Swan Lake starring actors. The famous “Swan Lake”: the secrets and origins of ballet

The idea of ​​staging the ballet “Swan Lake” belonged to the director of the Moscow Imperial Troupe, Vladimir Petrovich Begichev. He invited Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as a composer.

The plot was based on an old German legend about the beautiful princess Odette, who was turned into a white swan by the evil sorcerer Rothbart. In the ballet, the young prince Siegfried falls in love with the beautiful swan girl Odette and vows to be faithful to her. However, at the ball organized by the Queen Mother for Siegfried to choose a bride, the insidious Rothbart appears with his daughter Odile. The black swan Odile is the double and, at the same time, the antipode of Odette. Siegfried unwittingly falls under Odile's spell and proposes to her. Realizing his mistake, the prince runs to the shore of the lake to ask for forgiveness from the beautiful Odette... In the original version of the libretto, the fairy tale turns into a tragedy: Siegfried and Odette die in the waves.

At first, Odette and Odile were completely different characters. But, while working on the ballet music, Tchaikovsky decided that the girls should be a kind of doubles, which leads Siegfried to a tragic mistake. Then it was decided that the parts of Odette and Odile should be performed by the same ballerina.

First failures

Work on the score continued from the spring of 1875 to April 10, 1876 (this is the date indicated in the score by the composer himself). However, rehearsals on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater began even before the end of composing the music, on March 23, 1876. The first director of Swan Lake was the Czech choreographer Julius Wenzel Reisinger. However, the play, which premiered on February 20, 1877, was not a success and, after 27 performances, left the stage.

In 1880 or 1882, Belgian choreographer Joseph Hansen decided to revive the production. Despite the fact that Hansen slightly changed the dance scenes, in essence, the new version of Swan Lake differed little from the previous one. As a result, the ballet was shown only 11 times and, it would seem, went into oblivion and oblivion forever.

Birth of a legend

On October 6, 1893, without waiting for the triumph of his creation, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky died in St. Petersburg. In memory of him, the St. Petersburg Imperial Troupe decided to give a grandiose concert consisting of fragments of various works by the composer, including the second act of the unsuccessful ballet “Swan Lake”. However, the theater's chief choreographer, Marius Petipa, did not undertake staging scenes from the obviously failed ballet. Then this work was entrusted to his assistant Lev Ivanov.

Ivanov brilliantly coped with the task assigned to him. It was he who managed to turn “Swan Lake” into a legend. Ivanov gave the second act of the ballet a romantic sound. In addition, the choreographer decided to take a revolutionary step for that time: he removed artificial wings from the swans’ costumes and gave the movements of their arms a resemblance to flapping wings. At the same time, the famous “Dance of the Little Swans” appeared.

The work of Lev Ivanov made a strong impression on Marius Petipa, and he invited the choreographer to stage the full version of the ballet together. For the new edition of Swan Lake, it was decided to rework the libretto. This work was entrusted to Modest Ilyich Tchaikovsky. However, the changes in the content of the ballet were not significant, and the ending remained tragic.

On January 15, 1895, the premiere of a new version of the ballet “Swan Lake” took place on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. This time, the production was a triumphant success. It was the Petipa-Ivanov version that began to be considered a classic and, to this day, forms the basis for all productions of Swan Lake.

Today, “Swan Lake” is considered a symbol of classical ballet and does not leave the stage of leading theaters in Russia and the world. It should also be noted that most modern ballet productions have a happy ending. And this is not surprising: “Swan Lake” is a wonderful fairy tale, and fairy tales should end well.

Tchaikovsky's ballet “Swan Lake” is one of the symbols of great Russian art, a masterpiece that has become the pearl of the treasury of world music and the “calling card” of the Bolshoi Theater. Every note of the work is saturated with suffering. The intensity of tragedy and beautiful melody, characteristic of the works of Pyotr Ilyich, have become the property of all music lovers and lovers of choreography in the world. The circumstances of the creation of this magnificent ballet are no less dramatic than the chords of the Lake Scene.

Order for ballet

The last quarter of the nineteenth century was a strange time for ballet. Today, when it has become an integral part of the classics, it is difficult to imagine that just a few decades ago this art form was treated as something secondary, unworthy of the attention of serious musicians. P. I. Tchaikovsky, being not only a famous composer, but also a connoisseur of music, nevertheless loved ballet and often attended performances, although he himself had no desire to write in this genre. But something unexpected happened; against the backdrop of certain financial difficulties, an order appeared from the management, for which they promised a considerable sum. The fee was promised generously, eight hundred rubles. Pyotr Ilyich served at the conservatory, and in those days, educators also did not live in luxury, although, of course, the concepts of prosperity were different. The composer began to work. The ballet “Swan Lake” (at first the name “Island of Swans” was conceived) was based on German legends.

Wagner and Tchaikovsky

Since the action took place in Germany, P. I. Tchaikovsky, in order to feel the mysterious atmosphere of Teutonic sagas and castles, in which knights and beautiful ladies were quite ordinary characters, went to this country (this, by the way, is about the poverty of the professors of that time) . In the city of Bayreuth, during a performance (they performed “The Ring of the Nibelungs”), a glorious acquaintance of two geniuses took place - Pyotr Ilyich and Richard Wagner. Tchaikovsky was delighted with Lohengrin and other operas of his famous colleague, which he did not fail to inform his German colleague about the musical system. The Russian genius decided to call his main character Siegfried, which the great German did not object to.

Another mysterious German, Ludwig II

There was another mysterious character who seriously influenced the future ballet Swan Lake. Wagner was patronized by the Bavarian monarch, Ludwig II, but very talented in his own way. By building mysterious, fantastic and unusual castles, he created an atmosphere of the Middle Ages, very consonant with the soul of the great Russian composer. Even the death of the king, which occurred under extremely mysterious circumstances, fit well into the outline of the life story of this extraordinary and charming personality. The death of an extraordinary monarch affected the consciousness of P.I. Tchaikovsky had a depressing effect, he was depressed by the question whether he, albeit unintentionally, had brought disaster on his head with the gloomy story that he wanted to tell people.

Creative process

In ballet as a performance, choreography has always been considered the most important aspect. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, this tradition was broken by the ballet “Swan Lake”. The content, however, was also of no small importance; it emphasized the meaning of beautiful music. It is tragic and fits the definition of unhappy love. Since the theater directorate acted as the customer for the Swan Lake ballet, the libretto was entrusted to Vladimir Begichev, the director of the Bolshoi. He was helped by V. Geltser, a dancer, and later the author himself joined the creative process. The score was ready by 1876, and with all the care shown in creating the ballet, P. I. Tchaikovsky most likely did not imagine that this work would be included in the number of masterpieces that immortalized his name.

Characters, time and place

The place and time of action are designated as fabulous. There are few main characters, only thirteen. Among them are the imperious princess with her son Siegfried, the latter’s friend, von Sommerstern, his mentor Wolfgang, von Stein and his wife, von Schwarzfels, also with his wife, a walker, a herald, a master of ceremonies, the swan queen, who is also the enchanted beautiful Odette, like a drop of water her Odile and her father Rothbart, an evil sorcerer. And, of course, minor characters, including little swans. In general, quite a few artists appear on stage over the course of four acts.

Storyline

Young, cheerful and rich, Siegfried has a pleasant time with friends. It’s his celebration, his coming of age day. But a flock of swan appears, and something draws the young prince into the forest after her. Odette, having assumed human form, captivates him with her beauty and tells him about the treachery of Rothbart, who bewitched her. The prince makes a vow of eternal love, but the mother-queen has her own plan for the matrimonial arrangement of her son's destiny. At the ball, he is introduced to Odile, a girl very similar to the swan queen. But the resemblance is limited to appearance, and Siegfried soon realizes his mistake. He enters into a duel with the villain Rothbart, but the forces are unequal. In the finale, the lovers die, and so does the villain (reincarnated as an owl). That's the plot. “Swan Lake” became an outstanding ballet not because of its unusualness, but because of Tchaikovsky’s magical music.

Disastrous premiere

In 1877, the premiere took place at the Bolshoi. Pyotr Ilyich awaited the date of February 20 with anxiety and impatience. There were grounds for excitement; Wenzel Reisinger took over the production, having successfully failed all previous premieres. There was little hope that he would succeed this time. And so it happened. Not all contemporaries appreciated the magnificent music, psychologically perceiving the action as a whole. The efforts of the ballerina Polina Karpakova in creating the image of Odette were not crowned with success. The corps de ballet earned a lot of caustic criticism from critics for inappropriately waving their arms. The costumes and sets were unfinished. Only on the fifth attempt, after changing the soloist (she was danced by Anna Sobeshchanskaya, a prima ballerina from the Bolshoi Theater troupe), was it possible to somehow captivate the audience. P.I. Tchaikovsky was dejected by the failure.

Mariinsky production

It so happened that the ballet “Swan Lake” was appreciated only after the death of the author, who was not destined to enjoy his triumph. For eight years the production ran on the Bolshoi stage without much success, until it was finally removed from the repertoire. Choreographer Marius Petipa began work on the new stage version together with the author, assisted by Lev Ivanov, who had truly extraordinary abilities and an excellent musical memory.

The script was rewritten, all choreographic numbers were rethought. The death of the great composer shocked Petipa, he fell ill (others contributed to this, but, having recovered, he set himself the goal of creating a ballet “Swan Lake” that would become a miraculous monument to P. I. Tchaikovsky. He succeeded.

Already on February 17, 1894, shortly after the death of the composer, at an evening in his memory, Petipa’s student L. Ivanov proposed to the public a new version of the interpretation of the second act, which was characterized by critics as a brilliant breakthrough. Then, in January 1895, the ballet was staged at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. This time the triumph was extraordinary. The new happy ending was somewhat dissonant with the general spirit of the work. It was suggested by the late composer's brother, Modest Tchaikovsky. Subsequently, the troupe returned to the original version, which is still staged to this day with constant success by theaters all over the world.

The fate of ballet

The failure with Swan Lake, apparently, was the reason why the composer did not take up ballets for thirteen years. Tchaikovsky may have also been embarrassed by the fact that this genre was still considered lightweight, in contrast to the operas, symphonies, suites, cantatas and concertos that he preferred to create. The composer wrote three ballets in total, the other two being “The Sleeping Beauty,” which premiered in 1890, and “The Nutcracker,” which was presented to the public a couple of years later.

As for “Swan Lake”, its life has become long, and, most likely, eternal. Throughout the twentieth century, ballet has not left the stage of the world's leading theaters. Outstanding contemporary choreographers A. Gorsky, A. Vaganova, K. Sergeev and many others realized their ideas during its production. The revolutionary approach to the musical part of the work prompted the search for new creative ways in dance, confirming the world leadership of Russian ballet. Art connoisseurs from different countries, when visiting Moscow, consider the Bolshoi Theater an indispensable place to visit. “Swan Lake” is a performance that leaves no one indifferent; watching it is the dream of all balletomanes. Hundreds of outstanding ballerinas consider the role of Odette to be the peak of their creative career.

If only Pyotr Ilyich knew...

P. I. Tchaikovsky ballet “Swan Lake”

The ballet “Swan Lake” has captivated 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 were so lucky to perform a part in this performance. “Swan Lake” without a grain of exaggeration can be called a pearl of Russian classics, and P.I. Tchaikovsky - a great composer. The ballet is based on a fairy tale from the knightly era. This is a tender and beautiful love story, filled with many obstacles and trials that await young lovers.

Read a summary of Tchaikovsky’s ballet “Swan Lake” and many interesting facts about this work on our page.

Characters	Description
Odette	princess turned into a white swan
Siegfried	young prince
Odile	Rothbart's daughter, black swan
Sovereign Princess	Siegfried's mother
Rothbart	evil wizard
Benno	friend of Prince Siegfried
Wolfgang	Siegfried's mentor

Summary

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 rite of knighting, which means that the heir enters adulthood. But he longs for 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 dreams of a bright feeling and, like a real romantic, cherishes the image of an ideal beloved in his soul.

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 has haunted him for so long in his dreams and in reality. She turns out to be the Beautiful Swan Odette and the ardent young man immediately confesses his feelings to her and promises to remain faithful.

But in vain does the heir to the throne rejoice at such luck. Fate prepares real obstacles for him, preventing their mutual love and tests the beautiful couple with jealousy and betrayal. Turning into a mysterious knight and appearing in the prince’s castle with Odette’s double, she forces the young man in love, blinded by emotions, to break all his vows 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 for this work was still ahead. This “later” came 18 years later with the brilliant productions of 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 forced to constantly be content with minor roles and extras.
• The roles of Odette and Odile are performed by one ballerina.
• Maya Plisetskaya performed the role of Odette-Odile on the stage of 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 the acting ballerinas with male dancers, which also brought huge success and public interest. This version received a standing ovation on stages 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 was first presented to the American public at the San Francisco Ballet Theater.
• The 2002 British production of Graham Murphy's Swan Lake was based on the scandalous split between Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
• The release of Ivanov and Petipa's production in 1894 was delayed for a long time due to the death of Emperor Alexander III and subsequent official mourning.
• Literally four years before Tchaikovsky received this order, he had already composed a short ballet “Lake of Swans” for children, which was performed under the strict guidance of the composer in 1871, on the Kamenka estate.

• Work on the performance lasted about a year, with short breaks due to the fact that the composer was also composing the Third Symphony during this period.
• Many admirers of Tchaikovsky's work wonder what could have inspired him to write such soulful and beautiful music? There is an opinion that this is the merit of the lake in the Cherkasy region, where swans live. The composer rested there for several days, admiring the local nature. But in Germany they are sure that the ballet tells specifically about Swan Lake, which is located near the city of Vossen.
• Initially, prima Anna Sobeshchanskaya was chosen for the premiere in 1876, but she had a strong quarrel with the composer, so this role was offered to Polina Karpakova. As it turned out, the reason for the conflict was that Prima was not satisfied with the absence of at least one solo dance number in Act 3. There is information that Sobeshchanskaya even went specifically to M. Petipa and asked to insert a solo to his music into this action. If the choreographer complied with her request, the composer flatly refused to insert a fragment of music that was not his own. Soon Tchaikovsky offered to resolve the conflict and wrote a solo for her, 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 famous critic Hermann Laroche noted the music of the ballet after the premiere, but he called everything related to the dance side “boring and poor.”
• Only the work of the artist Carl Waltz, who specially developed a technology that provides the illusion of fog using steam, received praise from journalists.
• Researchers suggest that the literary source may be based on: the fairy tale “Swan Pond”, “The Stolen Veil” by Mazues, as well as an ancient German legend.
• Lev Ivanov, while working on the ballet, rethought the costumes of the dancers, removing the swan wings to free up their hands, giving them the opportunity to move. He also owns the already legendary “Dance of the Little Swans” from the second act.

• The laurels of the best performer of the role of Odette belong to Pierina Legnani, who performed all the dance movements with particular grace, even the 32 fouettés. 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 occurred in 1991, this particular performance was broadcast by all television channels.
• In everyone’s favorite cartoon “Well, wait a minute!” (15th issue) shows a parody of the Dance of the Little Swans. In general, classical music can be heard quite often in

  In 1875 P.I. Tchaikovsky received a very unexpected order from the directorate of the imperial theaters. They invited him to take on “Lake of Swans,” but, as a rule, opera composers at that time almost did not work in the ballet genre, not counting Adan. However, Pyotr Ilyich did not reject this order and decided to try his hand. The composer was offered a script by V. Begichev and V. Geltser for work. 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 very plot and even created a custom-made “Lake of Sorceresses.”

  Tchaikovsky plunged into his work headlong and approached every step very responsibly. The composer had to study the entire dances, their order, as well as 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 was he able to start writing music. As for the score, the ballet “Swan Lake” reveals two figurative worlds - fantastic and real, however, sometimes the boundaries between them are erased. The most tender theme of Odette runs through the entire work as a red thread.

  
  

  Literally within a year, the ballet score was ready and he began orchestration. Thus, by the autumn of 1876, work had already begun on staging the play, which was entrusted to V. Reisinger. By that time, he had already worked for several years as a choreographer at the Bolshoi Theater. But many of his works, starting in 1873, were a fiasco.

First you need to figure out what role the swans play in the ballet “Swan Lake”, and also who they are?

“Swan Lake” is a ballet in four acts, the music for which was written by the brilliant composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It is difficult to find a work that has such a complex stage fate, but at the same time has earned fame throughout the world.

“Swan Lake” had three production versions, of which the first two were unsuccessful. And the third became the basis for all editions of the ballet that followed it, and brought the work dizzying success and immortality, making it a symbol of ballet art. And this despite the fact that the production did not meet all the laws of academic choreography!

The plot is based on folklore (folk) motifs, which were used both in literary works and in opera and ballet librettos.

The beautiful girl Odette is bewitched by the evil wizard Rothbart. During the day, she is a white swan, and when night comes, she turns into a human. She is surrounded by the same enchanted swan girls who call Odette their queen - for her kindness and beautiful soul.

Legend says that Odette's mother shed many tears for her kidnapped daughter. She cried so long and a lot that a magical “swan lake” was formed from her tears, where the swan daughter settled.

The magic of the evil sorcerer can be destroyed only if a young man falls in love with the beautiful swan girl, and his love is true. If he breaks the oath of eternal love, Odette will not be able to become a human again and will forever remain a white swan.

In four scenes of the work, real scenes alternate with fantastic ones. Prince Siegfried celebrates his coming of age in the palace park with his friends. A flock of swans, which flies over them at this time, beckons the prince to follow them. And he doesn't resist it. Finding himself on the shore of a forest lake, Siegfried finds there a beautiful swan with a crown on his head. This is Odette, whose beauty the prince is captivated by. The girl's story about the evil owner of the lake, Rothbart, who is pursuing her, shocked the prince. He swears eternal love to Odette.

The prince's mother insists that he choose a bride for himself at the ball. The first beauties dance in front of him. Here are Spanish and Neapolitan, and here are Hungarian and Polish national dances. But nothing touches or worries Siegfried. However, when Odile appears, the prince chooses her because he sees her as Odette. Very quickly he realizes that he has made an irreparable mistake.

Siegfried rushes to the lake in the hope of obtaining Odette's forgiveness. But his pleas lead to nothing, forgiveness is not granted. Then the prince tears off the crown from the swan girl’s head, which served as protection from persecution, and challenges the owner of the lake, the wizard Rothbart. It is his image that in the ballet personifies the forces of evil and fate.

Siegfried's hope never dies that Odette will go with him into the human world. But this does not happen, and the raging waves of the “swan” lake swallow both the prince and Odette.

How many swans are there in the ballet Swan Lake?

In real life, a flock of swans numbers from 15 to 20 individuals, but there are flocks of 50 or more birds.

How many swans can be used in a ballet? The number is limited by the size of the stage. For example, in the Moscow Bolshoi Theater there are approximately 25 to 30 swan ballerinas who participate in crowd scenes during a performance. On the stages of other theaters the number ranges from 9 to 20 ballerinas.

Why exactly 4 little swans?

In a real swan flock, there are few small swans - about a third of the total number of birds. Why in the ballet the “Dance of the Little Swans” scene is performed by four swans?

Everything is quite simple: it was originally planned according to the script. Four dancers danced in the 1877 production. All subsequent productions were based on this number. Although there were examples when the “Dance of the Little Swans” was performed by three ballerinas, and also by more than four.

Screen adaptation

In 1953 - 1954, director Herbert Rappoport created a film about ballets and ballet dancers of the Kirov Theater in Leningrad called “Masters of Russian Ballet”.

Fragments from the work “Swan Lake”, as well as from the ballets “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai” and “The Flame of Paris” staged by the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater named after Kirov (that was the name of the Mariinsky Theater in the Soviet Union) were included in this film as the greatest masterpieces of Soviet ballet art .

Interesting facts about the ballet “Swan Lake”

During Soviet times, the ballet “Swan Lake” was included in the list of achievements of the ruling regime. And although classical ballet was, figuratively speaking, “inherited” to Soviet power from the imperial troupe, it was declared an achievement of the “national economy.” That is why ballet at that time was a means of political struggle. High-ranking guests from around the world were invited to ballet performances; this was part of the mandatory cultural program.

The popularity of the ballet “Swan Lake” was enormous. However, serious political events in the USSR are also associated with it. In the Soviet Union and in the post-Soviet space, the demonstration of the work “Swan Lake” on TV on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater was a sign of the political changes taking place in the life of the country! The ballet was shown during the period of mourning and funeral of the General Secretaries of the Central Committee of the CPSU Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov, Konstantin Chernenko.

The performance-ballet “Swan Lake” became a symbol of another period, which is associated with Gorbachev’s Perestroika. During the August 1991 putsch, when representatives of the self-proclaimed headquarters of the State Emergency Committee (GKChP) tried to forcefully remove Mikhail Gorbachev from the post of President of the USSR, the ballet “Swan Lake” was broadcast on all television channels for three days (!). All prepared programs for August 18-21 were urgently taken off the air and replaced with this work in order to somehow divert the attention of the people.

The putsch was defeated, but the play “Swan Lake” became one of its most memorable symbols. This did not affect the popularity of the ballet at all, and it confidently continues its stage life today.

The anniversary and year of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 240 years since the founding of the Bolshoi Theater, and the most famous ballet of the great composer can boast a round date...

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was fascinated by the view of Neuschweinstein Castle. Its name can be translated from German as “new swan stone (cliff).” In its vicinity there is Lake Schwansee, which is called the “swan lake”.

An old German legend tells of a beautiful girl who was transformed into a white swan.

Swans are swimming on the lake. Hunters with Siegfried and Benno come ashore to the ruins of the chapel. They see swans, one of which has a golden crown on its head. The hunters shoot, but the swans swim away unharmed and in a magical light turn into beautiful girls. Siegfried, captivated by the beauty of the swan queen Odette, listens to her sad story about how an evil genius bewitched them. Only at night do they take on their true appearance, and with sunrise they become birds again. Witchcraft will lose its power if a young man who has never sworn love to anyone falls in love with her and remains faithful to her. At the first rays of dawn, the girls disappear into the ruins, and now swans are swimming across the lake, and a huge eagle owl is flying behind them - their evil genius.

There's a ball at the castle. The prince and princess greet the guests. Siegfried is full of thoughts about the swan queen; none of the girls present touches his heart. Trumpets sound twice to announce the arrival of new guests. But then the trumpets sounded for the third time; It was the knight Rothbart who arrived with his daughter Odile, who was surprisingly similar to Odette. The prince, confident that Odile is the mysterious swan queen, joyfully rushes towards her. The princess, seeing the prince's passion for the beautiful guest, declares her Siegfried's bride and joins their hands. The swan Odette appears in one of the windows of the ballroom. Seeing her, the prince understands the terrible deception, but the irreparable has happened. The prince, overcome with horror, runs to the lake.

Lake shore. The swan girls are waiting for the queen. Odette tries to throw herself into the waters of the lake, her friends try to console her. The prince appears. He swears that he saw Odette in Odile and that is why he uttered the fatal words. He is ready to die with her. The evil genius in the guise of an owl hears this. The death of a young man in the name of love for Odette will bring him death! Odette runs to the lake. The evil genius tries to turn her into a swan to prevent her from drowning, but Siegfried fights him and then rushes after his beloved into the water. The owl falls dead.
At the premiere of the ballet in 1877, the roles of Odette and Odile were danced by Karpakova, Siegfried by Gillert, and Rothbart by Sokolov.

In 1894, the ballet Swan Lake was stagedLva Ivanov (1834-1901), Petipa's assistant, who staged mainly small ballets and divertissements on the stages of the Mariinsky, Kamennoostrovsky and Krasnoselsky theaters. Ivanov was distinguished by his amazing musicality and brilliant memory. He was a real gem; some researchers call him “the soul of Russian ballet.” A student of Petipa, Ivanov gave his teacher’s work even greater depth and a purely Russian character. However, he could create his choreographic compositions only to beautiful music. His best achievements include, in addition to the scenes of “Swan Lake”, “Polovtsian Dances” in “Prince Igor” and “Hungarian Rhapsody” to the music of Liszt.

By 1895, the libretto was revised again for production at the Mariinsky Theater, and they were working on itvenerableMarius Petipa (1818—1910) , who worked in St. Petersburg since 1847 (he made his debut as a dancer and choreographer at the same time and created an entire era in Russian ballet)Andcomposer's brotherM. I. Tchaikovsky.

This version later became a classic. Throughout the 20th century, the ballet was performed on many stages in various versions. His choreography absorbed the ideas of Gorsky (1871-1924), Vaganova (1879-1951), Sergeev (1910-1992), Lopukhov (1886-1973).

In 1953, a truly revolutionary revolution in the understanding of Tchaikovsky’s canvas was accomplishedVladimir Burmeisterperformance of the Moscow Musical Theater named after Stanislavsky and Nemirovich - Danchenko.

This was truly a new word in the reading of the old masterpiece of the classical heritage, as the great Galina Ulanova wrote in her review:

“Swan Lake” at the Stanislavsky and V. Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater showed us how fruitful can be the search of artists in the field of classical ballet, where, it seemed, everything was established once and for all.”.

Over the long history of the ballet, its parts were performed by the best dancers in the world, the directors were the best choreographers in the world, and the best conductors conducted. A cartoon, a full-length anime, and film and television versions of the full ballet have been shot based on the ballet.

Russian ballerinas, performing in the role of the swan queen Odette, remained in people's memory as wonderful legends - Marina Semenova, Galina Ulanova,Maya Plisetskaya, Raisa Struchkova, Natalia Bessmertnova

The Bolshoi Ballet will continue its anniversary tour in London with Swan Lake

Today's ballet "Swan Lake" also suggests intrigue. The main roles in this performance will be performed by the leading soloists of the Bolshoi Theater Olga Smirnova and Denis Rodkin. They also opened the tour of the Bolshoi Ballet, performing in the leading roles in Don Quixote, for which they received the highest praise from British critics. Now the artists will have to take a new exam in front of English reviewers.

It would be appropriate to add that “Swan Lake” was part of the program of the very first foreign tours of the Bolshoi Theater ballet 60 years ago. This time this choreographic masterpiece will be shown eight times on the stage of Covent Garden. Among the performers of the main roles, in addition to Olga Smirnova and Denis Rodkin, are Svetlana Zakharova, Anna Nikulina, Ekaterina Krysanova, Vladislav Lantratov, Semyon Chudin, Ruslan Skvortsov. Another debut is coming: one of the performers of the role of Odette-Odile, Yulia Stepanova, will perform for the first time in a Bolshoi Theater production, her partner in the role of Prince Siegfried will be Artem Ovcharenko.

The Moscow troupe's further playbill includes "The Flame of Paris", "The Taming of the Shrew" and "The Corsair". The Bolshoi Ballet's performances on the stage of Covent Garden will last until August 13, 2016.

Concert in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. Tchaikovsky. Recording 2016.

Performed by the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra.Conductor and soloist - Sergei Stadler.

In the program:Fragments of music from the ballet "Swan Lake": White Adagio; Pas de deux of Odile and Siegfried; Russian dance