March from The Nutcracker is a composition by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky written between 1891 and 1892. The piece was originally written for the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (also known as “Valse des flocons de neige”) in Act II of The Nutcracker, a ballet which was first produced to great success at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on March 6, 1892.
The March is written for an enlarged symphonic orchestra with piccolo, two flutes (second doubling third flute), two oboes, English horn, two clarinets in A, two bassoons; four horns in F, three trumpets in C, three trombones (two tenor and bass), tuba; a percussion section with timpani and triangle; harp; and strings. March from The Nutcracker is one of the most entertaining and exciting pieces for band written to this day. March from The Nutcracker is a great piece that can be used for any occasion; however, March from The Nutcracker would work best as a period piece or for patriotic purposes.
