"Swan Lake" Imperial Russian Ballet

"SWAN LAKE"

P.I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Choreography — Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov

Editorial Office - Gediminas Taranda

Scenography - Andrey Zlobin

Costume designer - Anna Ipatieva

On February 20, 1877, the premiere of "Swan Lake" took place on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.This day can be considered the birth of Russian classical ballet.

140 years have passed since then.And if earlier music was entirely subordinated to pantomime and dance scheme, then Tchaikovsky's reform radically changed its meaning in ballet. Tchaikovsky's music with irresistible force involved the ballet artist in genuine creativity, prompted him with a lively choreographic image, a psychologically justified movement, communicated deep spirituality to his entire performance.

The ballet "Swan Lake" is the most lyrical of Tchaikovsky's ballets. The plot is based on one of the many versions of the folk tale about a girl turned into a bird by an evil force. The young prince, having met the enchanted swan princess, swears eternal love to her. In this oath is the pledge of her deliverance from the magic spell. But the prince unwittingly changes his word, deceived by Odette's resemblance to Odile, the daughter of the Evil Genius. Odette is doomed to remain a Swan forever.

Subsequently, the gloomy finale of the ballet was changed: the prince and the swan, rushing into the waves, broke the evil spell. The action ends with a bright apotheosis.

SUMMARY

Act 1

Picture one

The garden in front of the castle of the sovereign princess. Young people are having fun on the lawn. Funny dances of buffoons are replaced by dances of girls and gentlemen. The sovereign princess informs her son Prince Siegfried that tomorrow at the ball he will have to choose a bride among the girls invited to the celebration. Her words do not find a response in Siegfried's soul: he does not know a girl who would be close to his heart.

Dusk is coming. Young people disperse. Siegfried is sad: he is sorry to part with a free life with friends and at the same time in his dreams he imagines the image of a girl he could fall in love with. But where is this girl? Siegfried is not interested in the conversations of friends. Only a flock of swans floating on the lake attracts his attention. Siegfried follows them.

Picture two

The swans lead Siegfried into a deep forest thicket to the shore of a dark lake.

Siegfried's attention is attracted by a beautiful white swan that has suddenly turned into a girl. A feeling of love awakens in the prince's heart. The swan Princess Odette reveals to Siegfried the secret of the charms that weigh on her and her friends: an evil wizard turned them into swans, and only at night near this lake they can take human form. To save his beloved and her friends, Siegfried is ready to kill the sorcerer. But alas, this will not help to dispel the spell – only the selfless love of a young man who has never sworn love to anyone can remove an evil spell from Odette and the swan girls. Siegfried, having met his only one, gives Odette an oath of eternal fidelity.

The conversation between Odette and Siegfried was overheard by an Evil Genius. Dawn is coming. The girls have to turn into swans again. Siegfried is confident in the strength and immutability of his feelings – he will free Odette from the power of the magician.

Act 2

Picture one

A solemn ball in the castle of the sovereign princess. Brides from different countries are invited to the celebration. Siegfried has to choose a bride from four girls.

Finally Siegfried appears. However, he coldly turns away from the girls waiting for him to choose a chosen one among them – Siegfried is full of memories of the beautiful Odette.

Suddenly an unfamiliar guest appears. This is an Evil Genius. He brought his daughter Odile to the ball, strikingly similar to Odette. The evil Genius orders her to charm Siegfried and snatch a declaration of love from him.

The prince mistakes Odile for Odette and announces to his mother his decision to marry her. The sorcerer is triumphant. The oath is broken, now Odette and her friends will forever remain a swan flock. With an evil laugh, pointing to Odette who appeared in the distance, the sorcerer disappears along with Odile. Siegfried realizes that he has been deceived, and in desperation hurries to Swan Lake.

Picture two

The shore of the lake. A dark, anxious night. Shocked by grief, Odette tells her friends about Siegfried's betrayal. The swan girls are pining. Their hope of liberation is lost.

Siegfried runs in. He did not break his oath: there, in the castle, in Odile, he saw his Odette – his love confession was addressed to her. An evil Genius in a rage unleashes the forces of nature against lovers. A storm begins, lightning flashes. But nothing can break the young, pure love and separate Odette and Siegfried. Then the Evil Genius himself enters into a single combat with the prince – and dies. Odette and Siegfried, surrounded by Odette's friends, joyfully greet the first rays of the rising sun.