Ballet Swan Lake libretto. Swan Lake Libretto of the ballet Swan Lake summary read

Ballet Swan Lake"

The history of the creation of the ballet "Swan Lake".

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in 1840 in Votkinsk. From early childhood, Peter was drawn to the piano, at which he spent his leisure time. In 1845, he began to learn to play the piano, after only 3 years he already knew how to read music, and a year later he played the piano perfectly. At the end of the course of sciences in 1859, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky entered the service of the department of the Ministry of Justice, but he did not like bureaucratic service. A year later, Tchaikovsky entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory, which opened, where he studies "in the composition class" with Anton Rubinstein.

At first, Tchaikovsky's successes were modest. But hard work paid off. Many wonderful works were born, for example, operas: Iolanthe and The Queen of Spades, ballets The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty, many symphonies and suites, concert and piano works.

Swan Lake was a different story. First, Swan Lake was the first ballet created by Tchaikovsky. Secondly, as Tchaikovsky himself admitted to N. Rimsky-Korsakov, Pyotr Ilyich wrote this work partly because of the money he then needed. Thus, a well-known composer in Russia undertakes to write his first ballet. The libretto was written by V. Geltser and V. Begichev. In 1876, the opera Swan Lake was presented for the first time. But the first performance was unsuccessful. But 20 years later, in 1895, a brilliant renewal of the ballet took place on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. Modest Tchaikovsky remade the libretto, and the conductor and composer Riccardo Drigo made some changes to the score. But first of all, Swan Lake owes its triumph to two choreographers - Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa. In Petipa-Ivanov's choreography - the all-encompassing jubilation of the holiday and the romantic split of the world, the idyll of the first act and the fatal break of the second, the purity of the love adagio and the demonic virtuosity of Odile. It is a symbol of ideal, but tragic love, embodied in the image of Odette. A unique phenomenon of Russian artistic culture, Swan Lake collected and absorbed the legacy of the ballet of the 19th century and largely determined the development of ballet art in the 20th century.

The plot of the opera "Swan Lake".

Action one.

The castle celebrates the coming-of-age day of the young Prince Siegfried. Mother, courtiers, friends congratulate him. Guests are entertained by a jester. Siegfried's mother gives her son a crossbow. She reminds the prince that it is time for him to choose a bride. The feast is over, the guests disperse. Siegfried is left alone. He is tormented by vague forebodings, disturbed by vague dreams. A flock of swans appears in the sky, and the prince, carried away by a sudden spiritual outburst, hurries after them to the lake.

Action two.

Siegfried finds himself in the night forest, on the shore of the lake. The swans land on the shore and turn into beautiful young girls. The prince, enchanted by their beauty, involuntarily lowers his crossbow. The swan queen Odette tells the prince that they are all under the spell of the evil wizard Rothbart. Only the power of love can overcome his sorcery. Siegfried swears eternal love and fidelity to her, but Odette warns him: if he does not keep his oath, then the swan girls will forever remain in the power of Rothbart. It's getting light. Swans swim on the surface of the lake. Odette and Siegfried say goodbye.

Action three.

The castle is again filled with guests: today the young prince must choose his bride. Noble beauties from different countries came to the ball, but Siegfried remains indifferent - none of them can compare with the memories of Odette. Fanfares inform the audience about the arrival of new guests - this is a noble knight and his beautiful companion. This is the magician Rothbart himself and his daughter Odile, who is unusually similar to Odette. Odile charms the prince, deceived by the resemblance. He calls her his chosen one. Rothbart triumphs: the prince has broken his oath of allegiance, and now the swans will forever remain under his spell. The picture of a lake appears for a moment in front of the amazed prince, and he rushes after the elusive phantom of the opera. Shore. Lake. Night. Odette tells her friends about the broken vow. Now the swan girls are forever doomed to remain in witchcraft captivity. Siegfried, tormented by remorse, appears and begs Odette for forgiveness; the swan queen forgives him. The prince enters into single combat with Rothbart, and the power of human love overcomes the witchcraft of an evil genius, giving the heroes freedom and happiness.

Musical dramaturgy.

The demonic virtuosity of Odile. It is a symbol of ideal, but tragic love, embodied in the image of Odette . New for the Russian ballet was the image of Prince Siegfried. For the first time in Russian ballet, a male image (and not just a dance) of a hero was created, going through trials, suffering, challenging fate and fighting for his love. Thanks to the orchestra, it was possible to feel who is a good character and who is evil. During the dance of Odette and Siegfried there was a love tune, but with slightly sad undertones of the tune. During the performance of Rothbart's dance, a somewhat insidious, cunning melody sounded. And during the final battle between Siegfried and Rothbart, tension was first felt, and then a pleasant feeling of the victory of good over evil.

The meaning of "Swan Lake" in history.

"Swan Lake" outlined the border between two eras in the history of ballet art - the outgoing century of the romantic "grand ballet" and a new era of symphonization of ballet, saturating it with a through musical plot development. In essence, Tchaikovsky transformed the traditional "divertimento" ballet, transforming this genre with the skill of a mature symphonic composer; Petipa and Ivanov created a choreographic interpretation of this work, both preserving some of the features of the tradition of romantic ballet and giving it a new look. A unique phenomenon of Russian artistic culture, Swan Lake collected and absorbed the legacy of the ballet of the 19th century and largely determined the development of ballet art in the 20th century.

swan chaikovsky lake ballet

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P.I. Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893)

"Swan Lake", fantastic ballet in 4 acts

The ballet "Swan Lake" was ordered to Tchaikovsky in the spring of 1875 by the directorate of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater. The initiative, apparently, belonged to the then inspector of the repertoire, and later the manager of the imperial theaters in Moscow - V.P. Begichev, who was very famous in Moscow as a writer, playwright and active public figure. He, together with the ballet dancer V.F. Geltzer, was also the author of the libretto for Swan Lake.

The first two acts were written by the composer at the end of the summer of 1875, in the spring of 1876 the ballet was completed and fully instrumented, and in the autumn of that year the theater was already working on the performance.

The premiere of the performance took place on February 20, 1877 on the stage of the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. According to contemporaries, the production turned out to be very mediocre, the reason for which was primarily the creative helplessness of the choreographer Julius Reisinger. In one of the reviews for the premiere, we read: “... Reisinger ... showed, if not an art corresponding to his specialty, then a remarkable ability to arrange some kind of gymnastic exercises instead of dancing. The corps de ballet tramples in the same place, waving its arms like windmills' wings, and the soloists jump with gymnastic steps around the stage.

The composition of the main performers at the first performances was also very weak: in the role of Odette, instead of the talented prima ballerina A. Sobeshchanskaya, her understudy P. Karpakova acted, an orchestra led by then inexperienced conductor Ryabov, moreover, unprepared to perform scores like Swan Lake , performed its task extremely casually. According to one of the reviewers, there were only two orchestral rehearsals before the premiere.

The first stage performance of Swan Lake worthy of Tchaikovsky's music was the St. Petersburg premiere of the ballet performed in 1895 by M. Petipa and L. Ivanov. Here the choreography for the first time discovered and translated into its own language the wonderful lyrics of Tchaikovsky's work. The 1895 production served as the basis for all subsequent interpretations of the ballet. The image of the swan girl has become one of the classic roles of the ballet repertoire, attractive and difficult, requiring brilliant virtuosity and subtle lyrical responsiveness from the artist. The Russian choreographic school has put forward many wonderful performers of this role, among them Galina Ulanova, unsurpassed in spirituality.

Characters:

Possessing princess

Prince Siegfried - her son

Benno - friend of Siegfried

Wolfgang - Prince's tutor

Odette the swan queen

VonRothbard is an evil genius

Odile is his daughter

Master of Ceremonies

Friends of the prince, court cavaliers, lackeys, court ladies and pages in the retinue of the princess, villagers, villagers, swans, swans.

The music of the introduction is the first sketch of a beautiful and sad story about an enchanted bird girl. The thread of the narration is led by a gentle oboe melody, akin to the main musical image of the ballet - the theme of the swan. In the middle section of the introduction, the coloring gradually changes: gloomy and disturbing shadows creep in, the music is dramatized. Trombones sound menacing and ominous. The rise leads to a repetition of the initial theme (reprise-coda), which is performed by the trumpets (dubbed by wooden spiritual ones), and then by the cello against the background of the disturbing hum of the timpani. Now this topic is becoming tragic.

action one

Park in front of the castle.

2. . A merry coming-of-age feast for Prince Siegfried. There are villagers who want to congratulate the young prince. Men are treated to wine, women villagers are given ribbons and flowers.

The music of this scene is brightly major and full of provocative energy. According to Laroche, the "light, cheerful and mighty Tchaikovsky" appears in this music. The middle part of the scene is a graceful pastoral episode illustrating the appearance of the settlers. The contrast between the brilliant and dense presentation of music in the extreme parts of the stage and the transparent sound - mainly wooden instruments - in the middle episode is expressive.

3. . Dancing villagers who want to entertain the prince. The beauty of this waltz is most of all in its bright and inexhaustibly varied melody. The waltz begins with a short introduction ("Intrada"), followed by the main theme of the first section. The development of this melody is enlivened by passages of flutes and clarinets “hovering” around the main melodic voice (first violins), and especially by intermediate episodes, temporarily introducing new rhythms and colors. The middle part of the waltz contains even more expressive melodies. The melodious, lyrically intimate theme of the central episode is especially memorable:

The emotionality of this theme is vividly developed in a large symphonic build-up leading to the final part of the whole piece (reprise-coda). Here the initial themes of the waltz are transformed, they sound bravura and festive.

4. . Servants run in and announce the arrival of the princess mother. This news interrupts the general fun for a moment. Siegfried goes to meet his mother, respectfully greeting her. The princess talks affectionately with her son, reminding him that the days of his single life are coming to an end, tomorrow he must become a groom. When asked who his bride is, the princess replies that tomorrow's ball will decide it, to which she invited all the girls worthy of becoming the prince's wife. He himself will choose the best of them. Allowing the fun to continue, the princess leaves. The feasting and dancing resume.

At the beginning of the scene, there is music illustrating the restlessness and vanity of young people taken by surprise. The appearance of the princess is heralded by the sounds of fanfare. A new, affectionately calm musical theme accompanies Siegfried's mother's speech:

At the end of the scene, the energetic and provocative music of the beginning of the action returns.

5. . Divertimento suite, consisting of individual dance variations: Intrada (introduction). Aleggo moderato. Light, smoothly sliding melody against the background of sonorous harp accompaniment. In the middle section, the expressiveness of the melody is enhanced by sharp harmonies and languid chromatisms in the accompanying voices.

6. . At the heart of this play is a sincere, slightly sad tune of the Russian lyrical warehouse. The melody is presented in the form of a duet-canon (the second voice, entering with a slight delay, accurately reproduces the melody of the first voice); the parts are entrusted to the oboe and bassoon, the sound of which resembles the contrast of female and male voices.

7. . Light and brilliant dance in the rhythm of the polka. Solo wooden instruments (clarinet, flute, then bassoon) to the transparent accompaniment of strings.

8. . A typically masculine dance of energetic and massive movements, a striking contrast to previous. Set out by heavy, sonorous chords of the entire orchestra.

9. . A fast and virtuoso-easy piece with a melody for flutes and violins.

10. (Allegro vivace) closes the suite with a more extensive and developed dance of a lively festive character.

eleven. . New divertissement suite, consisting of four rooms. Tempo di valse - waltz, very light in color, graceful in rhythm. Despite its brevity, the dance develops with the usual activity for Tchaikovsky. After a transparent beginning, the thicker and more rhythmically complicated theme of the middle episode sounds very fresh. The return of the original thought is enriched with the melodic pattern of the flute.

12. - Allegro. The dance-song, one of the most charming lyrical episodes of Swan Lake, is full of soft, purely Russian melancholy. The songfulness of this dance is emphasized by its instrumentation: the solo violin leads the melody almost all the time. At the end, the equally melodious voice of the oboe echoes her. The song goes straight into a fast galloping dance. Here again the main role is played by the solo violin, whose part becomes brilliantly virtuoso.

13. Waltz. In the main theme, the dialogue of the bravura "male" cornet singing (dubbed by the first violins) and two-two clarinets playfully responding to it is very expressive. In the reprise, a new melodic voice of violins is added to the theme of the cornet - Tchaikovsky's usual method of lyrical enrichment of the image.

14. (A11eggo molto vivace). A fast, brilliantly instrumented final dance.

15. . Dance action. Wolfgang, drunk on wine, tries to dance and makes everyone laugh with his awkwardness. He turns helplessly and finally falls. The music visually illustrates this scene, and then turns into a fast, cheerful dance.

16. . Pantomime. It starts to get dark. One of the guests offers to dance the last dance with cups in their hands. The music of this scene is a brief connecting episode between the two numbers.

17. . Spectacular festive dance in the rhythm of the polonaise. An enlivening contrast is provided by the transparent music of the middle movement with its graceful interplay of strings and wood instruments and the sounds of bells imitating the clinking of glasses.

18. . A flock of swans appears in the evening sky. The sight of flying birds makes young people think about hunting. Leaving the intoxicated Wolfgang, Siegfried and his friends leave. In the music of this episode, for the first time, the theme of the swan, which is the main musical image of the ballet, appears - a melody filled with tender beauty and sadness. Its first performance is entrusted to the oboe, which sounds against the background of an arpeggio of a harp and quiveringly excited string tremolo chords.

Action two

Rocky wilderness. In the depths of the scene is a lake, on the shore of which are the ruins of a chapel. Moonlit night.

1. . A flock of white swans floats on the lake. Ahead is a swan crowned with a crown. The music of this scene develops the main lyrical theme of the ballet (the theme of the swan girl). Her first introduction to the oboe solo sounds like a touching song, but gradually the music becomes more dramatic. The rise leads to a new presentation of the main part of the theme in a powerful sound of the entire orchestra.

2. . Friends of Siegfried appear on the shore of the lake, and soon the prince himself. They see a flock of swans and are ready to start hunting, but the birds quickly hide. At this time, Odette comes out of the ruins of the chapel, which is illuminated by a magical light. She begs the prince not to shoot the swans and tells him the sad story of her life. By the will of an evil genius, she (Princess Odette) and her friends are turned into birds. Only at night near these ruins can they take on human form. The lord of the girls - a gloomy owl - relentlessly follows them. The spell of the evil genius will be defeated only by the one who loves Odette with selfless and eternal love, a love that knows no hesitation and is ready for sacrifice. Siegfried is fascinated by Odette's beauty. He thinks with horror that he could kill the princess when she was in the form of a swan. An owl flies like an ominous shadow over the chapel. While hiding in the ruins, he overhears a conversation between Odette and Siegfried.

The music of this scene consists of several episodes closely related to the action. In the first (Allegro moderato) - the carefree-playful mood is only briefly interrupted by a flash of alarm: the prince sees the swans and

wants to shoot. The next episode - Odette's prayers addressed to the prince - begins with a gentle oboe melody against the background of light chords at the pizzicato strings.

The lyrical solo turns into a duet, where the oboe is answered by the soothing phrases of the cello. The duet's development leads to an episode of Odette's story. The agitated music of the story is akin to the waltz melody (No. 2) from the first act. The music of the story is interrupted by trombone trumpet chords illustrating the appearance of an owl.

The last episode is a dramatized reprise of Odette's story. According to the composer's remarks, this includes the words of the swan girl that only marriage will save her from the power of evil spells, and the prince's ardent exclamations: “Oh, forgive me, forgive me!”

3. . There is a string of swans, Odette's friends. Music drawing them (Allegro) anxiously restless. As an answer, a new lyrically tender melody by Odette sounds (the composer accompanies this theme with a note:"Odette: Enough, stop it, he is kind ... "); again, as in the arioso of supplication, the oboe solos against the background of pizzicato strings:

Then follows Siegfried's phrase filled with ardent gratitude (composer's note: "The Prince Throws His Gun") and a new implementation of the theme of Odette (Moderato assai quasi andante); set out transparently and lightly in a high register for woodwind instruments, it perfectly matches the author's remark:"Odette: Calm down, knight..."

4. . A divertissement consisting of a series of solo and group dances. The musical form combines the features of a suite and a rondo. The waltz, which opens a series of dances, serves as a refrain.

5. - a playful, rhythmically provocative dance, the melody of which is performed by violins, then by flutes (author's note:"Odette solo").

6. - repetition of the waltz.

7. - one of the most popular numbers of Swan Lake. His music is touchingly simple, poetic, full of naive grace. The instrumentation is transparent, with a predominance of the timbre of woodwinds (characteristic of Tchaikovsky's contrasting preparation of the next, important number, the lyrical adagio, where the sound of string instruments dominates). The main theme is played by two oboes, supported by a light bassoon accompaniment.

8. . Love duet of Odette and the prince. This is one of the most important numbers in the ballet. According to the memoirs of N. D. Kashkin, Tchaikovsky borrowed the music of the Adagio from his destroyed opera Ondine. Music conveys the first confessions of lovers, their tender timidity and animation. The duet opens with a magical sounding harp cadenza. The main melody is sung by a solo violin, accompanied by transparent harp chords.

The beginning of the middle part of the A dagio, with its jerky, as if trembling chords of oboes and clarinets, feels like a barely noticeable swell on the mirror surface of the water. Such is the music of the introduction and conclusion of this movement, and its basis is the new melody of the solo violin, full of joyful animation and brilliance.

In the reprise of the A dagio, we again hear the beautiful lyrical melody of the first movement. But now the solo singing turns into a duet: the main theme is the cello, and in the high register it is echoed by the melodious phrases of the violin. “Song of Love” blooms richer and brighter.

9. -small fast variation (A ll its) - serves as a transition to the seventh, new waltz, this time enhanced in its sonority.

10. . The divertissement ends with a lively coda (A ll its vivace).

eleven. . The final. Love for Odette takes possession of the prince's heart more and more. He swears that he will be faithful to her and volunteers to be her savior. Odette reminds Siegfried that tomorrow there is a ball in his castle, where the prince, at the request of his mother, will have to choose a bride. The evil genius will do everything to force the prince to break the oath, and then Odette and her friends will forever remain in the power of the owl. But Siegfried is confident in the strength of his feelings: no spell will take Odette away from him. The dawn breaks, and the hour of farewell arrives. The girls, turning into swans, float on the lake, and a huge black owl spreads its wings above them. The music of this scene, based on the theme of the swan, reproduces in full the opening episode of the second act.

Action third

Hall in the castle of the owner of the princess.

1. . Aleggo qiusto. The ball begins, at which Prince Siegfried will have to choose a bride. The master of ceremonies gives the necessary orders. There follows the exit of the guests, the princess and Siegfried with their retinue. The scene is accompanied by festive music in the nature of a fast march.

2. . At the sign of the master of ceremonies, the dancing begins. The music of this number contains a vividly contrasting juxtaposition: on the one hand, the fullness and brilliance of the general dance, on the other hand, transparency, witty play of timbres, theatrical character of the “dwarf dance” (middle episode).

3. . Trumpet sounds announce the arrival of new guests. The master of ceremonies greets them, and the herald announces their names to the prince. Girls dance with gentlemen. A small fanfare introduction is followed by a brightly melodic dance known as the "Waltz of the Brides". The music of the dance is interrupted twice by trumpet signals - signs of the arrival of new invitees. After the first break, the waltz resumes in a melodic version.

The last, third holding of the waltz is extended; according to the composer's remark, "the corps de ballet in its entirety" is dancing here. In this great reprise of the waltz, a new middle episode is given with a brass theme that introduces an element of gloom and anxiety.

4. The princess asks her son which of the girls he liked. But Siegfried does not hide his indifference to what is happening: his soul is full of memories of Odette. An evil genius appears in the hall in the form of the gloomy Earl of Rothbard. With him is his daughter Odile. Siegfried is struck by the resemblance of the new guest to his beloved Odette, he decides that this is a swan girl who unexpectedly appeared at the ball, and enthusiastically greets her. At this moment, Odette appears in the window in the form of a swan, trying to warn the prince against the deceit of the evil genius. But the enthusiastic Siegfried sees and hears no one except Odile.

The beginning of the scene - the mother's affectionate questions to her son and his restless response remarks - is conveyed by the melody "Waltz of the Brides", which has now taken on a new look. The sound of trumpets precedes the appearance of Rothbard and Odile. There follows a small orchestral recitative with the characteristic for Tchaikovsky motif of the fateful "blow of fate". And then, against the background of tremolo strings, the theme of the swan sounds sharply dramatic, expressing the desperation of the deceived Odette.

5. . Dance of the Six. The plot and dramaturgy of this divertissement remained unknown. It can be assumed that it is connected with the following phrase from the original version of the libretto: "The dancing continues, during which the prince shows a clear preference for Odile, who coquettishly draws herself in front of him."

6. . In the Hungarian "Czardas" the contrast of the first minor-pathetic part and the lively-cheerful, with sharp rhythms, second part is typical (a kind of "singal" and "refrain").

7. consists of an opening cadenza and a large virtuoso violin solo.

8. sustained in the characteristic rhythm of the "bolero", underlined by the ringing click of the castanets.

9. . In Italian, the first part is built on the melody of a genuine Neapolitan song (cornet solo), and the "chorus" is written in the energetic festive movement of the tarantella.

10. . Polish dance - mazurka, proud in the extreme parts, with warlike trampling, in the middle part lyrically graceful, instrumented thinly and transparently (two clarinets against the background p izzicato strings).

eleven. . The princess is glad that Siegfried is infatuated with Rothbard's daughter, and informs the mentor about this. The Prince invites Odile to a waltz tour. He is still convinced that the lovely guest is Odette. Getting carried away more and more, he kisses her hand. The princess, seeing this, announces that Odile is to be Siegfried's bride; Rothbard solemnly joins the hands of his daughter and Siegfried. At this moment, it becomes dark, and Siegfried sees Odette in the window (according to the original version of the libretto, “the window swings open with noise and a white swan with a crown on its head appears on the window”). He is horrified to be convinced that he has become a victim of deceit, but it is too late: the oath is broken, the swan girl will forever remain in the power of the owl. Rothbard and Odile disappear. Siegfried rushes in despair to the lake of swans.

action four

The deserted shore of the swan lake. In the distance, the ruins were looking for. Night ...

1. . Music draws Odette's friends, kind and affectionate. Beautiful, softly melodious phrases, sounding alternately in different groups of the orchestra, alternate with airy harp arpeggios.

2. . The girls are waiting for the return of their beloved friend Odette, wondering where she could have disappeared. The music of this scene develops the main theme of the Intermission, which becomes more and more restless. The development leads to a new, touchingly tender melody of the final section. Tchaikovsky borrowed the music for this number from his opera The Voyevoda, written in 1868 and subsequently destroyed by the composer (now restored from surviving materials and included in the Complete collection of works by P. I. Tchaikovsky, vol. I)

3. . Languishing in the restless expectation of Odette, the girls try to amuse themselves with a dance. The composer's note explaining this number: "Girls-swans teach swans to dance." The music is imbued with a wide song. The main theme is a Russian soulful lyrical melody in a character typical of early Tchaikovsky.

4. . Odette runs. She talks about Siegfried's betrayal with deep emotion. Her friends comfort her, persuade her not to think about the prince anymore.

“But I love him,” Odette says sadly. “Poor thing! Let's fly away soon, here he comes! "He?" -O detta frightened runs to the ruins, then stops.

"I want to see him one last time!" It's getting dark. Strong gusts of wind herald the appearance of an evil genius.

5. . Siegfried appears. In confusion and grief, he is looking for Odette in order to beg her forgiveness. The joy of meeting lovers does not last long - the appearance of an evil genius reminds of the irreparable nature of what happened. Odette says goodbye to Siegfried; she must die before the coming morning turns her back into a swan. But the prince prefers death to separation from his beloved. This plunges the evil genius into fear: Siegfried's willingness to sacrifice his life in the name of love means inevitable death for the owl. Unable to overcome the great feeling of love, he tries to separate the lovers with a furious storm: the whirlwinds intensify, the lake overflows its banks. Odette and after her Siegfried rush from the top of the cliff into the abyss of the stormy lake. The evil genius falls dead. Apotheosis depicts a bright underwater kingdom. Nymphs and naiads joyfully meet Odette and her lover and take them to the "temple of eternal happiness".

The music of the finale opens with a broad, pathetic melody that depicts the appearance of Siegfried. His plea for forgiveness, grief and despair are embodied in the theme of the swan, which now passes in a passionately excited movement.

The confusion of feelings in the soul of Siegfried merges with the furious rage of nature. Again - this time with the utmost force and pathos - the theme of the swan sounds. In the last episode of the finale, the main musical theme of the ballet is transformed: it grows into a bright, solemn anthem of victorious love.

© Inna Astakhova

Based on the materials of the book: Zhitomirsky D., "Tchaikovsky's Ballets", Moscow, 1957

Chaikovsky
Ballet Swan Lake. First production
Libretto by V. Begichev and V. Geltser.
Choreographer V. Reisinger.

Characters:
Odette, the good fairy. Possessing princess. Prince Siegfried, her son. Wolfgang, his mentor. Benno von Sommerstein, friend of the prince. Von Rothbart, an evil genius, disguised as a guest. Odile, his daughter, similar to Odette. Master of Ceremonies. Court cavaliers, friends of the prince. Herald. Skorokhod.
Villagers, Courtiers of both sexes, guests, pages, villagers and villagers, servants, swans and swans.

First performance: Moscow, Bolshoi Theatre, February 20, 1877

Act one
The action takes place in Germany. Scenery first. the action depicts a luxurious park, in the depths of which one can see the castle. Thrown across the stream
beautiful bridge. On stage is the young sovereign prince Siegfried, celebrating his coming of age. The prince's friends sit at tables and sip wine. The peasants who came to congratulate the prince and, of course, the peasant women, at the request of the old tipsy Wolfgang, the young prince's mentor, dance. The prince treats the dancing men with wine, and Wolfgang takes care of the peasant women, giving them ribbons and bouquets.
The dancing is getting livelier. A runner runs in and announces to the prince that the princess, his mother, wishing to talk with him, will now deign to come here herself. The news upsets the fun, the dancing stops, the peasants fade into the background, the servants rush to clear the tables, hide the bottles, etc.

The venerable mentor, realizing that he sets a bad example for his pupil, tries to take on the appearance of a businesslike and sober person.
Finally, the princess herself, accompanied by her retinue. All guests and peasants bow to her respectfully. The young prince, followed by his reckless and staggering mentor, go towards the princess.
The princess, noticing the embarrassment of her son, explains to him that she did not come here at all to upset the fun, interfere with him, but because she needs to talk with him about his marriage, for which the present day of his coming of age was chosen.
“I am old,” continues the princess, “and therefore I want you to marry during my lifetime. I want to die knowing that by your marriage you did not shame our famous family.
The prince, who is not yet married, although he is annoyed at his mother's proposal, is ready to submit and respectfully asks his mother: whom did she choose for him as a friend of life?
- I have not chosen anyone yet, - the mother answers, - because I want you to do it yourself. Tomorrow I have a big ball, which will be attended by nobles with
their daughters. Of these, you will have to choose the one that you like, and she will be your wife.
Siegfried sees that things are not yet particularly bad, and therefore replies that I will never get out of your obedience, maman.
- I said everything that is needed, - the princess answers this, - and I'm leaving. Have fun without being shy.
After her departure, friends surround the prince, and he tells them the sad news.
- The end of our fun; Farewell, dear freedom, he says.
- This is still a long song, - Knight Benno calms him down. - Now the future is on the side, when the present smiles at us, when it is ours!
“And that’s true,” the prince laughs.
The spree begins again. Peasants dance either in groups or separately. The venerable Wolfgang, having drunk a little more, also starts dancing and
dances so hilariously funny that everyone laughs. Having danced, Wolfgang begins to court the girls, but the peasant women laugh at him and run away from him. He especially liked one of them, and, having previously declared his love for her, he wants to kiss her, but the cheat dodges, and, as always happens in ballets, he kisses her fiancé instead. Wolfgang's perplexity. The general laughter of those present. But now the night is getting dark. One of the guests offers to dance with cups in their hands. Those present willingly fulfill the proposal. A flying flock of swans is shown from a distance. “But it’s hard to hit them,” Benno encourages the prince, pointing to the swans.
- That's nonsense, - the prince answers, - I'll probably hit, bring a gun.
- Don't, - dissuades Wolfgang, - don't, it's time to sleep.
The prince pretends that in fact, perhaps, it’s not necessary, it’s time to sleep. But as soon as the reassured old man leaves, he calls the servant, takes a gun and
hurriedly runs away with Benno in the direction where the swans flew.
Action two
Mountainous wilderness, wooded on all sides. In the depths of the scene there is a lake, on the shore of which, to the right of the viewer, a dilapidated building, something like
chapels. Night. The moon is shining.
A flock of white swans with swans floats on the lake. She swims towards the ruins. Ahead is a swan with a crown on its head. A weary prince and Benno enter the stage.
“Go on,” says the last one, “I can’t, I can’t. Let's take a break, shall we?
“Perhaps,” Siegfried answers. “We must have gone far from the castle. Perhaps you will have to spend the night here ... Look, - he points to the lake, - that's where the swans are. More like a gun!
Benno gives him a gun; the prince had only time to take aim when the swans instantly disappeared. At the same moment, the interior of the ruins is illuminated by some unusual light.
- Fly away! Annoying... But look, what is it? And the prince points Benno to the illuminated ruins.
- Strange! wonders Benno. “This place must be enchanted.
- This is what we are now exploring, - the prince answers and heads towards the ruins.
As soon as he got there, a girl in white clothes, in a crown of precious stones, appears on the steps of the stairs. The girl is illuminated by moonlight.
Surprised, Siegfried and Benno retreat from the ruins.
Shaking her head sadly, the girl asks the prince:
Why are you following me, knight? What I did to you?
The embarrassed prince replies:
- I didn't think... I didn't expect...
The girl comes down the steps, quietly approaches the prince and, putting her hand on his shoulder, reproachfully says:
- That swan you wanted to kill was me!
- You?! Swan?! Can't be!
- Yes, listen ... My name is Odette, my mother is a good fairy; she, contrary to the will of her father, passionately, madly in love with one noble knight and married him, but he ruined her - and she was gone. My father got married
on the other, he forgot about me, and the evil stepmother, who was a sorceress, hated me and almost exhausted me. But my grandfather took me to him. The old man loved my mother terribly and wept so much for her that this lake accumulated from his tears, and there, in the very depths, he went himself and hid me from people.
Now, recently, he began to pamper me and gives me complete freedom to have fun. In the daytime, with my friends, we turn into swans and, cheerfully cutting through the air with our chest, we fly high, high, almost to the very sky, and at night we play and
we dance here, near our old man. But the stepmother is still
won't leave me or even my friends alone...
At this moment, an owl calls.
- Do you hear? .. This is her ominous voice, - says Odette, anxiously looking around. - Look, there she is!
A huge owl with glowing eyes appears on the ruins.
“She would have ruined me long ago,” Odette continues. “But grandfather vigilantly watches her and does not let me be offended. With my marriage, the sorceress loses the opportunity to harm me, and until then only a crown saves me from her malice. That's it, my story is short.
- Oh, forgive me, beauty, forgive me! - says the embarrassed prince, throwing himself on his knees.
Strings of young girls and children run out of the ruins, and everyone reproachfully turns to the young hunter, saying that because of empty fun he almost
deprived them of that which is dearest to them.
The prince and his friend are in despair.
“Enough,” says Odette, “stop it. You see, he is kind, he is sad, he is sorry for me.
The prince takes his gun and, quickly breaking it, throws it away from him, saying:
- I swear, from now on my hand will never rise to kill any bird!
- Calm down, knight. Let's forget everything and let's have fun with us.
Dances begin, in which the prince and Benno take part. The swans either form beautiful groups or dance alone.
The Prince is constantly near Odette; while dancing, he falls madly in love with Odette and begs her not to reject his love. Odette laughs and does not believe him.
- You do not believe me, cold, cruel Odette!
- I'm afraid to believe, noble knight - I'm afraid that your imagination only deceives you; tomorrow at your mother's party you will see many pretty young girls and you will fall in love with another, forgetting about me.
- Oh, never! I swear on my knighthood!
- Well, listen: I will not hide from you that I like you, I also fell in love with you, but a terrible premonition takes possession of me. It seems to me that the machinations of this sorceress, preparing some kind of test for you, will destroy our happiness.
- I challenge the whole world to fight! You, you alone I will love all my life! And no charms of this sorceress will destroy my happiness!
- Well, tomorrow our fate must be decided: either you will never see me again, or I myself will humbly lay down my crown at your feet. But enough, it's time to part, the dawn is breaking.

Farewell - see you tomorrow!
Odette and her friends hide in the ruins. The dawn broke in the sky, a flock of swans swims out onto the lake, and above them, heavily flapping its wings, flies
big owl.
Act Three
Luxurious hall in the castle of the princess, everything is prepared for the holiday.
Old man Wolfgang gives the last orders to the servants.
The Master of Ceremonies meets and accommodates guests.
The herald who appears announces the arrival of the princess with the young prince, who enter, accompanied by their courtiers, pages, and dwarfs, and,
bowing kindly to the guests, they occupy the places of honor prepared for them. The master of ceremonies, at a sign from the princess, gives the order to start dancing.
Guests, both men and women, form different groups, dwarfs dance. The sound of the trumpet announces the arrival of new guests; master of ceremonies
goes to meet them, and the herald proclaims their names to the princess. The old count enters with his wife and young daughter; they bow respectfully to their masters, and
daughter, at the invitation of the princess, takes part in the dance. Then again the sound of the trumpet, again the master of ceremonies and the herald perform their duties; new guests enter... The master of ceremonies places the old men, and the young girls are invited by the princess to dance. After several such exits, the princess calls her son aside and asks him which of the girls made a good impression on him. The prince sadly replies to her:
“So far I haven’t liked any, mother.
The princess shrugs her shoulders in annoyance, calls Wolfgang and angrily tells him the words of her son. The mentor tries to persuade his pet, but the sound of a trumpet is heard, and von Rothbart enters the hall with his daughter Odile. The prince, at the sight of Odile, is struck by her beauty, her face reminds him of his Swan-Odette. He calls his friend Benno and asks him:
"Isn't it true how much she looks like Odette?"
- And in my opinion, not at all ... You see your Odette everywhere, - Benno answers.
The prince admires the dancing Odile for some time, then takes part in the dance himself. The princess is very happy, calls Wolfgang and
informs him that this visitor seems to have made an impression on her son.
- Oh, yes, - answers Wolfgang, - wait a bit: the young prince is not a stone, in a short time he will fall in love without mind, without memory.
Meanwhile, the dancing continues, and during them the prince shows a clear preference for Odile, who coquettishly poses in front of him. In a minute
hobby, the prince kisses Odile's hand. Then the princess and old man Rothbart get up from their seats and go to the middle, to the dancers.
- My son, - says the princess, - you can only kiss your bride's hand.
- I'm ready, mother!
What will her father say to that? the princess says.
Von Rothbart solemnly takes his daughter's hand and hands it to the young prince.
The scene instantly darkens, an owl screams, Von Rothbart's clothes fall off, and he appears in the form of a demon. Odile laughs. Window with noise
opens, and a white swan with a crown on its head appears on the window. The prince with horror throws the hand of his new girlfriend and, clutching at the heart,
running out of the castle.
act four
Scenery of the second act. Night. Odette's friends are waiting for her return; some of them wonder where she could have gone; they are sad without
her, and they try to amuse themselves by dancing themselves and making the young swans dance.
But now Odette runs on stage, her hair from under the crown is scattered in disorder over her shoulders, she is in tears and despair; her friends surround her and ask what's wrong with her?
He did not fulfill his oath, he did not pass the test! says Odette.
Her friends indignantly persuade her not to think about the traitor anymore.
“But I love him,” says Odette sadly. -
- Poor, poor! Let's fly away, here he comes.
- He?! - says Odette with fright and runs to the ruins, but suddenly stops and says: - I want to see him for the last time.
- But you will ruin yourself!
- Oh no! I'll be careful. Go, sisters, and wait for me.
All go to ruins. Thunder is heard ... First, separate peals, and then closer and closer; the scene is darkened by the oncoming clouds, which are illuminated from time to time by lightning; the lake begins to sway.
The prince takes the stage.
- Odette... here! he says and runs up to her.
Oh, forgive me, forgive me, dear Odette!
- Not in my will to forgive you, it's over. We see each other for the last time!
The Prince implores her fervently, Odette remains adamant. She timidly looks around at the surging lake and, escaping from the arms of the prince, runs towards the ruins. The prince catches up with her, takes her by the hand and says in despair:
- So no, no! Willingly or not, but you will stay with me forever!
He quickly tears off the crown from her head and throws it into the stormy lake, which has already burst its banks. An owl flies overhead with a cry, carrying
claws Odette's crown thrown by the prince.
- What did you do! You have destroyed yourself and me. I'm dying, - says Odette, falling into the hands of the prince, and through the roar of thunder and the sound of the waves
sad last song of the swan. The waves, one after another, run into the prince and Odette, and soon they disappear under the water. The storm subsides, barely in the distance
weakening rumbles of thunder are heard; the moon cuts through the dispersing clouds with its pale beam and a flock of white clouds appears on the calming lake
swans.

Swan Lake is perhaps the most famous ballet in the world to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Not only music, but also choreography has long been considered a universally recognized masterpiece of world ballet, one of the brightest achievements of Russian culture. And the White Swan will forever remain a symbol of Russian ballet, a symbol of its beauty and grandeur.

The premiere of the ballet, with which its glorious history began, took place on January 15, 1895 at the stage of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. But few people know that this was not the first production of Swan Lake.

ACT ONE

Painting 1

In a clearing near the castle, Prince Siegfried is celebrating his coming of age with his friends. The fun of friends is interrupted by the sudden appearance of the Prince's mother, the Sovereign Princess. She gives her son a crossbow and reminds him that childhood has passed, and tomorrow, at the ball, he will have to choose a bride for himself. After the departure of the Sovereign Princess, the fun and dancing continues. A flock of swans in the sky attracts the attention of Prince Siegfried: why not end this lucky day with a glorious hunt?

Picture 2

Lake in the forest

Fascinated by hunting, Prince Siegfried goes to a forest lake, along which a flock of white swans swims. Ahead of all is a bird with a crown on its head. The Prince takes aim... But, struck by the amazing beauty of the Queen of Swans, Odette, lowers the crossbow. She tells the Prince about her terrible fate: the Evil Sorcerer, Rothbart, has bewitched her and the girls subject to her. He guards them in the form of an owl, only at night allowing them to turn from swans into girls. The terrible spell can only be broken by the one who loves her with all his heart and vows eternal love. Odette disappears, and the Prince, amazed by the story of this girl, rushes after her.

The swan girls come out to the shore of the lake. Enchanted by their dancing, the Prince vows to deliver them from the power of the evil sorcerer. He sees Odette and swears his love for her. Tomorrow, at the ball, he will make his choice: Odette will become his wife. The Swan Queen warns the Prince: if the oath is not kept, Odette and all the girls will forever remain under the evil spell of Rothbart. It's getting light. The girls turn into swans and swim away. The happiness of the lovers is overshadowed by the appearance of an owl, who overheard their conversation. He will do everything to destroy their hopes!

ACT TWO

Court ball at Prince Siegfried's castle. In vain do beautiful girls try to captivate Prince Siegfried with their dances: his heart belongs only to the beautiful Swan Queen. However, obeying the command of his mother, he is equally kind to all guests. The Sovereign Princess demands that the Prince choose a bride for himself from among the applicants who came to the ball. But the Prince is adamant: he is waiting for his only one, Odette.

Suddenly, the trumpets announce the arrival of new guests. Siegfried looks forward to Odette's arrival. However, like a bolt from the blue, Rothbart appears in the guise of a noble knight and his daughter, Odile. The prince is confused: this beauty is unusually similar to Odette! Bewitched by Odile, Siegfried rushes after her. The dancing begins. It is the turn of Siegfried and Odile. Oh, how she looks like Odette! With her seductive and seductive dances, she fascinates and captivates the Prince. He can't take his eyes off her. Suddenly, a white swan appears in the window - this is Odette trying to warn her lover. But to no avail - he is so passionate about Odile!

Rothbart's insidious goal is fulfilled - Odile completely captivated the Prince. He does not have time to come to his senses and makes a choice: from now on, Odile is his bride! At the request of Rothbart, he gives his chosen one an oath of eternal love. The sorcerer triumphs: Siegfried has broken his oath, which means nothing can break his spell anymore! Having reached his goal, Rothbart and his treacherous daughter disappear. General confusion. Coming to his senses and realizing all the horror of the deception of which he became a victim, Siegfried rushes to the lake, to Odette.

ACT THREE

On the shore of the lake, the girls anxiously await their queen. Odette appears with the sad news of Rothbart's treachery and Siegfried's betrayal. The Prince appears. He begs Odette to forgive him, because he took an oath, deceived by the similarity of the girls. Odette forgives him, but it's too late: nothing can break the spell of the evil sorcerer. Rothbart appears. With all his might, he tries to separate the lovers. And he almost succeeds: he grabs Odette in his deadly embrace. Tortured by the owl, Odette falls to the ground exhausted. Siegfried enters into single combat with Rothbart. Love gives strength to the Prince - he almost defeats the sorcerer. Odette and Siegfried pledge eternal love to each other. The power of love kills Rothbart! He is defeated! The spell of the Evil Sorcerer has come to an end!

Swans and Odette turn into girls! Odette and Prince Siegfried hurry towards their Love and their Happiness! The rays of the rising sun bring Life, Love and Good to the world!

P.I. Tchaikovsky ballet "Swan Lake"

The ballet "Swan Lake" has been captivating the hearts of classical music fans for more than a century. It is rightfully considered the standard of high art, and many world-famous dancers were proud that they had such luck - to perform a part in this performance. "Swan Lake" without a share of exaggeration can be called the pearl of Russian classics, and P.I. Tchaikovsky - a great composer. The ballet was based on a fairy tale of the knightly era. This is a quivering and beautiful love story filled with many obstacles and trials that lie in wait for young lovers.

A summary of Tchaikovsky's ballet "" and many interesting facts about this work, read on our page.

Summary of "Swan Lake"

The action of the ballet begins in an ancient castle, during the celebration of the coming of age of the heir to the throne, Siegfried. The plot is imbued with the spirit of the era, this is largely facilitated by the knighting ceremony, which means that the heir enters adulthood. But he craves love, and of course there are a sufficient number of beauties among the guests, each of whom would be happy to be next to him. The prince, on the other hand, dreams of a bright feeling and, like a real romantic, cherishes in his soul the image of an ideal lover.

Young Siegfried, thanks to the intervention of Fate itself, is transported to the shore of a magical lake and meets a charming girl, whose image haunted him in dreams and in reality for so long. She turns out to be the Beautiful Swan Odette and the ardent young man immediately confesses his feelings to her and promises to be faithful.

But in vain the heir to the throne rejoices at such good luck, Fate prepares real obstacles for him, preventing their mutual love and testing a wonderful couple with jealousy and betrayal. Turning into a mysterious knight and appearing in the castle of the prince with Odette's double, she forces the young man in love, blinded by emotions, to break all the vows given to his chosen one. But even after going through all the obstacles, the lovers are not destined to be together, no one is able to disrupt the plans of Fate, which hides his beloved from Siegfried, leaving him alone on the shore of a beautiful magical lake.

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Interesting Facts

• This fabulous ballet, incredibly popular these days, literally failed at its first premiere. The deeply upset author said that he would be appreciated, but later and the time of this work is still ahead. This “later” came already 18 years later with brilliant productions by Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa .
• By the way, have you heard the saying about “the ninth swan in the fifth row”? It denotes an artist who has not achieved success in his career, who is constantly forced to be content with secondary roles and extras.
• The roles of Odette and Odile are performed by the same ballerina.
• Maya Plisetskaya performed the role of Odette-Odile at the Bolshoi Theater for 30 years.

• In 1968 a new variety of white rose was named "Swan Lake"
• In his version of the famous ballet, Matthew Bourne for the first time replaced all acting ballerinas with male dancers, which also brought great success and public interest. This version received a standing ovation in the USA, Greece, Israel, Turkey, Russia, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Korea, Japan, France, Germany and Ireland, and was also awarded more than 30 international awards.
• The ballet "Swan Lake" first appeared to the American public at the San Francisco Ballet Theatre.
• Graham Murphy's 2002 British production of Swan Lake was based on the controversial breakup between Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
• The release of the production by Ivanov and Petipa in 1894 was postponed for a long time due to the death of Emperor Alexander III and the subsequent official mourning.
• Literally four years before Chaikovsky received this order, he had already composed a small ballet "The Lake of Swans" for children, which was performed under the strict guidance of the composer in 1871, at the Kamenka estate.

• The work on the performance lasted about a year, and with short breaks due to the fact that the composer also composed the Third Symphony during this period.
• Many admirers of Tchaikovsky's work wonder what could inspire him to write such heartfelt and beautiful music? It is believed that this is the merit of the lake in the Cherkasy region, where swans live. The composer rested there just for several days, admiring the local nature. But in Germany they are sure that the ballet tells about Swan Lake, which is located near the city of Vossen.
• Initially, prima Anna Sobeshchanskaya was chosen for the premiere in 1876, but she quarreled strongly with the composer, so this role was offered to Polina Karpakova. As it turned out, the reason for the conflict was that I was not satisfied with the absence of at least one solo dance number in the 3rd act. There is evidence that Sobeshchanskaya even went specially to M. Petipa and asked to insert a solo to his music in this action. If the choreographer complied with her request, the composer flatly refused to insert a piece of music that was not his own. Soon Tchaikovsky offered to settle the conflict and nevertheless wrote her a solo, a little later variations were added to it.

• The estimate for the premiere screening of "Swan Lake" was very small and amounted to about 6,800 rubles.
• The well-known critic Herman Laroche noted after the premiere the music of the ballet, but he called everything related to the dance side “boring and poor”.
• In the press, only the work of artist Karl Waltz received praise from journalists, who specially developed technology that provides the illusion of fog using steam.
• The researchers suggest that the basis of the literary source may be: the fairy tale "Swan Pond", "The Stolen Veil" by Mazues, as well as an old German legend.
• Lev Ivanov, while working on the production of the ballet, rethought the costumes of the dancers, removed the swan wings to free their hands, giving them the opportunity to move. He also owns the already legendary "" from the second act.

• The laurels of the best performer of the part of Odette belong to Pierina Legnani, who performed all the dance movements with particular grace, even 32 fouettes. For the first time in this role, she performed on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater.
• Many residents of the former USSR remembered this ballet with very disturbing events in the life of the country, because during the August coup that took place in 1991, this performance was broadcast by all television channels.
• In everyone's favorite cartoon "Well, you wait!" (Issue 15) shows a parody of the Dance of the Little Swans. In general, classical music can be heard quite often in cartoons . More details can be found in a special section.

Popular numbers from the ballet "Swan Lake"

Dance of the little swans - listen

Spanish dance - listen

Odette's Theme - listen

Neapolitan dance - listen

Grand Waltz - listen

The history of the creation of "Swan Lake"

In 1875 P.I. Chaikovsky received a very unexpected order from the directorate of the imperial theaters. They suggested that he take on the "Lake of the Swans", but, as a rule, opera composers at that time almost did not work in the ballet genre, not counting Adana. However, Pyotr Ilyich did not reject this order and decided to try his hand. The composer was offered to work with the script by V. Begichev and V. Geltser. It is noteworthy that it was mainly based on various fairy tales and legends in which there are girls turned into swans. By the way, several decades ago, the imperial troupe already paid attention to this particular plot, and even the “Lake of Sorceresses” was created to order.

Tchaikovsky plunged into the work with his head and approached every step very responsibly. The composer had to study completely the dances, their sequence, and also what kind of music should be written for them. He even had to study several ballets in detail in order to clearly understand the composition and structure. Only after all this he was able to start writing music. As for the score, in the ballet "Swan Lake" two imaginative worlds are revealed - fantastic and real, however, sometimes the boundaries between them are erased. The most tender theme of Odette runs like a red thread through the whole work.

Literally a year later, the score of the ballet was ready, and he began orchestrating. Thus, by the autumn of 1876, work had already begun on the production of the play, which was entrusted to V. Reisinger. By that time, he had already worked for several years as the choreographer of the Bolshoi Theater. Here are just a lot of his work, starting in 1873, failed.

Productions

The long-awaited premiere of "Swan Lake" in February 1877 was received rather coolly by the public, despite the tremendous work done by the entire troupe. Connoisseurs of that time even recognized this work as unsuccessful and soon it was removed from the stage. The main culprits for such an unsuccessful production were mainly choreographer Wenzel Reisinger and Polina Karpakova, who performed the part of Odette.

Almost twenty years later, the directorate of the imperial theaters again turned their attention to Tchaikovsky's work in order to stage it in the new season of 1893-1894. Thus, the famous Marius Petipa developed a new scenario for the performance, and literally immediately began work on it, together with Tchaikovsky. But the sudden death of the composer interrupted this work, and the choreographer himself was deeply shocked by this. Petipa's student and assistant staged one painting from the ballet a year later, which was very enthusiastically received by the public. After such success and the highest critical acclaim, the choreographer assigned Ivanov to work on other scenes, and Petipa himself was soon able to return to work on Swan Lake. Undoubtedly, thanks to the efforts of the two directors, the plot of the performance was incredibly enriched. Ivanov decided to introduce the White Queen of Swans, and Petipa offered to oppose Odile to her. Thus arose the "black" pas de deux from the second act.

The new premiere took place in January 1895 in St. Petersburg. It was from that moment that the ballet received well-deserved recognition both among the public and among music critics, and this version was recognized as the best.

The performance on the stage of the Vienna Opera, which took place in 1964, caused an incredible delight among the public. The performers of the part of Odette - Margot Fonteyn and Siegfried - Rudolf Nureyev were called for an encore eighty-nine times! It is curious that the director of the performance was Nureyev himself. In his version, all the action was focused on the prince.

It should be noted that basically all academic productions of the ballet were based on the version of L. Ivanov and M. Petipa. Among subsequent works, it is worth noting the production of V.P. Burmeister in 1953. He introduced new characters and slightly changed the storyline. The choreographer also decided to change the tragic ending and make it light. That's just contrary to expectations, this innovation was not immediately liked by the public. It was believed that it was the tragic ending that gave depth to the interpretation of the entire work.

Among the unusual interpretations should be noted the work of John Normeier, for a production at the Hamburg Ballet. This is an Illusion, like Swan Lake, where the main character turns into Ludwig II. There is nothing that reminds of the original source - lakes, swans. Everything that happens around is nothing more than a fantasy of the diseased mind of the protagonist.

Also, a rather bold and original version is considered to be the work of the British choreographer Matthew Bourne, staged in November 1995. If initially the idea of ​​replacing all ballerinas with men caused disapproval of the public, over time, this version has become a huge success. As Matthew Born himself admits, at first the men left the hall when the dance of the Swan and the Prince began, but soon the audience realized what modern choreography is and how it differs from classical ballet. It is surprising that this particular version made it into the UK school curriculum.

Directed by Australian choreographer Graham Murphy, Odette is a psychiatric patient and the swans are her fantasy.

The work of Chinese director Zhao Ming is amazing. In his "Swan Lake" dance takes on a different meaning. This is closer to acrobatics, and some steps seem simply unrealistic, beyond human capabilities. Another interesting performance was performed during the opening of the G20 World Leaders Summit in China. There, ballerinas danced on the surface of Lake Xihu, and all movements were immediately reproduced by their holographic copies. The spectacle was breathtaking.

Among the adaptations of the performance, it is worth noting the film by Herbert Rappoport "Masters of the Russian Ballet", which included fragments from the production at the Mariinsky Theater. It is curious that in the film "Waterloo Bridge" some numbers of the performance were used to show the main character - the ballerina Myra Lester. This legendary work also inspired Darren Aronofsky, who directed the psychological thriller Black Swan. It shows all the intrigues that take place in the theater around the distribution of roles.

Despite the initial harsh criticism and resounding success after, numerous changes in plots and scenes, one thing remains unchanged in this ballet - the beautiful, enchanting from the first sounds, the eternal music of P.I. Tchaikovsky. It is no coincidence that it is Swan Lake that is recognized as the most famous ballet in the world and is a kind of standard. We invite you to enjoy this masterpiece right now and watch "Swan Lake" by P.I. Tchaikovsky.

Video: watch the ballet "Swan Lake"