Composer Lior Rosner Discusses His New Holiday Album 'Sugar Plum on the Run'

Its officially the holiday season and what a better way to celebrate then listening to one of the most famous holiday themes, “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. This year a new holiday Sugar Plum story was just released by Sony Music titled Sugar Plum on the Run. The album, composed by Lior Rosner and narrated by Jeremy Irons, features the iconic “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” along with a new set of variations on Tchaikovsky's famous Dance. Rosner says "I composed a set of eight variations that paid homage to the tradition of Russian music, imagining what would have happened if all my favorite Russian composers were each commissioned to write a variation on Tchaikovsky's theme." Below Rosner goes more in depth about creating Sugar Plum on the Run, as well as working on NBC’s Will and Grace. You can listen to the album here, https://sonyclassical.lnk.to/SugarPlumOnTheRun.

- is the perfect holiday story for families to listen to around a fire. Was this what you intended it to be when you began making? Sugar Plum on the Run

Originally, I thought it would be just an instrumental piece. After I finished, I started naming the variations and realized there was a story here. So we then came up with the story that the music was trying to tell. It was kind of reverse engineering.

-When you were initially writing , was it at all different then what the final product ended up being? Sugar Plum on the Run

Originally when I wrote it, I didn’t think it would be a narrated piece. It was just instrumental. Then we brought in Jeremy Irons to narrate the story.

-You incorporated some of Tchaikovsky’s themes in this project. Was it hard to get clearances for this? What was that process like? Nutcracker

No, he has been gone for a long time.

-On the track list some of the songs are with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and some aren’t. How did you decide which tracks were going to be with them and which ones were only you?

 All the tracks were actually with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It was a real treat to work with them on this project.

-You say that holiday specials had a big impact on you when you moved to the states. Besides The Nutcracker, what other holiday/Christmas stories had a big impact on you?

I think more of the classic American songs from films. Mostly stuff that was recorded in the 40s and 50s. Like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald. Natalie Cole.

-You also are currently scoring NBC’s with Scott Icenogle, obviously a lot different project than Sugar Plum on the Run. What has been a big highlight for you scoring that series? Will and Grace

Just being part of this iconic show, that was a thrill. I was a fan of the show when it first began many years ago.

-Do you find yourself using certain instruments more than others on ? If so, what are those? The sound of the show was established with the original composer. Will and Grace

We definitely use percussion and piano a lot. For specialty cues, it just depends on what the scene needs.

-This is the final season of , what are you going to miss most about working on that show?Will and Grace

I am going to miss working with all the creatives on the show.