Swan Lake is a classic Russian ballet that first was performed in 1877. It is a tale of innocence and evil, magic, romantic love, and betrayal. Swan Lake was the first ballet composed by the Russian composer Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky . Since its premiere, the ballet has undergone numerous revisions and interpretations by various choreographers (dance creators) and ballet companies around the world. It usually is presented in three or four acts, with four scenes.
Swan Lake generally tells the story of young Prince Siegfried and the beautiful Odette, often described as a princess. Odette and her companions have been put under a spell that transforms them into swans by day, and back to human form at night. One night, Siegfried encounters the swan maidens at a lake in the forest. Odette tells him about the spell, and they fall in love.
The next night, Siegfried is to choose a bride at a ball. Baron von Rothbart attends the ball with his daughter Odile, who resembles Odette. In many productions, Rothbart is a sorcerer who cursed Odette and her companions. Siegfried says that he will marry Odile, then realizes too late that he has been tricked. He returns to the lake and asks Odette to forgive him. Some versions of the ballet end tragically, with the lovers drowning in a great storm. In others, they jump into the lake together and die. Still other versions have a happy ending in which the swan spell is broken and the lovers live happily ever after. In many productions, the same ballerina dances the parts of both Odette and Odile. Odile often appears onstage wearing black and is referred to as the Black Swan.
Swan Lake first was performed in early 1877 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. The libretto (story) was written by Vladimir Begichev, possibly with Vasily Geltser, both of the Bolshoi Ballet. The Bolshoi choreographer Julius Reisinger created the dances. The initial production was not a great success, and the ballet underwent various alterations in the following years. In 1895, a new version of Swan Lake premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. It featured dances by the French and Russian choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, respectively. The libretto was rewritten and simplified with help from Tchaikovsky’s brother Modest. Tchaikovsky had died in 1893. The Italian composer and conductor Riccardo Drigo, employed at the Mariinsky, edited the musical score. The resulting production was a success, and it became the basis of many later productions worldwide. Loading the player...
Swan Lake
