Swan Lake - secrets and transformations. Tchaikovsky. Ballet “Swan Lake Swan Lake plot for children

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

Characters:
Odette, the good fairy. Sovereign princess. Prince Siegfried, her son. Wolfgang, his mentor. Benno von Sommerstein, friend of the prince. Von Rothbart, the evil genius, disguised as a guest. Odile, his daughter, similar to Odette. Master of ceremonies. Court gentlemen, friends of the prince. Herald. Skorokhod.
Village women, courtiers of both sexes, guests, pages, villagers and village women, servants, swans and cubs.

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

Act one
The action takes place in Germany. Scenery first the action depicts a luxurious park, in the depths of which a castle can be seen. thrown across the stream
beautiful bridge. On stage is the young sovereign Prince Siegfried, celebrating his coming of age. The prince's friends are sitting at tables and drinking wine. The peasants and, of course, the peasant women who came to congratulate the prince, at the request of the drunken old Wolfgang, the mentor of the young prince, dance. The prince treats dancing men wine, and Wolfgang takes care of the peasant women, giving them ribbons and bouquets.
The dancing is more lively. A walker runs in and announces to the prince that the princess, his mother, wanting to talk to 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 tables, hide bottles, etc.

The venerable mentor, realizing that he is setting a bad example for his pupil, tries to assume 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 drunken and staggering mentor, go to meet the princess.
The princess, noticing her son's embarrassment, explains to him that she came here not at all to upset the fun, to disturb him, but because she needs to talk with him about his marriage, for which the real day of his coming of age was chosen.
“I’m old,” the princess continues, “and therefore I want you to get married during my lifetime.” I want to die knowing that with your marriage you did not disgrace our famous family.
The prince, who is not yet ready to get married, although he is annoyed at his mother’s proposal, is ready to submit and respectfully asks his mother: who did she choose to be his life partner?
“I haven’t chosen anyone yet,” the mother answers, “because I want you to do it yourself.” Tomorrow I have a big ball, which will bring together noblemen from
their daughters. From among them you will have to choose the one you like, and she will be your wife.
Siegfried sees that things are not yet particularly bad, and therefore replies that I will never leave your obedience, maman.
“I said everything I need to say,” the princess answers, “and I’m leaving.” Have fun without being shy.
After she leaves, the prince's friends surround him and he tells them the sad news.
- The end of our fun; goodbye, sweet freedom,” he says.
“This is still a long song,” the knight Benno reassures him. “Now, for 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 revelry begins again. The peasants dance sometimes in groups, sometimes separately. The venerable Wolfgang, having drunk a little more, also starts dancing and
dances so hilariously funny that everyone laughs. After dancing, 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 he, having previously declared his love for her, wants to kiss her, but the cheat dodges, and, as always happens in ballets, he kisses her fiancé instead. Wolfgang's bewilderment. General laughter from those present. But now the night is soon, it’s getting dark. One of the guests offers to dance with cups in their hands. Those present willingly comply with the proposal. From afar a flock of swans appears in flight. “But it’s hard to hit them,” Benno encourages the prince, pointing him to the swans.
“That’s nonsense,” the prince replies, “I’ll probably get hit, bring a gun.”
“No need,” Wolfgang dissuades, “no need, it’s time to sleep.”
The prince pretends that in fact, perhaps, there is no need, it’s time to sleep. But as soon as the calmed old man leaves, he calls the servant, takes the gun and
Hastily runs away with Benno in the direction where the swans flew.
Act two
Mountainous wilderness, forest on all sides. In the depths of the stage there is a lake, on the shore of which, to the right of the viewer, there is a dilapidated building, something like
chapels. Night. The moon is shining.
A flock of white swans with their cubs is swimming on the lake. She swims towards the ruins. In front is a swan with a crown on its head. The tired prince and Benno enter the stage.
“I can’t go any further,” says the last one, “I can’t, I don’t have the strength.” Let's take a rest, shall we?
“Perhaps,” Siegfried answers. “We must have moved far from the castle.” We’ll probably have to spend the night here... Look,” he points to the lake, “that’s where the swans are.” Rather, a gun!
Benno hands him a gun; The prince only had time to take aim when the swans instantly disappeared. At the same moment, the interior of the ruins is illuminated by some extraordinary light.
- They flew away! It's a shame... But look, what is this? - And the prince points Benno to the illuminated ruins.
- Strange! - Benno is surprised. “This place must be enchanted.”
“This is what we are exploring now,” the prince answers and heads towards the ruins.
As soon as he had time to get there, a girl in white clothes, wearing a crown of precious stones. 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 pursuing me, knight? What have I done to you?
The prince, embarrassed, replies:
- I didn’t think... I didn’t expect...
The girl comes down from the steps, quietly approaches the prince and, putting her hand on his shoulder, says reproachfully:
- 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 fell in love with one noble knight and married him, but he destroyed her - and she was gone. My father got married
on the other, he forgot about me, and the evil stepmother, who was a witch, hated me and almost tormented me. But my grandfather took me in with him. The old man loved my mother terribly and cried 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 has begun to pamper me and gives me complete freedom to have fun. So during the day my friends and I turn into swans and, cheerfully cutting through the air with our chests, we fly high, high, almost to the sky, and at night we play and
We dance here, near our old man. But stepmother still
doesn't leave me alone, or even my friends...
At this moment the cry of an owl is heard.
“Do you hear?.. It’s her ominous voice,” says Odette, looking around anxiously. “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 watches her vigilantly and does not let me be offended.” With my marriage, the witch loses the opportunity to harm me, and until then only the 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.
Lines of young girls and children run out of the ruins, and everyone reproaches the young hunter, saying that because of empty fun he almost
deprived them of the one that is dearest to them.
The prince and his friend are in despair.
“That’s enough,” says Odette, “stop it.” You see, he is kind, he is sad, he feels sorry for me.
The prince takes his gun and, quickly breaking it, throws it away, 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.
The dancing begins, in which the prince and Benno take part. The swans make up beautiful groups, then they dance alone.
The prince is constantly near Odette; During the dance, he falls madly in love with Odette and begs her not to reject his love. Odette laughs and doesn’t believe him.
- You don’t believe me, cold, cruel Odette!
“I’m afraid to believe, noble knight, - I’m afraid that your imagination is only deceiving you; Tomorrow at your mother’s party you will see many lovely young girls and you will fall in love with another, forgetting about me.
- Oh, never! I swear on my knightly honor!
- Well, listen: I won’t hide from you that I like you too, I also fell in love with you, but a terrible premonition takes possession of me. It seems to me that the intrigues 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 spell of this witch will destroy my happiness!
“Okay, tomorrow our fate must be decided: either you will never see me again, or I will humbly lay down my crown at your feet.” But enough, it’s time to part, the dawn is breaking.

Goodbye - see you tomorrow!
Odette and her friends are hiding in the ruins. Dawn flared up in the sky, a flock of swans swims onto the lake, and above them, heavily flapping their wings, flies
big owl.
Act three
A luxurious hall in the princess's castle, everything is prepared for the holiday.
Old Wolfgang gives his last orders to the servants.
The master of ceremonies welcomes and accommodates guests.
The appearing herald announces the arrival of the princess and the young prince, who enter accompanied by their courtiers, pages and dwarfs and,
bowing kindly to the guests, they take the places of honor prepared for them. The master of ceremonies, at a sign from the princess, gives the order to begin dancing.
The guests, both men and women, form different groups, and the dwarfs dance. The sound of a trumpet announces the arrival of new guests; master of ceremonies
goes to meet them, and the herald announces their names to the princess. The old count enters with his wife and young daughter; they bow respectfully to their owners, and
the 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 old people are accommodated by the master of ceremonies, and the young girls are invited by the princess to dance. After several such appearances, the princess calls her son aside and asks him which of the girls made a pleasant impression on him. The prince sadly answers her:
“I haven’t liked any of them so far, mother.”
The princess shrugs her shoulders with annoyance, calls Wolfgang over and angrily conveys to him her son’s words. 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, upon seeing 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 she resembles Odette?
“But 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 dancing himself. The princess is very happy, calls Wolfgang and
tells him that this guest seems to have made an impression on her son.
“Oh yes,” Wolfgang replies, “wait a little: the young prince is not a stone, but short time he will fall in love madly, without memory.
Meanwhile, the dancing continues, and during it the prince shows a clear preference for Odile, who poses flirtatiously in front of him. per minute
hobbies, the prince kisses Odile's hand. Then the princess and old man Rothbart get up from their seats and go out to the middle, to the dancers.
“My son,” says the princess, “you can only kiss the hand of your bride.”
- I'm ready, mother!
- What will her father say to this? - says the princess.
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
swings open and the window shows white swan with a crown on his head. The prince throws away the hand of his new girlfriend with horror and, clutching his heart,
runs out of the castle.
Act four
Scenery for the second act. Night. Odette's friends are waiting for her return; some of them wonder where she could have disappeared to; they feel sad without
her, and they try to amuse themselves by dancing themselves and making the young swans dance.
But then Odette runs onto the stage, her hair from under the crown is scattered in disarray 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, indignant, persuade her not to think about the traitor anymore.
“But I love him,” Odette says sadly. -
- Poor, poor! Let's fly away quickly, here he comes.
- He?! - Odette says with fear and runs to the ruins, but suddenly stops and says: - I want to see him in last time.
- But you will destroy yourself!
- Oh no! I'll be careful. Go, sisters, and wait for me.
Everyone goes into ruins. Thunder is heard... First, isolated rumbles, and then closer and closer; the scene becomes dark from the rushing clouds, which are occasionally illuminated by lightning; the lake begins to sway.
The prince runs onto the stage.
- Odette... here! - he says and runs up to her.-
Oh, forgive me, forgive me, dear Odette!
“It’s not in my will to forgive you, it’s all over.” This is the last time we see each other!
The prince fervently begs her, Odette remains adamant. She timidly looks around at the agitated lake and, breaking away from the prince’s embrace, runs to the ruins. The prince catches up with her, takes her hand and says in despair:
- Well, no, no! Willingly or unwillingly, you will stay with me forever!
He quickly tears the crown from her head and throws it into the stormy lake, which has already overflowed its banks. An owl flies overhead screaming, carrying
in the claws of Odette's crown abandoned by the prince.
- What did you do! You destroyed both yourself and me. “I’m dying,” says Odette, falling into the prince’s arms, and through the roar of thunder and the sound of the waves,
sad last song of the swan. Waves rush over the prince and Odette one after another, and soon they disappear under the water. The storm subsides, barely in the distance
faint rumbles of thunder are heard; the moon cuts through the dispersing clouds with its pale ray and a flock of whites appears on the calming lake
swans.

"Swan Lake", a ballet to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, is the most famous in the world theatrical production. The masterpiece of choreography was created more than 130 years ago and is still considered an unsurpassed achievement of Russian culture. "Swan Lake" - a ballet for all times, a standard high art. The greatest ballerinas in the world considered it an honor to perform in the role of Odette. The White Swan, a symbol of the greatness and beauty of Russian ballet, is at an unattainable height and is one of the largest “pearls” in the “crown” of world culture.

Performance at the Bolshoi Theater

The plot of the ballet "Swan Lake" reveals a fairy-tale story about a Swan Princess named Odette and Prince Siegfried.

Each performance of "Swan Lake" at the Bolshoi Theater is a celebration, accompanied by Tchaikovsky's immortal music and magnificent original choreography. Colorful costumes and scenery, impeccable dance of soloists and corps de ballet create an overall picture of high art. Hall Bolshoi Theater Moscow is always full when the stage is on - the best thing that has happened in the world of ballet art over the past 150 years. The performance takes place with two intermissions and lasts two and a half hours. Symphony orchestra and during the intermission continues to play quietly for some time musical theme. The plot of the ballet "Swan Lake" leaves no one indifferent, the audience empathizes with the characters from the very beginning, and by the end of the performance the drama reaches its climax. After the end of the ballet, the audience does not leave for a long time. One of the spectators, who came to Moscow and visited the Bolshoi Theater, figuratively expressed his admiration: “I regret that it is impossible to bring so many flowers to the performance to give gifts to all the artists; several trucks would be needed.” These are the best words of gratitude that the walls of the Bolshoi Theater have ever heard.

"Swan Lake": history

The legendary ballet production began in 1875, when the management of the Bolshoi Theater ordered to the young composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky music for a new play called "Swan Lake". Creative project suggested updating the repertoire. For this purpose they decided to create the production “Swan Lake”. Tchaikovsky at that time was not yet widely famous composer, although he wrote four symphonies and the opera "Eugene Onegin". He set to work enthusiastically. For the play "Swan Lake" the music was written within one year. The composer presented the notes to the management of the Bolshoi Theater in April 1876.

Libretto

The libretto of the play was written by the famous theatrical figure of that time, Vladimir Begichev, in collaboration with ballet dancer Vasily Geltser. It is still unclear which literary source served as the basis for the production. Some believe that the plot of the work was borrowed from Heinrich Heine, others believe that the prototype was Sergeevich Pushkin’s White, but then it is not clear what to do with the main character of the fairy tale, Prince Guidon, since he as a character is closely connected with the image of a noble bird. How Be that as it may, the libretto turned out to be successful, and work began on the play “Swan Lake”. Tchaikovsky was present at the rehearsals and took an active part in the production.

Failure

The Bolshoi Theater troupe worked with inspiration on the performance. The plot of the ballet "Swan Lake" seemed original to everyone, with elements of something new. Rehearsals continued until late at night, no one was in a hurry to leave. It never occurred to anyone that disappointment might soon set in. The play "Swan Lake", whose history was quite complicated, was preparing for its premiere. The theater audience was looking forward to this event.

The premiere of Swan Lake took place in February 1877 and, unfortunately, was unsuccessful. Essentially, it was a failure. First of all, the choreographer of the performance, Wenzel Reisinger, was declared the culprit of the fiasco, then the ballerina who played the role of Odette, Polina Karpakova, also got it. "Swan Lake" was abandoned, and all the scores were temporarily "put on the shelf."

Return of the performance

Tchaikovsky died in 1893. And suddenly, in the theatrical environment, it was decided to return to the play "Swan Lake", the music for which was simply wonderful. All that remained was to restore the performance in a new edition and update the choreography. It was decided to do this in memory of the untimely departed composer. Modest Tchaikovsky, brother of Pyotr Ilyich, and Ivan Vsevolozhsky, director of the Imperial Theater, volunteered to create a new libretto. The musical part was handled by the famous bandmaster Ricardo Drigo, who in a short time managed to re-arrange the entire composition and compose an updated work. The choreographic part was reworked by the famous choreographer, Marius Petipa, and his student, Lev Ivanov.

New reading

It is believed that Petipa recreated the choreography of the ballet “Swan Lake”, but Lev Ivanov gave the performance a truly Russian flavor, who managed to combine free-spirited melodiousness and the unique charm of the Russian open spaces. All this is present on stage during the performance. Ivanov composed enchanted girls with crossed arms and a special tilt of the head, dancing in four. The touching and elusively attractive charm of the lake of swans is also the merit of the talented assistant Marius Petipa. The play "Swan Lake", the content and artistic color of which in the new reading had significantly improved, was ready to go on stage in a new edition, but before Petipa decided to raise the bar for the aesthetic level of the production even higher and re-enacted all the scenes of the balls in the palace of the Sovereign Princess, and also court festivities with Polish, Spanish and Hungarian dances. Marius Petipa contrasted Odile with the white swan queen invented by Ivanov, creating an amazing “black” pas de deux in the second act. The effect was amazing.

The plot of the ballet "Swan Lake" in new production enriched, became more interesting. The maestro and his assistants continued to improve the solo parts and their interaction with the corps de ballet. Thus, the play "Swan Lake", the content and artistic color of which in the new interpretation was significantly improved, was soon finally ready to go on stage.

New solution

In 1950, choreographer Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg he proposed a new version of Swan Lake. According to his plan, the tragic ending of the play was abolished, the white swan did not die, everything ended with a “happy ending.” Similar changes in the theatrical sphere often occurred, in Soviet era was considered in good form embellish events. However, the performance did not benefit from such a change; on the contrary, it became less interesting, although part of the audience welcomed new edition productions.

Self-respecting groups adhered to the previous edition. In favor classic version it also says that the tragic ending was originally conceived as an in-depth interpretation of the entire work, and replacing it happy ending looked a little unexpected.

Act one. Scene one

On the stage there is a huge park, centuries-old trees are green. In the distance you can see the castle where the Sovereign Princess lives. On the lawn between the trees, Prince Siegfried, with his friends, celebrates his coming of age. Young people raise cups of wine, drink to their friend’s health, the fun is overflowing, everyone wants to dance. The jester sets the tone by dancing. Suddenly Siegfried's mother, the Sovereign Princess, appears in the park. Everyone present tries to hide traces of the feast, but the jester accidentally knocks over the cups. The princess frowns with displeasure, she is ready to express her indignation. Here she is presented with a bouquet of roses, and the severity softens. The princess turns and leaves, and the fun flares up with new strength. Then darkness falls and the guests disperse. Siegfried is left alone, but he does not want to go home. A flock of swans flies high in the sky. The prince takes a crossbow and goes hunting.

Scene two

Dense forest. Among the thickets there is a large lake. White swans swim across the water surface. Although their movements are smooth, some kind of elusive anxiety is felt. The birds are rushing about as if something is disturbing their peace. These are enchanted girls, only after midnight they will be able to take on human form. The evil wizard Rothbart, the owner of the lake, rules over defenseless beauties. And then Siegfried appears on the shore with a crossbow in his hands, deciding to hunt. He is about to shoot an arrow at the white swan. Another moment, and the arrow will pierce the noble bird to death. But suddenly the swan turns into a girl of indescribable beauty and grace. This is the swan queen, Odette. Siegfried is enchanted; he has never seen such a beautiful face. The prince tries to meet the beauty, but she slips away. After several unsuccessful attempts Siegfried finds Odette in a round dance of his girlfriends and confesses his love to her. The prince’s words touch the girl’s heart, she hopes to find in him a savior from Rothbart’s power. Dawn is coming soon, and all the beauties will turn into birds again with the first rays of the sun. Odette tenderly says goodbye to Siegfried, swans slowly swim away along the water surface. There remains an understatement between the young people, but they are forced to part because the evil sorcerer Rothbart is closely monitoring what is happening, and he will not allow anyone to escape his witchcraft. All girls, without exception, must become birds and remain enchanted until nightfall. Siegfried remains to leave so as not to endanger the white swans.

Act two. Scene three

There is a ball in the castle of the Sovereign Princess. Among those present there are many girls of noble origin, one of them should become Siegfried's chosen one. However, the prince does not honor anyone with his attention. Odette is in his thoughts. Meanwhile, Siegfried's mother is trying in every possible way to force one of her favorites on him, but to no avail. However, in accordance with etiquette, the prince is obliged to make a choice and give his chosen one a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Fanfares sound to announce the arrival of new guests. The evil wizard Rothbart appears. Next to the sorcerer is his daughter, Odile. She is like two peas in a pod and looks like Odette. Rothbart hopes that the prince will be fascinated by his daughter, forget Odette, and she will forever remain in the power of the evil wizard.

Odile manages to seduce Siegfried, he is infatuated with her. The prince announces to his mother that his choice is Odile, and immediately confesses his love to the insidious girl. Suddenly Siegfried sees a beautiful white swan in the window, he throws off the witchcraft spell and runs to the lake, but it’s too late - Odette is lost forever, she is exhausted, there are faithful swans around her, but they are no longer able to help.

Act three. Scene four

Deep quiet night. There are drooping girls standing on the shore. They know about the grief that befell Odette. However, all is not lost - Siegfried comes running and on his knees begs his beloved to forgive him. And then a flock of black swans, led by the sorcerer Rothbart, arrives. Siegfried fights him and wins, breaking the evil wizard's wing. The black swan dies, and with it the witchcraft disappears. Rising Sun illuminates Odette, Siegfried and dancing girls, who will no longer have to turn into swans.

Ballet "Swan Lake"

The history of the creation of the ballet “Swan Lake”.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in 1840 in Votkinsk. WITH 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 just 3 years he could already read music, and a year later he played the piano perfectly. After completing a course of science 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 newly opened St. Petersburg Conservatory, where he studied “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 the operas “Iolanta” and “ Queen of Spades", ballets "The Nutcracker" and "Sleeping Beauty", many symphonies and suites, concert and piano works.

Swan Lake was a different story. Firstly, 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 needed at the time. 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 first performed. But the first production was unsuccessful. But 20 years later, in 1895, a brilliant revival of the ballet took place on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. Modest Tchaikovsky redid the libretto, and 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. Petipa-Ivanov's choreography contains the all-encompassing jubilation of the holiday and the romantic fragmentation 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 contains a symbol of the ideal, but tragic love, embodied in the image of Odette. A unique Russian phenomenon artistic culture, “Swan Lake” collected and absorbed the heritage of 19th century ballet and largely determined the development of ballet art in the 20th century.

The plot of the opera "Swan Lake".

Act one.

The castle celebrates the coming of age of the young Prince Siegfried. His mother, courtiers, and friends congratulate him. The 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 leave. Siegfried is left alone. He is tormented by vague premonitions and worried by unclear dreams. A flock of swans appears in the sky, and the prince, carried away by a sudden emotional impulse, hurries after them to the lake.

Act two.

Siegfried finds himself in the night forest, on the shore of a 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 witchcraft. Siegfried swears eternal love and fidelity to her, but Odette warns him: if he does not keep his vow, then the swan girls will forever remain in Rothbart’s power. It's getting light. Swans swim on the surface of the lake. Odette and Siegfried say goodbye.

Act three.

The castle is filled with guests again: today the young prince must choose a bride for himself. Notable beauties from different countries, but Siegfried remains indifferent - none of them can compare with the memories of Odette. Fanfare notifies those gathered about the arrival of new guests - this is a noble knight and his beautiful companion. This is the wizard 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 is triumphant: the prince broke his oath of allegiance, and now the swans will forever remain under his spell. For a moment, a picture of a lake appears before the amazed prince, and he rushes after the elusive ghost of the opera. Shore. Lake. Night. Odette tells her friends about the broken oath. 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 the evil genius, giving the heroes freedom and happiness.

Musical dramaturgy.

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

The significance 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 “ Bolshoi ballet" And new era symphonization of the ballet, saturating it with end-to-end musical and plot development. In essence, Tchaikovsky transformed the traditional “divertissement” ballet, transforming the genre with the skill of a mature composer-symphonist; 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 heritage of ballet of the 19th century and largely determined the development of ballet art of the 20th century.

Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet

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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.

Brief summary of Tchaikovsky's ballet "" and many interesting facts Read 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 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 rite of knighting, which means that the heir enters into adult life. 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. turns out to be her 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 postponed for a long time due to the death of the emperor Alexandra 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 “” from the second act.

• The laurels of the best performer of the role of Odetta belong to Pierina Legnani, who performed everything dance moves especially elegant, even 32 fouettés. For the first time in this role she performed on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater.
• Many residents former USSR we 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. At all, classical music can be heard quite often in cartoons . You can find out more about this 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

Great Waltz - listen

The history of the creation of “Swan Lake”

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 world– fantastic and real, however, sometimes the boundaries between them are blurred. 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.

Productions

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

Almost twenty years later, the management 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 already new script The performance was developed by the famous Marius Petipa, and work on it began literally immediately, together with Tchaikovsky. But the sudden death of the composer interrupted this work, and the choreographer himself was deeply shocked by this. A year later, Petipa's student and assistant staged one picture from the ballet, 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 play was incredibly enriched. Ivanov decided to introduce the White Swan Queen, and Petipa suggested contrasting Odile with her. Thus, the “black” pas de deux from the second act arose.

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

The production on the stage of the Vienna Opera, which took place in 1964, caused 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 play was Nuriev himself. In his version, all the action was focused specifically on the prince.

It is worth noting that basically all academic productions of the ballet took the version of L. Ivanov and M. Petipa as a basis. Among subsequent works, it is worth noting the production by V.P. Burmeister in 1953. He introduced new characters and changed it a little storyline. The choreographer also planned to change the tragic ending and make it bright. But contrary to expectations, the public did not immediately like this innovation. It was believed that it is the tragic ending that gives depth to the interpretation of the entire work.

Among the unusual interpretations, it is worth noting the work of John Normayer, for a production at the Hamburg Ballet. This is already an Illusion, like Swan Lake, where the main character turns into Ludwig II. There is nothing that reminds us of the original source - lakes, swans. Everything that happens around is nothing more than a fantasy of the protagonist’s sick mind.

Also, quite brave and original version considered to be the work of British choreographer Matthew Bourne, staged in November 1995. If initially the idea of ​​​​replacing all the ballerinas with men caused disapproval of the public, over time, this version became a huge success. As Matthew Bourne 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 it was modern choreography and how is it different from classical ballet. It's surprising that this particular version ended up in school curriculum UK.

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

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

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

Despite the initial harsh criticism and resounding success afterwards, numerous changes in plots and scenes, one thing remains unchanged in this ballet - the beautiful, eternal music of P.I., enchanting from the first sounds. Tchaikovsky. It is no coincidence that “Swan Lake” is recognized as the most famous ballet 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”

P.I. Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893)

"Swan Lake", fantasy ballet in 4 acts

The ballet “Swan Lake” was commissioned by Tchaikovsky in the spring of 1875 by the management 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 ballet dancer V.F. Geltser, 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 fall of the same year work on the play was already underway at the theater.

The premiere of the play took place on February 20, 1877 on the stage of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater. 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 of the premiere we read: “...Reisinger... showed, if not an art corresponding to his specialty, then a remarkable ability to perform some kind of gymnastic exercises instead of dancing. The corps de ballet stomps around in the same place, flapping their arms like windmills' wings, and the soloists jump with gymnastic steps around the stage.”

The cast of leading roles at the first performances was also very weak: in the role of Odette, instead of the talented prima ballerina A. Sobestanskaya, her understudy P. Karpakova performed, an orchestra led by the then inexperienced conductor Ryabov, moreover, unprepared to perform scores like “Swan Lake” ", performed his task extremely carelessly. According to one reviewer, only two orchestral rehearsals took place before the premiere.

The first stage incarnation 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 choreography first 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, and among them Galina Ulanova, unrivaled in spirituality.

Characters:

Dominant princess

Prince Siegfried - her son

Benno - Siegfried's friend

Wolfgang - the prince's mentor

Odette the Swan Queen

VonRothbard - evil genius

Odile - his daughter

Master of Ceremonies

Friends of the prince, court gentlemen, lackeys, court ladies and pages in the princess's retinue, villagers, villagers, swans, cubs.

The introduction music is the first sketch of a beautiful and sad story about an enchanted bird girl. The thread of the narrative is led by a gentle melody of the oboe, akin to the main musical image of the ballet - the swan theme. In the middle section of the introduction, the color gradually changes: dark and disturbing shadows appear, the music becomes dramatized. The cries of the trombones sound menacing and ominous. Escalation leads to repetition initial theme(reprise-coda), which is performed by trumpets (duplicated by woodwinds), and then by cellos against the backdrop of the alarming hum of timpani. Now this topic is becoming tragic.

Action one

Park in front of the castle.

2. . A merry party on the occasion of Prince Siegfried's coming of age. Villagers arrive who want to congratulate the young prince. The men are treated to wine, and the women villagers are given ribbons and flowers.

The music of this scene is brightly major and full of lively energy. According to Laroche, this music reveals "the bright, cheerful and powerful Tchaikovsky." The middle part of the scene is an elegant pastoral scene illustrating the appearance of the villagers. 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.

3. . The villagers dance, wanting to entertain the prince. The beauty of this waltz lies most of all in its bright and inexhaustibly varied melodic pattern. The waltz begins with a short introductory movement ("Intrada"), followed by the main theme of the first section. The development of this melody is enlivened by passages of flutes and clarinets “roaring” around the main melodic voice (the 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 soulful theme of the central episode is especially memorable:

The emotionality of this theme receives a vivid development in a large symphonic build-up, leading to the final part of the entire piece (reprise-coda). Here the initial themes of the waltz are transformed, sounding 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, greeting her respectfully. 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 this will be decided by tomorrow's ball, to which she invited all the girls worthy of becoming the prince's wife. He himself will choose the best of them. Having allowed 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 bustle of the youth taken by surprise. The appearance of the princess is announced by the sounds of fanfare. A new, affectionately calm musical theme accompanies the speech of Siegfried's mother:

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

5. . Divertimento suite, consisting of individual dance variations: Intrada (introduction). А11егго moderato. A light, smoothly sliding melody against the background of a ringing harp accompaniment. In the middle section, the expressiveness of the melody intensifies, thanks to the sharp harmonies and languid chromaticisms in the accompanying voices.

6. . This play is based on a sincere, slightly sad melody of the Russian lyrical style. 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 assigned to the oboe and bassoon, the sound of which resembles the contrast of female and male voices.

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

8. . A typically male dance with energetic and massive movements, a bright contrast to previous. Set out with heavy, sonorous chords from the entire orchestra.

9. . A fast and virtuoso-light piece with a melody from flutes and violins.

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

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

12. – Allegro. The dance-song, one of the most charming lyrical episodes of Swan Lake, is filled with soft, purely Russian melancholicity. The songfulness of this dance is emphasized by its instrumentation: the melody is led almost all the time by a solo violin. At the end she is echoed by the equally melodious voice of the oboe. The song immediately transitions into a fast galloping dance. Here again the main role is played by the solo violin, whose part becomes brilliantly virtuosic.

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

14. (А11егго molto vivace). A fast, brilliantly instrumented dance of a final nature.

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

16. . Pantomime. It's starting 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 part with its graceful interplay of strings and wooden 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 swan theme appears, which is the main musically ballet - a melody full of tender beauty and sadness. Its first performance is entrusted to the oboe, which sounds against the backdrop of an arpeggiated harp and tremulous tremolo chords of the strings.

Act 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 swims across the lake. In front is a swan crowned. The music of this scene develops the main lyrical theme of the ballet (the theme of the swan girl). Its first performance by the solo oboe sounds like a touching song, but gradually the music becomes more dramatic. The build-up leads to a new presentation of the main part of the theme in the powerful sound of the entire orchestra.

2. . Siegfried's friends 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 disappear. At this time, Odette emerges from 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 ruler of the girls - a gloomy owl - is constantly watching them. The spell of the evil genius will be defeated only by the one who loves Odette selflessly and eternal love, a love that knows no hesitation and is ready to make sacrifices. Siegfried is enchanted by Odette's beauty. He thinks with horror that he could have killed the princess when she was in the form of a swan. An owl flies over the chapel as an ominous shadow. 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 and playful mood is only briefly interrupted by a flash of anxiety: the prince sees swans and

wants to shoot. The motive of the complaint sounding at this moment (woodwinds accompanied by tremolo strings) is close to the theme of the swan. The next episode, Odette’s pleas addressed to the prince, begins with a gentle oboe melody against the background of light pizzicato string chords.

The lyrical solo turns into a duet, where the oboe responds with lovingly consoling phrases from the cello. The development of the duet leads to an episode of Odette's story. The excited music of the story is akin to the melody of the waltz (No. 2) from the first act. The music of the story is interrupted by trumpet chords of trombones, illustrating the appearance of an eagle 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 free her from the power of evil spells, and the passionate exclamations of the prince: “Oh, forgive me, forgive me!”

3. . A string of swans, Odette's friends, appears. Music that paints them (Allegro) anxiously and anxiously. As an answer, Odette’s new lyrically tender melody sounds (the composer accompanies this theme with a remark:"Odette: Enough, stop it, he’s 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 remark: “The Prince Throws His Gun”) and a new implementation of Odette’s theme (Moderato assai quasi andante); presented transparently and lightly in the high register of woodwind instruments, it perfectly corresponds to the author’s remark:"Odette: Calm down, knight..."

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

5. - a playful, rhythmically perky 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, and full of naive grace. The instrumentation is transparent, with a predominance of woodwind timbre (characteristic of Tchaikovsky's contrasting preparation for the next, important number, a lyrical adagio, where the sound of string instruments dominates). The main theme is performed by two oboes, supported by light bassoon accompaniment.

8. . Love duet of Odette and the prince. This is one of the most significant numbers in the ballet. According to the memoirs of N. D. Kashkin, Tchaikovsky borrowed the music of Adagio from his destroyed opera “Ondine”. The music conveys the first confessions of the lovers, their gentle shyness 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 section of A Dagio with its abrupt, seemingly fluttering chords of oboes and clarinets, is felt like a barely noticeable ripple on the mirror surface of water. This is the music of the introduction and conclusion of this part, and its basis is a new melody of the solo violin, full of joyful animation and brilliance.

In the reprise of 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 led by the cello, and melodious phrases of the violin echo it in the high register. The “Song of Love” blossoms richer and brighter.

9. -small fast variation (A ll his) - 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 his vivace).

11. . Final. Love for Odette more and more takes possession of the prince's heart. He vows that he will be faithful to her and volunteers to be her savior. Odette reminds Siegfried that tomorrow there is a ball at 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 his 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. Dawn breaks and the hour of farewell arrives. The girls, turning into swans, swim across the lake, and a huge black eagle owl stretches its wings above them. The music of this scene, based on the swan theme, completely reproduces the opening episode of the second act.

Act three

Hall of the castle of the ruling princess.

1. . A11eggo qiusto. The ball begins, at which Prince Siegfried has to choose a bride. The master of ceremonies gives the necessary orders. The guests, the princess and Siegfried with their retinue, follow. The stage is accompanied by festive music in the nature of a fast march.

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

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

The last, third performance of the waltz is extended; According to the composer’s remark, “the entire corps de ballet” dances here. This large waltz reprise introduces a new middle episode 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 Count 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 treachery of the evil genius. But the carried away Siegfried sees and hears no one except Odile.

The beginning of the scene - the mother's affectionate questions to her son and his restless responses - is conveyed by the melody of the "Waltz of the Brides", which has now taken on a new look. The sounds of trumpets precede the appearance of Rothbard and Odile. A short orchestral recitative follows with Tchaikovsky’s characteristic motif of the fatal “blow of fate.” And then, against the backdrop of tremolo strings, the swan theme sounds sharply dramatic, expressing the despair of the deceived Odette.

5. . Dance of six. The plot and dramatic intent of this diversion 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 poses coquettishly in front of him.”

6. . In the Hungarian “Csardas” the contrast of the first minor-pathetic part and the lively and cheerful second part with sharp rhythms (similar to the “starter” and “chorus”) is typical.

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

8. is sustained in the characteristic “bolero” rhythm, emphasized by the sonorous clicking of castanets.

9. . In Italian, the first part is built on the melody of an authentic 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 stamping, in the middle part is lyrically graceful, instrumented subtly and transparently (two clarinets in the background p izzicato strings).

11. . The princess is glad that Siegfried is infatuated with Rothbard's daughter, and informs her mentor about this. The prince invites Odile to a waltz tour. He is still sure that the beautiful guest is Odette. Getting more and more carried away, he kisses her hand. The princess, seeing this, announces that Odile is to become 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 noisily and a white swan with a crown on its head is shown on the window”). He becomes convinced with horror that he has become a victim of deception, 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, in despair, rushes to the lake of swans.

Act four

The deserted shore of the swan lake. In the distance, the ruins of rocks were sought. Night...

1. . Music depicts Odette's friends, kind and affectionate. Beautiful, softly melodious phrases sounding alternately different groups 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 to. The music of this scene develops the main theme of the Intermission, which becomes increasingly 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 Voevoda,” written in 1868 and subsequently destroyed by the composer (currently restored from surviving materials and included in the Complete Works of P. I. Tchaikovsky, vol. I)

3. . Languishing with restless anticipation of Odette, the girls try to entertain themselves by dancing. The composer's remark explaining this number: “Swan girls teach swans to dance.” The music is imbued with broad songfulness. Main topic- Russian soulful lyrical melody in a character typical of the early Tchaikovsky.

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

“But I love him,” Odette says sadly. “Poor thing!” Let’s fly away quickly, here he comes!” “He?” - Oh, Detta runs towards the ruins in fear, 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 looks for Odette to beg her forgiveness. The joy of the lovers' meeting does not last long - the appearance of an evil genius reminds of the irreparability of what happened. Odette says goodbye to Siegfried; she must die before the coming morning turns her back into a swan. But the prince also 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 defeat the great feeling of love, he tries to separate the lovers with a furious storm: the wind whirlwinds intensify, the lake overflows its banks. Odette and after her Siegfried throw themselves from the top of a cliff into the abyss of a stormy lake. The evil genius falls dead. Apotheosis depicts a bright underwater kingdom. Nymphs and naiads joyfully greet Odette and her lover and take them to the “temple of eternal happiness.”

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

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

© Inna Astakhova

Based on materials from the book: Zhitomirsky D., “Tchaikovsky’s Ballets”, Moscow, 1957