Background: The chamber orchestra transcription of the Nutcracker Ballet was commissioned by the Venice Symphony in Florida at the request of the orchestra’s Music Director Troy Quinn, and their Vice President of Artistic Operations Dana Kimble. In order to preserve the canon of symphony orchestra music in America and to lower the cost of presenting these works via chamber orchestras in underserved areas, Michael Drapkin developed a series of methodologies and principles for transcribing major symphonic works. To prove the viability of these methodologies, Drapkin transcribed three major orchestral works for chamber orchestra – Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio Espagnol and Richard Strauss: Salome’s Dance. The Strauss work was particularly challenging and was the ultimate test of his techniques. Those three works were recorded by the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava in the Czech Republic conducted by Mark Laycock, who has conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra and many others. These recordings were released on Naxos – the world’s largest classical record label – by Zarex Corporation. Naxos also submitted Drapkin’s Strauss transcription recording for Grammy consideration. These works have since been performed on three continents. Video recordings of these works may be heard at Drapkin’s website at xb5.com/6. You may also read about Michael Drapkin at xb5.com/1. Drapkin’s other transcriptions may be rented or purchased at bassclarinet.net.
Acknowledgements: Profound gratitude to Quinn, Kimble and the Venice Symphony for commissioning this significant endeavor, which involved 1,500 pages of scores and parts. Special appreciation is extended to the members of the Venice Symphony who diligently proofread their parts and offered valuable suggestions and corrections. Additional thanks go to Joseph Caulkins, Artistic Director of the Key Chorale, for his meticulous proofreading of the score and for conducting its world premiere at the Venice Performing Arts Center on December 8, 2023. Lastly, no acknowledgment would be complete without mentioning my lifelong friend and esteemed colleague, John Bruce Yeh of the Chicago Symphony.
Invitation: Visitors to the Florida Gulf Coast in December are encouraged to experience a live performance of this transcription by the Venice Symphony. Details at The Venice Symphony website.