Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer of the romantic period, whose works are among the most popular music in the classical repertoire. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally, bolstered by his appearances as a guest conductor in Europe and the United States.

Tchaikovsky wrote many works that are popular with the classical music public, including his Romeo and Juliet, the 1812 Overture, his three ballets (The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty) and Marche Slave. These, along with his First Piano Concerto and his Violin Concerto, the last three of his six numbered symphonies and his operas The Queen of Spadesand Eugene Onegin, are among his most familiar works.

The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky made a selection of eight of the numbers from the ballet, forming The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a, intended for concert performance. The Nutcracker Suite should not be mistaken for the complete ballet. The images and links below represents the selection and sequence of the Nutcracker Suite culled by the composer.