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Historical background:

Apparently, Tchaikovsky was not inspired to finish writing the commissioned music to the Nutcracker ballet until after his sister tragically passed away where he found solace in composing a "musical idealization of his childhood, a mourning nostalgia for happier times with his sister". He spent much time working and staying in the town of Tbilisi, Georgia (the country), where he'd composed the music to Sleepy Beauty. While there, he studied the region's folk music, and this is where the theme to Arabian Dance was borrowed. Tchaikovsky used the melody from a traditional Georgian lullaby that mothers sing to their sick child. It is also said that this melody matches exactly to the spoken rhythm of the text of an Orthodox funeral rite. This very same melody was also borrowed by a contemporary of Tchaikovsky's, Ippolitov-Ivanov.

This year, 2020, this beautiful piece of music and its historical context and background resonates significantly to the nature of the times. Our world has fallen ill, and this is a Mother's lullaby.
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A note from Brett:

Tchaikovsky's, Nutrcracker Suite is one of the earliest and most dear pieces of music that I can vividly remember. My parents took me to see the Jacksonville ballet perform it when I was 7 and they bought me a tape that featured the Nutcracker on side A, with Swan Lake on side B. The Arabian Dance has always particularly stood out by its haunting melody that so sublimely bends between the minor and major resolves.

I spent last Christmas beginning to learn this excerpt, partially transcribing it by ear and also by consulting the original Russian score that I had photocopied from the LA Public Library (that tenor clef was throwing me off!). A week later, I went to say hello to Aaron while he was packing up from his gig at the We Are the West garage. The instruments were still set up while people were milling around, so I took the opportunity to quietly play the Arabian Dance, just to hear its sombre, majestic melody ring and reverberate delicately throughout the whole garage. Aaron dashed from across the room, right up to the bandstand and jumped onto his Wurlitzer, playing the exact accompaniment to the piece. It's not everyday that somebody knows the orchestral reduction to Arabian Dance by memory to just casually jam while a party is winding down! That was special in itself and that was the beginning of this collaboration.

This year, Aaron and I decided to make a project out of recording this piece in our own way, so my dog, Beatrice and I drove up to Ojai a few times to do so. We enjoyed the chance to bond over this very special music that is near and dear to us, and we are very proud of how it's turned out. It is pretty faithful to original while we've taken our own liberties in places. We sincerely hope that you enjoy listening to this as much as we've enjoyed creating it.

Peace, Health and many Blessings,

Aaron, Brett, and Beatrice