John McAllister
Composer, Educator
  • Start Here
    • Blog
  • Music
    • Concert Band - VE
    • Concert Band - E
    • Concert Band - ME
    • Expandable Chamber Project
    • Marching Band
    • Jazz
    • Chamber Music
    • Christmas/Holiday
  • Instruments
    • Flute
    • Oboe
    • Bassoon
    • Clarinet
    • Saxophone
    • Trumpet
    • Horn
    • Trombone
    • Euphonium
    • Tuba
    • Percussion
  • Free Resources
    • Let's Read Music
    • Band Theory
    • Warm-ups
    • Scales and Technique
    • Arrangements
    • Sight-Reading
    • Jazz Center
    • Band Games
    • Strings!
    • Recruitment Materials
    • Other Resources
    • Coronastress Relief
    • Posters
    • Clip Art
    • Free Christmas
  • Cinematic Series
    • Complete Warm-Ups Sets
    • Long Tones
    • Flexibility
    • Articulation
    • Scales
    • Page of Patterns
    • Counting
    • Play Alongs
    • Music Humor
  • Me
Picture

Tchaikovsky and Christmas Music

12/7/2014

0 Comments

 
I feel like Tchaikovsky's music for the Nutcracker defined the mechanics of what much of Christmas music is these days. From the harmonies to the orchestration, a hundred years of composers, musicians, and listeners have grown up on that music, and it has clearly infused much of other Christmas music that has been written since. Every time I watch Home Alone (I was a kid in the 90s and have to watch it every year), I feel like John Williams was paying homage to Tchaik. I think what I like most about The Nutcracker, and really just Tchaikovsky, is his immaculate ability to orchestrate. The colors he achieves are glorious. 

I will definitely be listening to plenty of the Nutcracker Suite this holiday season...music I very much believe is the "Christmas" sound. What a great piece of music from a great composer!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    The musings of a composer that also band directs!! ... or maybe it's the other way around..

    Archives

    March 2020
    February 2020
    March 2019
    December 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

the music
Free Resources
Compositions
Instruments
Cinematic Series
Picture
the composer
About
Contact
The Blog
JWPepper Composer Page
  • Start Here
    • Blog
  • Music
    • Concert Band - VE
    • Concert Band - E
    • Concert Band - ME
    • Expandable Chamber Project
    • Marching Band
    • Jazz
    • Chamber Music
    • Christmas/Holiday
  • Instruments
    • Flute
    • Oboe
    • Bassoon
    • Clarinet
    • Saxophone
    • Trumpet
    • Horn
    • Trombone
    • Euphonium
    • Tuba
    • Percussion
  • Free Resources
    • Let's Read Music
    • Band Theory
    • Warm-ups
    • Scales and Technique
    • Arrangements
    • Sight-Reading
    • Jazz Center
    • Band Games
    • Strings!
    • Recruitment Materials
    • Other Resources
    • Coronastress Relief
    • Posters
    • Clip Art
    • Free Christmas
  • Cinematic Series
    • Complete Warm-Ups Sets
    • Long Tones
    • Flexibility
    • Articulation
    • Scales
    • Page of Patterns
    • Counting
    • Play Alongs
    • Music Humor
  • Me