to music written by Peter Tchaikovsky. http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/6934469/a/DTS+Classical+Collection+-+Tchaikovsky:+The+Nutcracker.htm The Nutcracker is renowned world-wide for it's dance and composition and has since become synonymous with the holiday season
The music of the Nutcracker Ballet was composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Born in the Ural mountains of Russia, he dedicated his life to music.

1850 to 1859, he attended the school of Jurisprudence and studied piano. In 1861, he attended classes with the Russian Music Society. In 1862, he entered the Saint Petersburg Conservatory.

Beginning in 1866, Tchaikovsky taught at the Moscow Conservatory while composing many of his concertos and symphonies.

In 1892, Tchaikovsky composed the Nutcracker.

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