This historic 1968 Covent Garden production of Tchaikovsky's ballet masterpiece captures Rudolf Nureyev at the peak of his career. Nureyev's legendary performance makes this the definitive Nutcracker on video. Also features Merle Park as Clara, with Artists of the Royal Ballet, London.
Rudolf Nureyev staged The Nutcracker for the first time in November 1967 for the Royal Swedish Ballet following the request of Erick Bruhn. This version was to be revived several times in London, Milan, Buenos Aires and Berlin.
The original libretto by Alexandre Dumas was completely revised by Nureyev who gave his version of The Nutcracker a psychoanalytic dimension: Drosselmeyer and the Prince are one and the same person, representing the ideal man dreamt up by the heroine, ready to leave her childhood and become a teenager.