Classical Ballet Pyotr Tchaikovsky "Swan Lake" fantasy ballet in three acts (four scenes) World famous Mariinsky Ballet and Opera - Mariinsky II (New Theatre)
Running time: 3 hours 10 minutes
The performance has 2 intermissions
Schedule for Pyotr Tchaikovsky "Swan Lake" fantasy ballet in three acts (four scenes) 2022
Composer: Peter Tchaikovsky Choreography: Marius Petipa Libretto: Vladimir Begichev Libretto: Vasily Geltzer Choreography: Leonid Yakobson Orchestra: St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra Ballet company: The Saint-Petersburg State Leonid Yacobson Ballet Theatre
Orchestra: Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra
Classical Ballet in 3 acts
World premiere: 27 February 1877, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, Russia
Premiere of this production: 8 March 1950
Swan Lake, the treasure of the Russian Classical
Ballet ballet, form the basis of the classical ballet repertoire of the
Mariinsky Theater: more than a hundred years ago, it was
choreographed by Marius Petipa and is considered
to be a hallmark of the Mariinsky Ballet - the Main Ballet Stage of the Russian Empire. This classical masterpiece was performed almost uncountable number of times at the
Mariinsky Theatre and in the course of numerous tours.
Music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky Libretto by Vladimir Begichev and Vasily Geltzer Choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov (1895) revised choreography and stage direction: Konstantin Sergeyev (1950)
Set design by Igor Ivanov Costume design by Galina Solovyova
World premiere: 20 February 1877, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow (choreography by Julius Reisinger) Premiere in St Petersburg: 15 January 1895, Mariinsky Theatre (choreography by Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa) Premiere of Konstantin Sergeyevґs version: 8 March 1950, Kirov Theatre of Opera and Ballet (Mariinsky), Leningrad
Running time: 3 hours 10 minutes The performance has two intervals
“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
payroll, 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 a 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 criss-crossed 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, as 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.
© Text 2010 Art and Culture Magazine "St Peterburg" It is difficult to understand these days how it could have happened that the first show of the "Swan 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 payroll, 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 a 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 criss-crossed 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, as 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.
© Text 2010 Art and Culture Magazine "St Peterburg"
Schedule for Pyotr Tchaikovsky "Swan Lake" fantasy ballet in three acts (four scenes) 2022
|