The Waltz of the Flowers music is part of music for The Nutcracker, a two-act ballet with its score composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and its libretto (script/lyrics) adapted from a story by E.T.A Hoffmann called "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King." The ballet itself was premiered on December 18, 1892, at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia—but, surprisingly, was not a success. It took a production by George Balanchine in the 1950s to bring the complete ballet back to regular production on American stages, where it has since become a tradition of the Christmas season.

What has always been popular from this ballet, and remains one of Tchaikovsky's most played works, is the 20-minute Nutcracker Suite, parts Tchaikovsky excerpted from the full ballet score and put together for concert hall performance. Among the most frequently played of the pieces of the Suite is this Waltz of the Flowers. The music brings to mind gracefully swaying flowers in all their glory, with a lush orchestral interpretation and an irresistible 3/4 meter that makes listeners want to dance and hum along. If you've ever seen the movie Fantasia, you'll recognize Waltz of the Flowers as one of its featured numbers; in fact, outside of the waltz from Swan Lake, probably the waltz most people associate with Tchaikovsky the most is Waltz of the Flowers. It has enjoyed various uses and settings in movies, TV, and has even had words set to it for choral performance.
The melody of Waltz of the Flowers is infectious; the imagery is delightful; and these things can make Waltz of the Flowers enjoyable to play at the piano as well. Play it a few times, and you might start thinking that it's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas!

 

Print and Download Complete Waltz of The Flowers Piano Sheet Music