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24 August 2018 (Fri), 19:00 Russian National Ballet Theatre - Classical Ballet Pyotr Tchaikovsky "Swan Lake" (ballet in 3 acts)

Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes (till 21:00)

The performance has 1 intermission

Schedule for Pyotr Tchaikovsky "Swan Lake" (ballet in 3 acts) 2022


Orchestra: Symphony orchestra of the Summer Ballet Seasons

Classical Ballet in 2 act

Music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Libretto by Vladimir Begichev and Vasily Geltzer 

Choreography: L. Ivanov, M. Petipa, K. Sergeyev, A. Messerer, A. Shelest, I. Chernyshev.

 

World premiere: March 4, 1877.

 

"Swan Lake"

It is difficult to understand these days how it could have happened that the first show of the “Lake” in 1877, in Moscow’s Bolshoi, was a flop and that it took many years for the ballet to achieve its worldwide cult status. The composer, Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky, never lived to see the ultimate success of his creation.

The story begins in 1875 when Bolshoi commissions a ballet score from the young but already famous composer. It was not yet customary practice –despite Tchaikovsky fame and previous successes, which included four symphonies, the now famous Piano Concerto and “Eugene Onegin” opera, the Imperial Theatres of the time would normally employ the composers on Imperial payrolls, such as Cesare Pugni, Ludwig Minkus, and Riccardo Drigo. Keeping that in mind, Tchaikovsky did not embark on the course of a revolution in the Russian ballet, and studied the classic ballet scores assiduously, planning to produce a score that would be in tune with the established tradition but at the same time would sound new and interesting. The task of composition occupied him from May 1875 to April 1876. The story was a knightly fairy tale, and historians still debate the literary origins –some opt for Heine, some for Musaeus, a German fairy-tale writer, some for Russian folklore fairy tales, some even for Pushkin.

The first show took place on February 20, 1877, and was a flop. The critics reviled the chief choreographer, Wentsel Reisinger, and were short on praise for Polina (Pelageya) Karpakova, the first interpreter of the main female part. The failure of the first show was detrimental for the immediate reputation of the ballet itself, and for quite some time nobody dared to stage it again.

The situation changed after Tchaikovsky’s death. In 1893, Mariinka decided to revive the “Swan Lake”. A new version of the libretto and the music was to be produced by Modest Tchaikovsky, the composer’s brother, Ivan Vsevolzhsky, the director of the Imperial Theatres himself, and by Riccardo Drigo. The latter used the original music as source material for a completely new score. The choreography was supervised by Marius Petipa and his pupil Lev Ivanov. The tradition claims that while Petipa was the father of the unique choreography of the new ballet, its truly Russian singing character is there thanks to Ivanov. The lake and swan scenes, famous for their perfection, are undoubtedly his alone. It was Ivanov who came up with the idea of enchanted ladies with their crisscrossed arms and heads tilted to one side, which every spectator immediately recognized for birds that sit with their wings folded. The very magical world of the swan lake was created by Ivanov. Petipa’s are the scenes of courtly dances and festivities and their intricate lace of waltzes and various dances – Spanish, Hungarian, Polish. Petipa also created an antipode for Ivanov’s White Queen of Swans –its black twin Odile, and its beautiful black pas-de-deux of the second act.

It was this particular stage version that came to be admired as the pinnacle of Russian ballet. This production, like none other, was the perfect setting for many famous dancers to showcase their art. The Swan Lake is a unique and perfect creation, and despite the changing musical and dancing fashions, the performance of Odette and Odile parts is still considered a touchstone for the mettle of any serious dancer. The White Swan is truly a symbol of Russian Ballet, of its beauty and magnificence. 

 


Music For Ballets Fragment 1 Fragment 2

 




Synopsis

Act I
Scene 1

Guests come to the New Year party. Drosselmeier, Masha’s godfather, has prepared wonderful presents for children, including a funny Nutcracker doll. The children are eagerly waiting for the moment when they are shown the Christmas tree and the holiday presents. The desired moment finally comes: they see the decorated Christmas tree sparkling with lights.
Drosselmeier appears disguised as a magician and entertains the children with tricks. His ability to animate toys astonishes the children. Masha likes the awkward, funny Nutcracker a lot, and Drosselmeier gives the toy to the girl.
Playing with the Nutcracker, children accidentally break it. Masha is very upset. Drosselmeier, with the help of magic, repairs the doll and calms Masha down. Gradually the party comes to an end, the guests leave, and the room is empty. Masha, taking a candlestick, creeps up to the tree to have one more look at her favorite toy before going to sleep, and, making sure that the Nutcracker is in his place, the girl plunges into the world of dreams and gradually falls asleep.

Scene 2
On New Year's Eve Masha has a magic dream. She suddenly faces a large mouse army led by the Mouse King. The Nutcracker and toy soldiers bravely protect her, but the forces are not equal. The mice capture the dolls. Taking a magic candlestick, Masha throws it at the mice. The army runs away.
The Nutcracker who is lying on the floor suddenly turns into a handsome Prince. He leads Masha into a fairy, enchanted forest, where the magnificent winter reigns, the snowy whirlwinds swirl, the snowflakes turn around and sparkle. They pick up Masha and the Nutcracker Prince and carry them away, dancing and taking them farther and farther into the snowy forest wilderness.
Suddenly Masha and the Prince see a wonderful rook, get aboard and go to the amazing magic land of Confitureurburg.

Act II
Scene 3
Masha and the Nutcracker Prince are in the domain of the Mouse King. The captive dolls languish and suffer. Having entered the struggle with the mice and having defeated their king, the Prince and Masha release the captive dolls and sail together with them for a holiday in the sweet city of Confiturenburg. A lot of dolls from different countries come to the festive ball. They perform Russian, Oriental, Spanish, Chinese and other dances. The festival ends with the waltz of flowers.
Waking up, Masha realizes that it was just a dream...
 




Schedule for Pyotr Tchaikovsky "Swan Lake" (ballet in 3 acts) 2022


"Swan Lake" Moscow Ballet “La Classique” (a.d. E.Melikov)
 
About This Video
01:56
"Swan Lake"
Moscow Ballet “La Classique” (a.d. E.Melikov)


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