What is the best Blu-ray of the Nutcracker ballet? Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker is probably the most popular ballet in history as it has become an integral part of the Christmas season, especially in the United States, where it is performed by virtually every ballet school and company in the nation. The classic ballet line was created by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa in 1892. At a Christmas party, young Clara (Masha in Russia) is thrilled by the gift of a nutcracker doll in the form of a toy-soldier. Falling asleep, Clara has a glorious dream of adventure and love with a handsome Prince. There are many variations on this coming-of-age theme. In recent years, choreographers also have started remixing the story in fantastic and even controversial versions aimed at adult art lovers.
In December 2019, we counted 14 high-quality Nutcracker Blu-rays! You can find full reviews with screenshots on all of them on our Alphalist.
Here are our picks for the very best Nutcracker discs for kids (of all ages):
San Francisco Ballet. A+. 2009. Opus Arte.
Dutch National Ballet. A+. 2013. Arthaus. Note: There was long a $10 bargain version of this title. See if it’s still in stock.
Wiener Staatsoper. A+. 2014. C Major.
“Mature” Nutcrackers include:
Mariinsky. C+. 2008. Decca. Masha as slut.
Ballet national de Paris. Iolanta/Nutcracker. A-. 2018. BelAir. Wild and challenging mashup of a Tchaikovsky opera and the ballet.
Zürich Ballet, Nutcracker & Mouse King. A+. 2019. Accentus. The closest version we have to the original story by E.T.A. Hoffman with emphasis on weird fantasy rather than just a fairy tale.
Finally, there are 8 runner-ups, including 3 versions of the slightly shopworn Peter Wright production at the Royal Ballet. Many of these will appeal to certain fans. But strangely, none of the Russian Blu-rays are competitive in this rich field of titles.