Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker march is part of the classical Nutcracker Suite, a children's tale and ballet, usually played at Christmas time because the story revolves around a Christmas eve dream of a young girl about all her toys coming alive, and a nutcracker becoming a handsome prince. The music begins in a festive manner, with a lively pace, and a variety of instruments used to symbolize the cacophony of people and events taking place as the xmas party at the house gets under way, with guests arriving and gifts exchanged. The young girl of the house, Clara, receives a special gift of a nutcracker shaped like a toy soldier. One of the boys is angry that he did not get such a gift, and thrown it on the floor in anger, reflected in the violent tones of he music. The nutcracker is bandaged up and put to rest under the tree. The music then becomes calm and peaceful, with the strings predominant, as guests depart and Clara goes to bed. When she goes to sleep, she dreams the toys all come alive, and the nutcracker becomes a handsome prince, leading the toy soldiers to defeat the evil King Mouse. The Nutcracker March is the March of the toy soldiers as they go off to fight the Mouse King. It is bold, striking music, with a very distinctive rhythm and pace, with drums and the brass section coming in. After the mouse is defeated, Clara and the Prince fly off to the Land of the Sweets, ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy. Another distinctive piece in the Nutcracker Suite is the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, which has a very distinctive rhythm and timing, with the flute and the oboe coming in, as she entertains her guests with a dance. All the music in this sequence is very quiet and calming, and very gentle, in contrast to the bustling music at the beginning at the xmas party, and the strident marching and battle scenes as the toy soldiers fought the mice. It gives the sense of a winding down, with all the high energy expended in the beg...