Nutcracker

Suddenly overcome with an intense need for new Christmas music, i jumped on itunes and ravenously gathered together songs for a new collection. It was an itunes binge-search.  I sometimes searched for specific renditions but sometimes i'd just type in a song and see which version was best.  At one point I thought to myself, I should have a piece from Nutcracker in my new mixed tape of Christmas awesomeness, so I typed in Nutcracker and i quickly realized that I had to have them all!  Ok, not ALL all, but at least 5.  The Chinese dance, the Russian dance, of course the Sugarplum Fairy dance. The March of the Soldiers which i think is the main theme. Each one said, This is Christmas and if you don't include me, then all of your attempts to celebrate it are NULL!   Each. one.   And that got me thinking:  How long have I been listening to Nutcracker music, or how many times have I listened to it and not realized what it was? How many times does it take for it to truly mean Christmas for me?  Because it's not like I see the play every year. I saw it when I was small and then again a couple of years ago.  What's going on here? Why do they speak so strongly of Christmas to me?

I have two theories: 

1) That they are on every mixed Christmas CD collection i've ever listened to, and every Christmas movie I've ever seen.  And I happen to be listening to them or watching the movies when I am doing other Christmasy things so as to heighten the Christmas spirit and make a lasting impact on my Christmas memories and associations.

or 2) That that evil wizard Tchaikovsky somehow recorded subliminal messages into the score and those messages brainwashed me when I heard each of those songs.  I can totally see him working in his basement, or perhaps his 3rd floor musical study in a tower (I always dream of writing music high up in a tower. why? I don't know, but i picture this:

  )

being like, I will show them. Anyone who ever listens to this will be eternally unable to properly celebrate Christmas without me!  It sounds a bit sinister, and perhaps a little blasphemous, but whatever it is, he's done it.  

Anyway, go test my theories.  I dare you to tell me you could only choose just one theme.

To pay tribute to this fact, today Sean and Julian and I are heading up to see a condensed, kid-geared version of the ballet because the music tells me that I must.  Merry Tchaikovskymas!