Never before had Rudolf Nureyev’s world-famous choreography of the “Nutcracker” been performed by the Wiener Staatsballett. The present recording presents Nureyev’s final, 1985 Paris version of the original 1967 choreography for the Royal Swedish Ballet with two magnificent young soloists and the splendid Vienna corps de ballet. With its accent on the psychological contents of the work’s underlying tale, Nureyev’s choreography is truly revolutionary. Many formerly stereotyped characters are now transformed into flesh-and-blood figures who infuse the work with wit and lightness.