Swan Lake Explained

Swan Lake
Choreographer:Julius Reisinger
Composer:Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Premiere:4 March [O.S. 20 February] 1877
Place:Moscow
Ballet Company:Bolshoi Ballet
Genre:Classical ballet

Swan Lake (Russian: Лебеди́ное о́зеро|r=Lebedínoje ózero|p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə|link=no), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failure, it is now one of the most popular of all ballets.[1]

The scenario, initially in two acts, was fashioned from Russian and German folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger (Václav Reisinger). The ballet was premiered by the Bolshoi Ballet on [2] [3] at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Although it is presented in many different versions, most ballet companies base their stagings both choreographically and musically on the 1895 revival of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, first staged for the Imperial Ballet on 15 January 1895, at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. For this revival, Tchaikovsky's score was revised by the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatre's chief conductor and composer Riccardo Drigo.[4]

History

Origins of the ballet

There is no evidence to prove who wrote the original libretto, or where the idea for the plot came from. Russian and German folk tales have been proposed as possible sources, including "The Stolen Veil" by Johann Karl August Musäus, but both those tales differ significantly from the ballet.[5]

One theory is that the original choreographer, Julius Reisinger, who was a Bohemian (and therefore likely to be familiar with "The Stolen Veil"), created the story.[6] Another theory is that it was written by Vladimir Petrovich Begichev, director of the Moscow Imperial Theatres at the time, possibly with Vasily Geltser, danseur of the Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Theatre (a surviving copy of the libretto bears his name). Since the first published libretto does not correspond with Tchaikovsky's music in many places, one theory is that the first published version was written by a journalist after viewing initial rehearsals (new opera and ballet productions were always reported in the newspapers, along with their respective scenarios).

Some contemporaries of Tchaikovsky recalled the composer taking great interest in the life story of Bavarian King Ludwig II, whose life had supposedly been marked by the sign of Swan and could have been the prototype of the dreamer Prince Siegfried.[7]

Begichev commissioned the score of Swan Lake from Tchaikovsky in May 1875 for 800 rubles. Tchaikovsky worked with only a basic outline from Julius Reisinger of the requirements for each dance. Unlike the instructions for the scores of The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, none of the original written instruction was thought to have survived. Most of what scholars knew about information such as choreography came from gossip and reviews of the performance.[8] However, rehearsal notes dating as early as 1876 have been recently discovered in the Institute for Art Studies in Moscow, revealing more information about what the original 1877 production may have looked like.[9]

Tchaikovsky's influences

From around the time of the turn of the 19th century until the beginning of the 1890s, scores for ballets were almost always written by composers known as "specialists" who were highly skilled at scoring the light, decorative, melodious, and rhythmically clear music that was at that time in vogue for ballet. Tchaikovsky studied the music of "specialists" such as the Italian Cesare Pugni and the Austrian Ludwig Minkus, before setting to work on Swan Lake.

Tchaikovsky had a rather negative opinion of the "specialist" ballet music until he studied it in detail, being impressed by the nearly limitless variety of infectious melodies their scores contained. Tchaikovsky most admired the ballet music of such composers as Léo Delibes, Adolphe Adam, and later, Riccardo Drigo. He would later write to his protégé, the composer Sergei Taneyev, "I listened to the Delibes ballet Sylvia ... what charm, what elegance, what wealth of melody, rhythm, and harmony. I was ashamed, for if I had known of this music then, I would not have written Swan Lake." Tchaikovsky most admired Adam's 1844 score for Giselle, which used the Leitmotif technique: associating certain themes with certain characters or moods, a technique he would use in Swan Lake and, later, The Sleeping Beauty.

Tchaikovsky drew on previous compositions for his Swan Lake score. According to two of Tchaikovsky's relatives – his nephew Yuri Lvovich Davydov and his niece Anna Meck-Davydova – the composer had earlier created a little ballet called The Lake of the Swans at their home in 1871. This ballet included the famous Leitmotif, the "Swan's Theme" or "Song of the Swans". He also made use of material from The Voyevoda, an opera he had abandoned in 1868. Another number which included a theme from The Voyevoda was the Entr'acte of the fourth scene and the opening of the Finale (Act IV, No. 29). The Grand adage (a.k.a. the "Love Duet") from the second scene of Swan Lake was fashioned from the final love duet from his opera Undina, abandoned in 1873.

By April 1876 the score was complete, and rehearsals began. Soon Reisinger began setting certain numbers aside that he dubbed "undanceable". Reisinger even began choreographing dances to other composers' music, but Tchaikovsky protested and his pieces were reinstated. Although the two artists were required to collaborate, each seemed to prefer working as independently of the other as possible. At times, Tchaikovsky actually ended up turning to Alina Bryullova, a family acquaintance, for advice on how he should write music for ballet; she later recalled that due to her lack of expertise she "could give him practically no advice."[10]

Composition process

Tchaikovsky's excitement with Swan Lake is evident from the speed with which he composed: commissioned in the spring of 1875, the piece was created within one year. His letters to Sergei Taneyev from August 1875 indicate, however, that it was not only his excitement that compelled him to create it so quickly but his wish to finish it as soon as possible, so as to allow him to start on an opera. Respectively, he created scores of the first three numbers of the ballet, then the orchestration in the fall and winter, and was still struggling with the instrumentation in the spring. By April 1876, the work was complete. Tchaikovsky's mention of a draft suggests the presence of some sort of abstract but no such draft has ever been seen. Tchaikovsky wrote various letters to friends expressing his longstanding desire to work with this type of music, and his excitement concerning his current stimulating, albeit laborious task.

Performance history

Moscow première (world première)

St. Petersburg première

Other notable productions

Original interpreters

RoleMoscow 1877Moscow 1880St. Petersburg 1895Moscow 1901London 1911
QueenOlga NikolayevaGiuseppina Cecchetti
SiegfriedVictor GillertAlfred BekefiPavel GerdtMikhail MordkinVaslav Nijinsky
BennoSergey NikitinAleksandr Oblakov
WolfgangWilhelm WannerGillert
OdettePelageya KarpakovaYevdokiya KalmїkovaPierina LegnaniAdelaide GiuriMathilde Kschessinska
Von RothbartSergey SokolovAleksey BulgakovK. Kubakin
OdilePelageya KarpakovaPierina LegnaniMathilde Kschessinska

Original production of 1877

The première on 4 March 1877 was given as a benefit performance for the ballerina Pelageya Karpakova (also known as Polina Karpakova), who performed the role of Odette, with première danseur Victor Gillert as Prince Siegfried. Karpakova may also have danced the part Odile, although it is believed the ballet originally called for two different dancers. It is now common practice for the same ballerina to dance both Odette and Odile.

The Russian ballerina Anna Sobeshchanskaya was originally cast as Odette, but was replaced when a governing official in Moscow complained about her, claiming she had accepted jewelry from him, only to then marry a fellow danseur and sell the pieces for cash.

The première was not well received. Though there were a few critics who recognised the virtues of the score, most considered it to be far too complicated for ballet. It was labelled "too noisy, too 'Wagnerian' and too symphonic."[12] The critics also thought Reisinger's choreography was "unimaginative and altogether unmemorable."[12] The German origins of the story were "treated with suspicion while the tale itself was regarded as 'stupid' with unpronounceable surnames for its characters." Karpakova was a secondary soloist and "not particularly convincing." Yet the fact remains (and is too often omitted in accounts of this initial production) that this staging survived for six years with a total of 41 performances – many more than several other ballets from the repertoire of this theatre.

Tchaikovsky pas de deux 1877

On 26 April 1877, Anna Sobeshchanskaya made her début as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, and from the start, she was completely dissatisfied with the ballet. Sobeshchanskaya asked Marius Petipa—Premier Maître de Ballet of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres—to choreograph a pas de deux to replace the pas de six in the third act (for a ballerina to request a supplemental pas or variation was standard practice in 19th-century ballet, and often these "custom-made" dances were the legal property of the ballerina they were composed for).

Petipa created the pas de deux to music by Ludwig Minkus, ballet composer to the St Petersburg Imperial Theatres. The piece was a standard pas de deux classique consisting of a short entrée, the grand adage, a variation for each dancer individually, and a coda.

Tchaikovsky was angered by this change, stating that whether the ballet was good or bad, he alone should be held responsible for its music. He agreed to compose a new pas de deux, but soon a problem arose: Sobeshchanskaya wanted to retain Petipa's choreography. Tchaikovsky agreed to compose a pas de deux that would match to such a degree, the ballerina would not even be required to rehearse. Sobeshchanskaya was so pleased with Tchaikovsky's new music, she requested he compose an additional variation, which he did.

Until 1953 this pas de deux was thought to be lost, until a repétiteur score was accidentally found in the archives of the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre, among orchestral parts for Alexander Gorsky's revival of Le Corsaire (Gorsky had included the piece in his version of Le Corsaire staged in 1912). In 1960 George Balanchine choreographed a pas de deux to this music for Violette Verdy and Conrad Ludlow, performed at the City Center of Music and Drama in New York City as Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux,[13] as it is still known and performed today.

Subsequent productions 1879–1894

Julius Reisinger's successor as balletmaster was Joseph Peter Hansen. Hansen made considerable efforts to salvage Swan Lake and on 13 January 1880 he presented a new production of the ballet for his own benefit performance. The part of Odette/Odile was danced by Evdokia Kalmykova, a student of the Moscow Imperial Ballet School, with Alfred Bekefi as Prince Siegfried. This production was better received than the original, but by no means a great success. Hansen presented another version of Swan Lake on 28 October 1882, again with Kalmykova as Odette/Odile. For this production Hansen arranged a Grand Pas for the ballroom scene which he titled La Cosmopolitana. This was taken from the European section of the Grand Pas d'action known as The Allegory of the Continents from Marius Petipa's 1875 ballet The Bandits to the music of Ludwig Minkus. Hansen's version of Swan Lake was given only four times, the final performance being on 2 January 1883, and soon the ballet was dropped from the repertory altogether.

In all, Swan Lake was performed 41 times between its première and the final performance of 1883 – a rather lengthy run for a ballet that was so poorly received upon its première. Hansen became Balletmaster to the Alhambra Theatre in London and on 1 December 1884 he presented a one-act ballet titled The Swans, which was inspired by the second scene of Swan Lake. The music was composed by the Alhambra Theatre's chef d'orchestre Georges Jacoby.

The second scene of Swan Lake was then presented on 21 February in Prague by the Ballet of the National Theatre in a version mounted by the Balletmaster August Berger. The ballet was given during two concerts which were conducted by Tchaikovsky. The composer noted in his diary that he experienced "a moment of absolute happiness" when the ballet was performed. Berger's production followed the 1877 libretto, though the names of Prince Siegfried and Benno were changed to Jaroslav and Zdeňek, with the rôle of Benno danced by a female dancer en travestie. The rôle of Prince Siegfried was danced by Berger himself with the ballerina Giulietta Paltriniera-Bergrova as Odette. Berger's production was only given eight performances and was even planned for production at the Fantasia Garden in Moscow in 1893, but it never materialised.

Petipa–Ivanov–Drigo revival of 1895

See main article: Swan Lake (1895).

During the late 1880s and early 1890s, Petipa and Vsevolozhsky discussed with Tchaikovsky the possibility of reviving Swan Lake.[14] However, Tchaikovsky died on 6 November 1893,[15] just when plans to revive Swan Lake were beginning to come to fruition. It remains uncertain whether Tchaikovsky was prepared to revise the music for this revival. Whatever the case, as a result of Tchaikovsky's death, Riccardo Drigo revised the score, after receiving approval from Tchaikovsky's younger brother, Modest. There are major differences between Drigo's and Tchaikovsky's scores. Today, it is Drigo's revision, and not Tchaikovsky's original score of 1877, that most ballet companies use.In February 1894, two memorial concerts planned by Vsevolozhsky were given in honor of Tchaikovsky. The production included the second act of Swan Lake, choreographed by Lev Ivanov, Second Balletmaster to the Imperial Ballet. The turnout for the revival concert was not as great as anticipated due to the mixed program as well as higher-than-usual ticket prices, leaving the theater hall half-empty. Despite the small audience, Ivanov's choreography for the memorial concert was unanimously praised by critics, and audiences received the concert with praise.[16]

The revival of Swan Lake was planned for Pierina Legnani's benefit performance in the 1894–1895 season. The death of Tsar Alexander III on 1 November 1894 and the ensuing period of official mourning brought all ballet performances and rehearsals to a close for some time, and as a result all efforts could be concentrated on the pre-production of the full revival of Swan Lake. Ivanov and Petipa collaborated on the production, with Ivanov retaining his dances for the second act while choreographing the fourth, with Petipa staging the first and third acts.

Modest Tchaikovsky was called upon to make changes to the ballet's libretto, including the character of Odette changing from a fairy swan-maiden into a cursed mortal woman, the ballet's villain changing from Odette's stepmother to the magician von Rothbart, and the ballet's finale: instead of the lovers simply drowning at the hand of Odette's stepmother as in the original 1877 scenario, Odette dies by drowning herself, with Prince Siegfried choosing to die as well, rather than live without her, and soon the lovers' spirits are reunited in an apotheosis. Aside from the revision of the libretto the ballet was changed from four acts to three—with act 2 becoming act 1, scene 2.

All was ready by the beginning of 1895 and the ballet had its première on 27 January. Pierina Legnani danced Odette/Odile, with Pavel Gerdt as Prince Siegfried, Alexei Bulgakov as Rothbart, and Alexander Oblakov as Benno. Most of the reviews in the St. Petersburg newspapers were positive.

Unlike the première of The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake did not dominate the repertory of the Mariinsky Theatre in its first season. It was given only sixteen performances between the première and the 1895–1896 season, and was not performed at all in 1897. Even more surprising, the ballet was performed only four times in 1898 and 1899. The ballet belonged solely to Legnani until she left St. Petersburg for her native Italy in 1901. After her departure, the ballet was taken over by Mathilde Kschessinskaya, who was as much celebrated in the rôle as was her Italian predecessor.

Later productions

Throughout the performance history of Swan Lake, the 1895 edition has served as the version on which most stagings have been based. Nearly every balletmaster or choreographer who has re-staged Swan Lake has made modifications to the ballet's scenario, while still maintaining much of the traditional choreography for the dances, which is regarded as virtually sacrosanct. Likewise, over time the rôle of Siegfried has become more prominent, due largely to the evolution of ballet technique.

In 1922, Finnish National Ballet was the first European company that staged a complete production of the ballet. By the time Swan Lake premiered in Helsinki in 1922, it had only ever been performed by Russian and Czech ballet groups, and only visiting Russian ballet groups had brought it to Western Europe.[17]

In 1940, the San Francisco Ballet became the first American company to stage a complete production of Swan Lake. The enormously successful production starred Lew Christensen as Prince Siegfried, Jacqueline Martin as Odette, and Janet Reed as Odile. Willam Christensen based his choreography on the Petipa–Ivanov production, turning to San Francisco's large population of Russian émigrés, headed by Princess and Prince Vasili Alexandrovich of Russia, to help him ensure that the production succeeded in its goal of preserving Russian culture in San Francisco.[18]

Several notable productions have diverged from the original and its 1895 revival:

Instrumentation

Swan Lake is scored for the typical late 19th-century large orchestra:

Roles

Variations to characters

By 1895, Benno von Sommerstern had become just "Benno", and Odette "Queen of the Swans". Also Baron von Stein, his wife, and Freiherr von Schwarzfels and his wife were no longer identified on the program. The sovereign or ruling Princess is often rendered "Queen Mother".

The character of Rothbart (sometimes spelled Rotbart) has been open to many interpretations. The reason for his curse upon Odette is unknown; several versions, including two feature films, have suggested reasons, but none is typically explained by the ballet. He is rarely portrayed in human form, except in act 3. He is usually shown as an owl-like creature. In most productions, the couple's sacrifice results in his destruction. However, there are versions in which he is triumphant. Yury Grigorovich's version, which has been danced for several decades by the Bolshoi Ballet, is noted for including both endings: Rothbart was defeated in the original 1969 version, in line with Soviet-era expectations of an upbeat conclusion,[27] but in the 2001 revision, Rothbart plays a wicked game of fate with Siegfried, which he wins at the end, causing Siegfried to lose everything. In the second American Ballet Theatre production of Swan Lake, he is portrayed by two dancers: a young, handsome one who lures Odette to her doom in the prologue, and a reptilian creature. In this version, the lovers' suicide inspires the rest of Rothbart's imprisoned swans to turn on him and overcome his spell.

Odile, Rothbart's daughter usually wears jet black (though in the 1895 production, she did not), and appears only in act 3. In most modern productions, she is portrayed as Odette's exact double (though the resemblance is because of Rothbart's magic), and therefore Siegfried cannot be blamed for believing her to be Odette. There is a suggestion that in the original production, Odette and Odile were danced by two different ballerinas. This is also the case in some avant garde productions.

Synopsis

Swan Lake is generally presented in either four acts, four scenes (primarily outside Russia and Eastern Europe) or three acts, four scenes (primarily in Russia and Eastern Europe). The biggest difference of productions all over the world is that the ending, originally tragic, is now sometimes altered to a happy ending.

Prologue

Some productions include a prologue that shows how Odette first meets Rothbart, who turns Odette into a swan.

Act 1

A magnificent park before a palace

[Scène: Allegro giusto] Prince Siegfried is celebrating his birthday with his tutor, friends, and peasants [Waltz]. The revelries are interrupted by his mother, the Queen [Scène: Allegro moderato], who is concerned about his carefree lifestyle. She tells him that he must choose a bride at the royal ball the following evening (some productions include the presentation of some possible candidates). He is upset that he cannot marry for love. His friend, Benno, and the tutor try to lift his troubled mood. As evening falls [''Sujet''], Benno sees a flock of swans flying overhead and suggests they go on a hunt [Finale I]. Siegfried and his friends take their crossbows and set off in pursuit of the swans.

Act 2

A lakeside clearing in a forest by the ruins of a chapel. A moonlit night.

Siegfried has become separated from his friends. He arrives at the lakeside clearing, just as a flock of swans land [Scène. Moderato]. He aims his crossbow [Scène. Allegro moderato], but freezes when one of them transforms into a beautiful maiden named Odette [Scène. Moderato]. At first, she is terrified of him. When he promises not to harm her, she explains that she and her companions are victims of a spell cast by the evil owl-like sorcerer named Rothbart. By day they are turned into swans and only at night, by the side of the enchanted lake – created from the tears of Odette's mother – do they return to human form. The spell can only be broken if one who has never loved before swears to love Odette forever. Rothbart suddenly appears [Scène. Allegro vivo]. Siegfried threatens to kill him but Odette intercedes – if he dies before the spell is broken, it can never be undone.

As Rothbart disappears, the swan maidens fill the clearing [Scène: Allegro, Moderato assai quasi andante]. Siegfried breaks his crossbow, and sets about winning Odette's trust as they fall in love. But as dawn arrives, the evil spell draws Odette and her companions back to the lake and they are turned into swans again.

Act 3

An opulent hall in the palace

Guests arrive at the palace for a costume ball. Six princesses are presented to the prince [Entrance of the Guests and Waltz], as candidates for marriage. Rothbart arrives in disguise [Scène: Allegro, Allegro giusto] with his daughter, Odile, who is transformed to look like Odette. Though the princesses try to attract Siegfried with their dances [Pas de six], he has eyes only for Odile. [Scène: Allegro, Tempo di valse, Allegro vivo] Odette appears at the castle window and attempts to warn him, but he does not see her. He then proclaims to the court that he will marry Odile before Rothbart shows him a magical vision of Odette. Grief-stricken and realizing his mistake (he vowed only to love Odette), he hurries back to the lake.

Act 4

By the lakeside

Odette is distraught. The swan maidens try to comfort her. Siegfried returns to the lake and makes a passionate apology. She forgives him, but his betrayal cannot be undone. Rather than remain a swan forever, she chooses to die. He chooses to die with her and they leap into the lake, where they will stay together forever. This breaks Rothbart's spell over the swan maidens, causing him to lose his power over them and he dies. In an apotheosis, they, who transform back into regular maidens, watch as Siegfried and Odette ascend into the Heavens together, forever united in love.

1877 libretto synopsis

Act 1

Prince Siegfried, his friends, and a group of peasants are celebrating his coming of age. His mother arrives to inform him she wishes for him to marry soon so she may make sure he does not disgrace their family line by his marriage. She has organized a ball where he is to choose his bride from among the daughters of the nobility. After the celebration, he and his friend, Benno, spot a flock of flying swans and decide to hunt them.

Act 2

Siegfried and Benno track the swans to a lake, but they vanish. A woman wearing a crown appears and meets them. She tells them her name is Odette and she was one of the swans they were hunting. She tells them her story: her mother, a good fairy, had married a knight, but she died and he remarried. Odette's stepmother is a witch who wanted to kill her, but her grandfather saved her. He had cried so much over her mother's death, he created the lake with his tears. She and her companions live in it with him, and can transform themselves into swans whenever they wish. Her stepmother still wants to kill her and stalks her in the form of an owl, but she has a crown which protects her from harm. When she gets married, her stepmother will lose the power to harm her. Siegfried falls in love with her but she fears her stepmother will ruin their happiness.

Act 3

Several young noblewomen dance at Siegfried's ball, but he refuses to marry any of them. Baron von Rothbart and his daughter, Odile, arrive. Siegfried thinks Odile looks like Odette, but Benno does not agree. He dances with her as he grows more and more enamored of her, and eventually agrees to marry her. At that moment, Rothbart transforms into a demon, Odile laughs, and a white swan wearing a crown appears in the window. Siegfried runs out of the castle.

Act 4

In tears, Odette tells her friends Siegfried did not keep his vow of love. Seeing him coming, they leave and urge her to go with them, but she wants to see him one last time. A storm begins. He enters and begs her for forgiveness. She refuses and attempts to leave. He snatches the crown from her head and throws it in the lake, saying, "Willing or unwilling, you will always remain with me!" The owl flies overhead, carrying the crown away. "What have you done? I am dying!" Odette says, and falls into his arms. The lake rises from the storm and drowns them. The storm quiets, and a group of swans appears on the lake.

Alternative endings

Many different endings exist, ranging from romantic to tragic.

Structure

Tchaikovsky's original score (including additions for the original 1877 production),[35] which differs from the score as revised by Riccardo Drigo for the revival of Petipa and Ivanov that is still used by most ballet companies, corresponds to this layout. The titles for each number are from the original published score. Some of the numbers are titled simply as musical indications, those that are not are translated from their original French titles.

Act 1

Introduction: Moderato assai – Allegro non-troppo – Tempo I

No. 1 Scène: Allegro giusto

No. 2 Waltz: Tempo di valse

No. 3 Scène: Allegro moderato

No. 4 Pas de trois

1. Intrada (or Entrée): Allegro

2. Andante sostenuto

3. Allegro semplice, Presto

4. Moderato

5. Allegro

6. Coda: Allegro vivace

No. 5 Pas de deux for Two Merry-makers (later fashioned into the Black Swan Pas de Deux)

1. Tempo di valse ma non troppo vivo, quasi moderato

2. Andante – Allegro

3. Tempo di valse

4. Coda: Allegro molto vivace

No. 6 Pas d'action: Andantino quasi moderato – Allegro

No. 7 Sujet (Introduction to the Dance with Goblets)

No. 8 Dance with Goblets: Tempo di polacca

No. 9 Finale: Sujet, Andante

Act 2

No. 10 Scène: Moderato

No. 11 Scène: Allegro moderato, Moderato, Allegro vivo

No. 12 Scène: Allegro, Moderato assai quasi andante

No. 13 Dances of the Swans

1. Tempo di valse

2. Moderato assai

3. Tempo di valse

4. Allegro moderato (later the famous Dance of the Little Swans)

5. Pas d'action: Andante, Andante non-troppo, Allegro (material borrowed from Undina)

6. Tempo di valse

7. Coda: Allegro vivo

No. 14 Scène: Moderato

Act 3

No. 15 Scène: March – Allegro giusto

No. 16 Ballabile: Dance of the Corps de Ballet and the Dwarves: Moderato assai, Allegro vivo

No. 17 Entrance of the Guests and Waltz: Allegro, Tempo di valse

No. 18 Scène: Allegro, Allegro giusto

No. 19 Pas de six

1. Intrada (or Entrée): Moderato assai

2. Variation 1: Allegro

3. Variation 2: Andante con moto (likely used as an adage after the Intrada but either composed inadvertently or published after the first variation)

4. Variation 3: Moderato

5. Variation 4: Allegro

6. Variation 5: Moderato, Allegro semplice

7. Grand Coda: Allegro molto

Appendix I – Pas de deux pour Mme. Anna Sobeshchanskaya (from the original music by Ludwig Minkus and later choreographed by George Balanchine as the Tchaikovsky Pas de deux)

# Intrada: Moderato – Andante

# Variation 1: Allegro moderato

# Variation 2: Allegro

# Coda: Allegro molto vivace

No. 20 Hungarian Dance: Czardas – Moderato assai, Allegro moderato, Vivace

Appendix II – No. 20a Danse russe pour Mlle. Pelageya Karpakova: Moderato, Andante semplice, Allegro vivo, Presto

No. 21 Danse Espagnole: Allegro non-troppo (Tempo di bolero)

No. 22 Danse Napolitaine: Allegro moderato, Andantino quasi moderato, Presto

No. 23 Mazurka: Tempo di mazurka

No. 24 Scène: Allegro, Tempo di valse, Allegro vivo

Act 4

No. 25 Entr'acte: Moderato

No. 26 Scène: Allegro non-troppo

No. 27 Dance of the Little Swans: Moderato

No. 28 Scène: Allegro agitato, Molto meno mosso, Allegro vivace

No. 29 Scène finale: Andante, Allegro, Alla breve, Moderato e maestoso, Moderato

Adaptations and references

Live-action film

Animated theatrical and direct-to-video productions

Computer/video games

Dance

Literature

Music

Musicals/opera

Television

Symbolism

In the 2020s, Swan Lake became a symbol of protest in Russia. The symbolism dates to the failed Soviet coup of 1991. On August 19 of that year, as tanks rolled into Moscow, state television aired the entire ballet on loop. Communist hardliners then announced that they had seized control of the country from Mikhail Gorbachev, whom they had arrested. Boris Yeltsin responded by climbing on a tank in central Moscow and urging citizens to turn out in protest. For three days, thousands of protesters stood off the army, after which the coup leaders relented. Within four months, the Soviet Union was gone.[51] [52]

In 1991, there was a tradition of interrupting regular programming by airing the ballet on loop when the government was in crisis: it happened with the death of Leonid Brezhnev in 1982, while a successor was selected, and again with the deaths of Yuri Andropov in 1984 and Konstantin Chernenko in 1985. Swan Lake thus became "a sign of political instability and upheaval."[52]

After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, public opposition to the war was made illegal. Swan Lake became a coded symbol of protest against the war or the Putin regime. Graffiti of the "Dance of the Cygnets" appeared in Russian cities, and when the independent Russian news outlet TV Rain signed off for the last time, due to government pressure over its coverage of the war, it ended with a clip from Swan Lake. It has become "a sign that we are waiting for Putin to die."[52] Putin has not established a successor, meaning that "there's always the risk that Tchaikovsky's swans may dance again."[51]

Selected discography

Audio

YearConductorOrchestra
1954 first complete recording, late 1953, mastered originally in mono only; some mock-stereo issues released on LP
1959 taped in stereo Oct–Nov. 1958, abridged
1974 with Ruggiero Ricci, violin
1976 with Ida Haendel, violin
1977 with Mincho Minchev, violin
1979 with Joseph Silverstein, violin
1982
1988
1990
1992
2006
2013 with James Ehnes, violin: a multi-channel SACD recording
2018 1877 version

Video

YearConductorBalletSiegfriedOdette / Odile
1957 Maya Plisetskaya
1966 Margot Fonteyn
1968 Viktor Fedotov John Markovsky Yelena Yevteyeva
1976 Algis Zhuraitis Bolshoi Ballet Alexander Bogatirev Maya Plisetskaya
1980 Natalia Makarova
1984 Algis Zhuraitis Bolshoi Ballet Alexander Bogatirev Natalia Bessmertnova
1986 Viktor Fedotov Kirov Ballet Konstantin ZaklinskyGalina Mezentseva
1988 Graham Bond Peter Schaufuss Evelyn Hart
1989 Algis Zhuraitis Bolshoi Ballet Yuri Vasyuchenko Alla Mikhalchenko
1990 Viktor Fedotov Kirov Ballet Yulia Makhalina
1992 Alexander Sotnikov Alexei Fadeyechev Nina Ananiashvili
1992 Marie-Claude Pietragalla
1996 Anders Nordström Nathalie Nordquist
1998 Oliver Matz Steffi Scherzer
2004 James Tuggle Svetlana Zakharova
2005 Ormsby Wilkins Gillian Murphy
2006 Agnès Letestu
2007 Danila Korsuntsev Ulyana Lopatkina
2009 Valeriy Ovsyanikov Marianela Núñez
2009 Vladimir Fedoseyev Zurich Ballet Stanislav Jermakov Polina Semionova
2014 Alexander Ingram Vladimir Shishov Olga Esina
2015 Pavel Sorokin Bolshoi Ballet Denis Rodkin Svetlana Zakharova
2015 Boris Gruzin The Royal Ballet Natalia Osipova
2018 The Royal Ballet Marianela Núñez

References

Sources

Further reading

External links

Background

Video recordings

Scores

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Years of fame. 19 June 2021. Encyclopedia Britannica. en.
  2. Book: Kant . Marion . 2007 . The Cambridge Companion to Ballet . Cambridge and New York . Cambridge University Press . . 978-0-521-53986-9. 164.
    'Old style' date 4 March
  3. Book: Chaĭkovskiĭ . Modest Ilʹich. Jeaffreson . Newmarch . Rosa Harriet . The life & letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky. J Lane. 1906. 735.
  4. Web site: Swan Lake Ballet 2018 India. BookMyShow. https://web.archive.org/web/20180306151221/https://in.bookmyshow.com/events/swan-lake-ballet-2018/ET00068643. 6 March 2018. dead.
  5. Web site: The Swan Lake mystery: An amalgam of different fairytales. Rachel Beaumont. Royal Opera House. 19 February 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170329022755/http://www.roh.org.uk/news/the-swan-lake-mystery-an-amalgam-of-different-fairytales. 29 March 2017.
  6. Web site: The Fascinating History of Swan Lake: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Greatest Ballet. 19 June 2021. History Hit. en-GB.
  7. Synopsis . https://web.archive.org/web/20040821235520/http://www.music.lv/opera/ballets/gulbju_ezers_2002/default_e.htm . Aivars . Leimanis . 2002 . Latvian National Opera . 21 August 2004 . 5 November 2013 .
  8. Dorris . G. . 1985 . Tchaikovsky and the ballet . Dance Chronicle . 9 . 2 . 256–263 . 10.1080/01472528508568925 . JSTOR.
  9. News: Macaulay . Alastair . 13 October 2015 . 'Swan Lake' discoveries allow for a deeper dive into its history . The New York Times . 6 March 2015.
  10. Book: Wiley, R. J. . Tchaikovsky's ballets: Swan lake, sleeping beauty, nutcracker . Oxford University Press . 1985 . 40.
  11. Web site: Swan Lake. American Ballet Theatre. 3 December 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101213050005/http://abt.org/education/archive/ballets/swan_lake.html. 13 December 2010. dead.
  12. Rosen. Gary. Swan Lake: An Historical Appreciation. Swan Lake Programme. Cape Town City Ballet. Cape Town. 1998.
  13. Web site: Repertory Index – New York City Ballet . Nycballet.com . 3 February 2010 . 18 January 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100118142726/http://www.nycballet.com/company/rep.html . dead .
  14. Web site: Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake Music Appreciation. 19 June 2021. courses.lumenlearning.com.
  15. Web site: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Biography, Compositions, & Facts. 19 June 2021. Encyclopedia Britannica. en.
  16. Book: Wiley, R. J. . The life and ballets of Lev Ivanov: Choreographer of the nutcracker and swan lake . Claredon Press . 1997 . 170–173.
  17. Web site: The history of Swan Lake in Finland . 2022-11-20 . Ooppera – Baletti . en-US.
  18. Steinberg, Cobbett (1983). San Francisco Ballet: The First Fifty Years. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
  19. Web site: Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake. 14 September 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20100402215415/http://www.swanlaketour.com/reviews_awards. 2 April 2010. dead.
  20. http://www.ballet.co.uk/magazines/yr_05/jul05/interview_mcallister_murphy.htm interview
  21. News: Natalie Portman as Dancer in Black Swan – Review. Dargis. Manohla. Manohla Dargis. 2 December 2010. The New York Times. 29 January 2019.
  22. News: Dada Masilo / Dance Factory Johannesburg (Dada Masilo) – Swan Lake. 16 February 2015. Danse Danse. 27 October 2017. en. 27 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171027181437/https://www.dansedanse.ca/en/dada-masilo-dance-factory-johannesburg-dada-masilo-swan-lake. dead.
  23. News: Swan Lake review – Dada Masilo ruffles feathers with gay remake. Mackrell. Judith. 18 June 2014. The Guardian. 27 October 2017.
  24. News: Dada Masilo Turns Tchaikovsky on His Head in 'Swan Lake'. Sulcas. Roslyn. Roslyn Sulcas. 1 February 2016. The New York Times. 27 October 2017.
  25. Web site: A Swan Lake. 3 Minutes West. 22 May 2020.
  26. Web site: A Swan Lake. EuroArts. 22 May 2020.
  27. Web site: Чайковский "Лебединое озеро" (1983). Большой театр / Swan Lake. Tchaikovsky. Bolshoi Theatre . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/pa67onmu-SQ. 12 December 2021 . live. . Official channel "Soviet Television" by the State TV and Radio Fund of Russia . 1 January 2021 . 1983.
  28. Web site: Dutch National Ballet: Swan Lake. Critical Dance. 9 October 2014.
  29. Web site: Swan Lake – Houston Ballet. 12 June 2016.
  30. Web site: Swan Lake Synopsis – Houston Ballet. 12 June 2016.
  31. Web site: Houston Ballet Caps the Season with Romantic Classic Swan Lake. 12 June 2016.
  32. Web site: Swan Lake – Blackpool Grand Theatre . Blackpoolgrand.co.uk . 11 January 2007 . 15 January 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120113025045/http://www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/shows/1/307/Swan-Lake.htm . 13 January 2012.
  33. Web site: My First Swan Lake – English National Ballet . 11 May 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150509224435/http://www.ballet.org.uk/whats-on/myfirstballet-swanlake/ . 9 May 2015.
  34. News: Swan Lake review – the Royal Ballet's spellbinder leaves you weeping. The Guardian. 18 May 2018.
  35. Web site: Royal Opera House – 'Swan Lake' : From Planning To Performance – The Story of 'Swan Lake' . Rohedswanlake.org.uk . 15 January 2012 . dead . https://archive.today/20120909160908/http://www.rohedswanlake.org.uk/pgs/main/news_story.asp?id=2 . 9 September 2012.
  36. Web site: Swan Lake (1968) . . . 5 January 2021.
  37. Web site: Olivier Winner Jessica Swale to Write a Movie Adaptation of Swan Lake, Starring Felicity Jones. 14 August 2020.
  38. Web site: Annie. D.. Anime Swan Lake. Cbl.orcein.net. 6 September 2009 . 3 February 2010.
  39. Web site: オオクワガタを販売するお店に行く – 自分のオオクワガタは販売業者から買ったものです. https://web.archive.org/web/20040326093956/http://groupe-rcp.com/. dead. 26 March 2004. www.groupe-rcp.com.
  40. Web site: Longplay of McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/kN0tjpf7Hvc. 12 December 2021. live. YouTube.
  41. Web site: Swan Lake Reloaded. de. 11 August 2013. 16 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200216122117/http://www.swan-lake-reloaded.de/. dead.
  42. Web site: Javaka Steptoe – Illustration & Fine Arts. javaka.com.
  43. Web site: Wallace Collection's 'Daydream' sample of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's 'Act 2, Scene 10: Moderato' | WhoSampled.
  44. Web site: Daydream et la mélancolie de Tchaïkovski . 29 November 2020 .
  45. Web site: Classical Made Modern. classicalmademodern.com.
  46. Scott Hamilton CLASSICS
  47. Book: Ross, Janice . Like a bomb going off : Leonid Yakobson and ballet as resistance in Soviet Russia . 2015 . New Haven : Yale University Press . Internet Archive . 978-0-300-20763-7 . 26–27.
  48. News: In 1991, Soviet Citizens Saw Swans On The TV... And Knew It Meant Turmoil . en . NPR.org . 2022-09-02.
  49. Web site: Tapp . Tom . 3 March 2022 . TV Rain, Russia's Last Independent TV Channel, Airs Symbolic Protest On Final Broadcast . Deadline Hollywood . Penske Media Corporation.
  50. Web site: 2022-05-17 . Is Putin dead? Pay attention when Russia starts broadcasting "Swan Lake" . 2022-09-02 . Newsweek . en.
  51. NPR, In 1991, Soviet Citizens Saw Swans On The TV... And Knew It Meant Turmoil. August 19, 2021.
  52. ABC News, How 'Swan Lake' became a symbol of protest in Russia. April 29, 2022.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Swan Lake".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.