The Nutcracker Suite*

5c 1940 Leopold Stokowski — an interpretation by Walt Disney Notes In Fantasia, Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra perform an interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Unlike the traditional ballet, Walt Disney’s version visualizes the suite as a series of enchanting, nature-inspired vignettes, showcasing animated fairies, flowers, mushrooms, and fish dancing in rhythm with Tchaikovsky’s music. Disney’s interpretation diverges from the ballet’s Christmas storyline, instead capturing the magical qualities of each piece through imaginative animations—like the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” represented by delicate fairies and “Waltz of the Flowers” depicted with blooming, twirling blossoms. This segment exemplifies Disney’s aim in Fantasia to pair music with visuals that evoke a mood and tell a story without words, celebrating the emotional depth of classical music through animation. Description Yellow cloth-backed pictorial paper-covered boards wi