In a historic, multi-continent collaboration, the world-renowned Astana Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the esteemed Maestro Abzal Mukhitdinov, has united with NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet to create an unparalleled recording of Tchaikovsky’s beloved score. This monumental project showcases the largest orchestra ever assembled for a Nutcracker recording, featuring 80 world-class musicians and the rare inclusion of two harps. The recorded symphony will serve as the enchanting accompaniment to the production’s 32nd annual tour, offering audiences a truly extraordinary sonic experience.
The international scope and technical precision of this recording lends itself to a truly groundbreaking collaboration. Conducted live, the recording was broadcast to Brooklyn’s Greylock Studios, where renowned American sound engineer Ben Talmi, recently featured in NISSAN auto TV commercials during the Paris Olympics, oversaw sound quality control.
In ballet orchestration, it is crucial that the tempo of any given section be perfectly paced such that the artists on stage can physically dance in time with the music. To accomplish this ambitious goal the collaboration extended further, with Greylock Studios linking live to Poland for NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet’s Ukrainian prima ballerina Elena Pecheniuk. Simultaneously a connection was established with NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet co-prima ballerina Karyna Shatkovskaya also a Ukrainian Prima. This four-way live link ensured optimal artistic, tempo, sound fidelity, and technical compatibility.
Under the direction of renowned composer, Maestro Abzal Mukhitdinov, the 80-member orchestra delivered a sonorous and full-bodied performance, distinguished by its fidelity to Tchaikovsky’s original orchestration. The famous “Sugarplum” pas de deux love duet has been given special attention, with unique tempi tailored to the interpretations of each prima ballerina.
The NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet tour will take this groundbreaking recording on the road, performing in 90 cities across the United States from November through December 2024. With more than 200,000 patrons expected to attend, audiences in cities such as Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Detroit, Minneapolis, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, St. Louis, Miami, and Boston will have an opportunity to take in this unique multi continent artistic collaboration.
The tour’s production is overseen by Dan Talmi of Talmi Entertainment, brother of sound engineer Ben Talmi, making this a family endeavor that marries cutting-edge sound engineering with world-class ballet. This project marks a new chapter in the evolution of live NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet performances, bringing together the talents of four nations, 80 musicians, two prima ballerinas, and the technical expertise of Greylock Studios.
Experience the future of Nutcracker performances with NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet, a tour unlike any other.
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