Rozhdestvensky conducts Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker“ Act 2 (excerpts)

The great Russian conductor Gennadi Rozhdestvensky was engaged on a 3-year contract, 1978-1981, as the Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Among many memorable concerts were several that were filmed for television and here are some excerpts from one such programme, given at a Proms Concert in London’s Royal Albert Hall in July 1981. He featured the entire 2nd Act of Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker“ and from it are selected the Trepak, Dance of the Reed-pipes, Waltz of the Flowers and Apotheose. They illustrate his remarkable and highly personal, but always fascinating, conducting style. (From an ’ICA Classics’ DVD - Catalogue No. ICAD 5027.)