Chaikovsky. Ballet« Swan Lake»

Ballet to music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky in four acts. Libretto by V. Begichev and V. Geltser

Characters:

Odette, the swan queen (good fairy)

Odile, daughter of an evil genius who looks like Odette

Possessing princess

Prince Siegfried, her son

Benno von Sommerstern, friend of the prince

Wolfgang, Prince's tutor

Knight Rothbart, an evil genius disguised as a guest

Baron von Stein

Baroness, his wife

Baron von Schwarzfels

Baroness, his wife

Master of Ceremonies

Skorokhod

Friends of the prince, gentlemen of the court, ladies and pages in the retinue of the princess, lackeys, settlers, villagers, servants, swans and swans

The action takes place in a fairy-tale land in fairy-tale times.

History of creation

In 1875, the directorate of the imperial theaters turned to Tchaikovsky with an unusual order. He was asked to write the ballet "Lake of Swans". This order was unusual because previously "serious" composers of ballet music did not write. The only exceptions were works in this genre by Adana and Delibes. Against the expectations of many, Tchaikovsky accepted the order. The scenario offered to him by V. Begichev (1838-1891) and V. Geltser (1840-1908) was based on the motifs of fairy tales found among different peoples about bewitched girls turned into swans. Curiously, four years earlier, in 1871, the composer had written a one-act ballet for children called The Lake of the Swans, so he may have had the idea of ​​using this very plot in the big ballet. The theme of all-conquering love, triumphing even over death, was close to him: by that time, the symphonic overture-fantasy "Romeo and Juliet" had already appeared in his creative portfolio, and the following year, after turning to "Swan Lake" (this is how the ballet in final version), but even before its completion, "Francesca da Rimini" was created.

The composer approached the order very responsibly. According to the memoirs of his contemporaries, “before writing the ballet, he sought for a long time who he could contact in order to obtain accurate data on the music necessary for dancing. He even asked ... what should he do with the dances, what should be their length, score, etc.” Tchaikovsky carefully studied various ballet scores in order to understand "this kind of composition in detail." Only then did he start writing. At the end of the summer of 1875, the first two acts were written, at the beginning of winter, the last two. In the spring of the following year, the composer orchestrated what he had written and finished work on the score. In autumn, the theater was already working on a production of the ballet. It began to be carried out by V. Reisinger (1827-1892), invited to Moscow in 1873 to the post of ballet master of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater. Unfortunately, he turned out to be an unimportant director. His ballets throughout 1873-1875 invariably failed, and when in 1877 another of his performances appeared on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater - the premiere of Swan Lake took place on February 20 (March 4, according to a new style) - this event went unnoticed. Actually, from the point of view of balletomanes, this was not an event: the performance was unsuccessful and left the stage eight years later.

The true birth of Tchaikovsky's first ballet took place more than twenty years later, after the composer's death. The directorate of the imperial theaters was going to stage Swan Lake in the 1893-1894 season. The directorate had at its disposal two excellent choreographers - the venerable Marius Petipa (1818-1910), who had been working in St. Petipa, who staged mainly small ballets and divertissements on the stages of the Mariinsky, Kamennoostrovsky and Krasnoselsky theaters. Ivanov was remarkable for his amazing musicality and brilliant memory. He was a real nugget, some researchers call him the "soul of Russian ballet." A student of Petipa, Ivanov gave the work of his teacher even greater depth and a purely Russian character. However, he could create his choreographic compositions only to beautiful music. His best achievements include, in addition to the scenes of "Swan Lake", "Polovtsian Dances" in "Prince Igor" and "Hungarian Rhapsody" to the music of Liszt.

The script for the new production of the ballet was developed by Petipa himself. In the spring of 1893, his joint work with Tchaikovsky began, interrupted by the untimely death of the composer. Shaken both by Tchaikovsky's death and by his personal losses, Petipa fell ill. At the evening dedicated to the memory of Tchaikovsky and held on February 17, 1894, among other numbers, the 2nd scene of "Swan Lake" staged by Ivanov was performed. With this production, Ivanov opened a new page in the history of Russian choreography and gained fame as a great artist. Until now, some troupes stage it as a separate independent work. “... Lev Ivanov's discoveries in Swan Lake are a brilliant breakthrough into the 20th century,” writes V. Krasovskaya. Highly appreciating Ivanov's choreographic findings, Petipa entrusted him with the swan scenes. In addition, Ivanov staged Czardas and the Venetian dance to the music of the Neapolitan (subsequently released). After recovering, Petipa finished the production with his characteristic skill. Unfortunately, a new plot twist - a happy ending instead of the originally conceived tragic one - proposed by Modest Tchaikovsky, brother and librettist of some of the composer's operas, led to the relative failure of the finale.

On January 15, 1895, the premiere took place at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, which gave a long life to Swan Lake. Ballet throughout the 20th century was performed on many stages in various versions. His choreography was inspired by A. Gorsky (1871-1924), A. Vaganova (1879-1951), K. Sergeev (1910-1992), Lopukhov (1886-1973).

Libretto

First production :

Composer: P. I. Tchaikovsky.

Screenplay: V. P. Begichev, V. F. Geltser.

First performance: 20.2.1877, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow.

Choreographer: V. Reisinger.

Artists: K. F. Waltz (II and IV acts), I. Shangin (I act) and K. Groppius (III act).

Conductor: S. Ya. Ryabov.

The first performers: Odette-Odile - P. M. Karpakova, Siegfried - A. K. Gillert, Rothbart - S. P. Sokolov.

LIBRETTO 1877

Libretto published for the premiere of Swan Lake staged by V. Reisinger at the Bolshoi Theater of Moscow on Sunday, February 20 (old style), 1877. Cit. Quoted from: A. Demidov. "Swan Lake", Moscow: Art, 1985; ss. 73-77.

Characters

Odette, the good fairy, The sovereign princess, Prince Siegfried, her son, Wolfgang, his tutor, Benno von Somerstern, the prince's friend, Von Rothbart, the evil genius disguised as a guest, Odile, his daughter who looks like Odette, Master of Ceremonies, Baron von Stein , Baroness, his wife, Freiger von Schwarzfels, His wife, 1, 2, 3 - court cavaliers, friends of the prince, Herold, Skorokhod, 1, 2, 3, 4 - villagers, Courtiers of both sexes, heralds, guests, pages, villagers and villagers, servants, swans and swans.

Act one

The action takes place in Germany. The scenery of the first act depicts a luxurious park, in the depths of which one can see the castle. A beautiful bridge spans the stream. On the stage, the young sovereign prince Siegfried, celebrating his coming of age. The prince's friends sit at tables and sip wine. The peasants who came to congratulate the prince and, of course, the peasant women, at the request of the old tipsy Wolfgang, the young prince's mentor, dance. The prince treats the dancing men with wine, and Wolfgang takes care of the peasant women, presents them with ribbons and bouquets. The dances are more lively. A runner runs in and announces to the prince that the princess, his mother, wishing to talk with 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 the tables, hide the bottles, etc. The venerable mentor, realizing that he sets a bad example for his pupil, tries to pretend to be a businesslike and sober person. Finally, she herself princess, accompanied by her retinue. All guests and peasants bow to her respectfully. The young prince, followed by his sloppy and staggering mentor, go towards the princess. The princess, noticing her son’s embarrassment, explains to him that she did not come here at all to upset the fun, interfere with him, but because she needs to talk to him about his marriage, for which the present day of his coming of age was chosen. “I am old,” continues the princess, “and therefore I want you to marry during my lifetime. I want to die, knowing that by your marriage you did not shame our famous family. ”The prince, who is not yet married, although he is annoyed at his mother’s proposal, is ready to submit and respectfully asks his mother: who did she choose for him as a friend of life?

I have not chosen anyone yet, - the mother answers, - because I want you to do it yourself. Tomorrow I have a big ball, which will be attended by nobles with their daughters. Of these, you will have to choose the one that you like, and she will be your wife. Siegfried sees that it is not yet particularly bad, and therefore replies that I will never leave your obedience, maman.

I said everything that is needed, - the princess answers this, - and I'm leaving. Have fun without being shy. As she leaves, her friends surround the prince, and he tells them the sad news.

The end of our fun, goodbye dear freedom - he says.

It's still a long song, - knight Benno soothes 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. Peasants dance either in groups or separately. The venerable Wolfgang, having drunk a little more, also starts to dance and dances, of course, so hilariously funny that everyone laughs. Having danced, Wolfgang begins courting, but the peasant women laugh at him and run away from him. He especially liked one of them, and, having previously declared his love for her, he wants to kiss her, but the cheat dodges, and, as always happens in ballets, he kisses her fiancé instead. Wolfgang's perplexity. The general laughter of those present. But now the night is coming soon; getting dark. One of the guests offers to dance with cups. Those present willingly fulfill the offer. From a distance a flying flock of swans is shown.

But it's hard to hit them, - Benno encourages the prince, pointing him to the swans.

That's nonsense, - answers the prince, - I'll hit, probably, bring a gun.

Don't, Wolfgang dissuades, don't: it's time to sleep. The prince pretends that in fact, perhaps, it's not necessary, it's time to sleep. But as soon as the calmed old man leaves, he calls the servant, takes a gun and hastily runs away with Benno in the direction where the swans flew.

Action two

Mountainous, wilderness, forest on all sides. In the depths of the scene there is a lake, on the shore of which, to the right of the viewer, a dilapidated building, something like a chapel. Night. The moon is shining. A flock of white swans with swans is floating on the lake. The herd floats towards the ruins. In front of him is a swan with a crown on his head. The tired prince and Benno enter the stage.

Perhaps, - answers Siegfried. - We must be far removed from the castle? Perhaps you will have to spend the night here ... Look, - he points to the lake, - that's where the swans are. Quick gun! Benno hands him a gun; the prince has just had time to take aim, as the swans instantly disappear. At the same moment, the interior of the ruins is illuminated by some unusual light.

Fly away! Annoying... But look, what is it? 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 for the ruins. As soon as he has time to get there, a girl in white clothes, in a crown of precious stones, appears on the steps of the stairs. The girl is illuminated by moonlight. Surprised, Siegfried and Benno retreat from the ruins. Shaking her head sullenly, the girl asks the prince:

Why are you following me, knight? What have I done to you? The embarrassed prince replies:

I didn't think... I didn't expect... The girl comes down 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 in love with one noble knight and married him, but he ruined her - and she was gone. My father married another, forgot about me, and the evil stepmother, who was a sorceress, hated me and almost exhausted me. But my grandfather took me to him. The old man loved my mother terribly and wept 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 began to pamper me and gives me complete freedom to have fun. In the daytime, with my friends, we turn into swans and, cheerfully cutting through the air with our chest, we fly high, high, almost to the very sky, and at night we play and dance here, near our old man. But my stepmother still does not leave me or even my friends alone ... At that moment, an owl screams.

Look, there she is! A huge owl with glowing eyes appears on the ruins.

She would have killed me long ago,” Odette continues. - But grandfather vigilantly watches her and does not allow me to be offended. With my marriage, the sorceress will lose the opportunity to harm me, and until then only this crown will save me from her malice. That's it, my story is not long.

Oh, forgive me, beauty, forgive me! - says the embarrassed prince, throwing himself on his knees. Strings of young girls and children run out of the ruins, and everyone reproachfully turns to 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.

Enough, says Odette, stop it. You see, he is kind, he is sad, he is sorry for me. The prince takes his gun and, quickly breaking it, throws it away from him, 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. Dances begin, in which the prince and Benno take part. Swans either form beautiful groups or dance alone. The Prince is constantly near Odette; while dancing, he falls madly in love with Odette and begs her not to reject his love (Pas d'action). Odette laughs and does not 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 holiday you will see many lovely young girls and fall in love with another, forget about me.

Oh never! I swear on my knighthood!

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 machinations of this sorceress, preparing some kind of test for you, will destroy our happiness.

I challenge the whole world! You, you alone I will love all my life! And no charms of this sorceress will destroy my happiness!

Well, tomorrow our fate must be decided: either you will never see me again, or I myself will humbly lay down my crown at your feet. But enough, it's time to part, the dawn is breaking. Farewell - until tomorrow! Odette and her friends are hiding in the ruins, the dawn is on fire in the sky, a flock of swans swims out on the lake, and above them, heavily flapping its wings, a large owl flies.

(A curtain)

Act Three

Luxurious hall in the castle of the princess, everything is prepared for the holiday. Old man Wolfgang gives the last orders to the servants. The Master of Ceremonies meets and accommodates guests. The herald who appears announces the arrival of the princess with the young prince, who enter, accompanied by their courtiers, pages and dwarfs, and, bowing kindly to the guests, take the places of honor prepared for them. The master of ceremonies, at a sign from the princess, gives the order to start dancing. The guests, both men and women, form different groups, dwarfs dance. The sound of the trumpet announces the arrival of new guests; the master of ceremonies goes to meet them, and the herald proclaims their names to the princess. The old count enters with his wife and young daughter, they bow respectfully to the owners, and the daughter, at the invitation of the princess, takes part in the dances. Then again the sound of the trumpet, again the master of ceremonies and the herald perform their duties: new guests enter ... The master of ceremonies places the old people, and the young girls are invited by the princess to dance. After several such exits, the princess calls her son aside and asks him which of the girls made a good impression on him? .. The prince sadly answers her:

Until now, I have not liked any of them, mother. The princess shrugs her shoulders with annoyance, calls Wolfgang and angrily tells him the words of her son, 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, at the sight of 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 much she looks like Odette?

But in my opinion - not at all ... you see your Odette everywhere, ”Benno answers. The prince admires the dancing Odile for a while, then takes part in the dance himself. The princess is very happy, calls Wolfgang and tells him that it seems that this guest made an impression on her son?

Oh yes, - answers Wolfgang, - wait a bit, the young prince is not a stone, in a short time he will fall in love without a mind, without memory. Meanwhile, the dancing continues, and during them the prince shows a clear preference for Odile, who coquettishly poses in front of him. In a moment of passion, the prince kisses Odile's hand. Then the princess and old man Rothbart get up from their seats and go to the middle, to the dancers.

My son, - says the princess, - you can only kiss your bride's hand.

I'm ready, mother!

What would her father say to that? says the princess. Von Rothbart solemnly takes his daughter's hand and passes it to the young prince. The scene instantly darkens, an owl calls, clothes fall off von Rothbart, and he appears in the form of a demon. Odile laughs. The window swings open noisily, and a white swan with a crown on its head appears on the window. The prince with horror throws the hand of his new girlfriend and, clutching her heart, runs out of the castle.

(A curtain)

Fourth act

Scenery of the second act. Night. Odette's friends are waiting for her return; some of them wonder where she could have gone; they are sad without her, and they try to amuse themselves by dancing themselves and making young swans dance. But then Odette runs onto the stage, her hair from under the crown is scattered around her shoulders in a mess, 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. Indignantly, her friends persuade her not to think about the traitor anymore.

But I love him,” says Odette sadly.

Poor, poor! Let's fly away, here he comes.

He?! - Odette says with fright and runs to the ruins, but suddenly stops and says: - I want to see him for the last time.

But you will ruin yourself!

Oh no! I'll be careful. Go, sisters, and wait for me. Everyone goes into the ruins. Thunder is heard ... First, separate peals, and then closer and closer; the scene is darkened by the oncoming clouds, which are illuminated from time to time 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 over. We see each other for the last time! The Prince implores her fervently, Odette remains adamant. She timidly looks around at the surging lake and, escaping from the arms of the prince, runs towards the ruins. The prince catches up with her, takes her by the hand and says in despair:

So no, no! Willingly or unwillingly, but you stay with me forever! He quickly tears off the crown from her head and throws it into a stormy lake, which has already burst its banks. An owl flies overhead with a cry, carrying in its claws the crown of Odette thrown by the prince.

What did you do! You have destroyed yourself and me. I'm dying, - says Odette, falling into the hands of the prince, and through the roar of thunder and the sound of the waves, the sad last song of the swan is heard. The waves one after another run on the prince and Odette, and soon they disappear under the water. The storm subsides, the weakening rumbles of thunder are barely audible in the distance; the moon cuts its pale ray through the dispersing clouds, and a flock of white swans appears on the calming lake.

LIBRETTO 1895 Classic version:

Classic version:

First performance: 15.1.1895, Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg.

Choreographers: M. I. Petipa (acts I and III), L. I. Ivanov (acts II and IV, Venetian and Hungarian dances of act III).

Artists: I. P. Andreev, M. I. Bocharov, G. Levot (sets), E. P. Ponomarev (costumes).

Conductor: R. E. Drigo.

The first performers: Odette-Odile - P. Legnani, Siegfried - P. A. Gerdt, Rothbart - A. D. Bulgakov.

Characters

Possessing princess, Prince Siegfried, her son, Benno, his friend, Wolfgang, the prince's tutor, Odette, the swan queen, Von-Rothbardt, the evil genius, disguised as a guest, Odile, his daughter, similar to Odette, Master of Ceremonies, herald, friends of the prince , court cavaliers, footmen, court ladies and pages in the retinue of princesses, brides, settlers, villagers, swans, swans

The action takes place in fabulous times, in Germany.

Act one

Painting I

Park in front of the castle.

Scene 1.

Benno and his comrades are waiting for Prince Siegfried to celebrate his coming of age with him. Prince Siegfried enters, accompanied by Wolfgang. The feast begins. Peasant girls and boys come to bring congratulations to the prince, who orders the men to be treated with wine, and the girls to be presented with ribbons. Drunk Wolfgang manages the execution of the orders of his pupil. Dancing peasants.

Scene 2

Servants run in and announce the approach of the Princess Mother. This news upsets the general merriment. The dancing stops, the servants hurry to clear the tables and hide the traces of the feast. The youth and Wolfgang make an effort to pretend to be sober. The Princess enters, preceded by her retinue; Siegfried goes to meet his mother, greeting her respectfully. She affectionately rebukes him for trying to deceive her. She knows that he was feasting now, and she came not to prevent him from having fun in the circle of comrades, but to remind him that the last day of his single life had come and that tomorrow he should become a bridegroom.

To the question: who is his bride? The princess replies that tomorrow's ball will decide this, to which she has called all the girls worthy of becoming her daughter and his wife; he chooses the one he likes best. Having allowed the interrupted feast to continue, the princess leaves.

Scene 3

The prince is thoughtful: he is sad to part with a free, single life. Benno persuades him not to spoil the pleasant present by worrying about the future. Siegfried gives a sign to continue the amusements. The feasting and dancing resume. Completely intoxicated Wolfgang makes everyone laugh with his participation in the dances.

Scene 4

It's evening. One more farewell dance and it's time to leave. Cup dance.

scene 5

A flock of swans is flying by. Youth is not up to sleep. The sight of the swans makes them think of ending the day with a hunt. Benno knows where the swans flock to at night. Leaving the intoxicated Wolfgang, Siegfried and the young people leave.

Scene II

Rocky wilderness. At the back of the stage is a lake. To the right, on the shore, are the ruins of a chapel. Moonlight night.

Scene 1

A flock of white swans floats on the lake. Ahead of all is a swan with a crown on its head.

Scene 2

Enter Benno with some of the prince's entourage. Noticing the swans, they prepare to shoot them, but the swans swim away. Benno, having sent his companions to report to the prince that they had found the herd, is left alone. Swans, having turned into young beauties, surround Benno, struck by a magical phenomenon and powerless against their charms. His comrades return, preceded by the prince. When they appear, the swans retreat. Young people are going to shoot them. The prince enters and also takes aim, but at this time the ruins are illuminated by a magical light and Odette appears, begging for mercy.

Scene 3

Siegfried, struck by her beauty, forbids his comrades from shooting. She expresses her gratitude to him and tells that she is Princess Odette and the girls subject to her are the unfortunate victims of the evil genius who bewitched them, and they are condemned to take the form of swans during the day and only at night, near these ruins, can they retain their human appearance. Their master, in the form of an owl, guards them. His terrible spell will continue until someone falls in love with her forever, for life; only a man who has not sworn love to any other girl can be her deliverer and restore her to her former image. Siegfried, fascinated, listens to Odette. At this time, the owl arrives and, having turned into an evil genius, appears in the ruins and, having overheard their conversation, disappears. Siegfried is horrified at the thought that he could kill Odette when she was in the form of a swan. He breaks his bow and throws it away indignantly. Odette consoles the young prince.

Scene 4

Odette calls all her friends and together with them tries to disperse him by dancing. Siegfried is more and more fascinated by the beauty of Princess Odette and volunteers to be her savior. He has never sworn love to anyone and therefore can save her from the spell of the owl. He will kill him and free Odette. The latter replies that it is impossible. The death of the evil genius will come only at the moment when some madman sacrifices himself for the love of Odette. Siegfried is ready for that too; For her sake, he is happy to die. Odette believes in his love, believes that he never swore. But tomorrow the day will come when a host of beauties will come to his mother's court and he will be obliged to choose one of them as his wife. Siegfried says that he will only be a groom when she, Odette, comes to the ball. The unfortunate girl replies that this is impossible, because at that time she could only fly around the castle in the form of a swan. The prince swears that he will never cheat on her. Odette, touched by the love of the young man, accepts his oath, but warns that the evil genius will do everything to snatch an oath from him to another girl. Siegfried also promises that no spell will take Odette away from him.

scene 5

Dawn breaks. Odette says goodbye to her lover and hides in the ruins with her friends. The light of dawn is getting brighter. A flock of swans again swims up on the lake, and above them, heavily flapping its wings, a large owl flies.

Action two

Luxurious room. Everything is ready for the holiday.

Scene 1

The Master of Ceremonies gives final orders to the servants. He meets and accommodates arriving guests. Exit of the princess and Siegfried in the forerunner of the court. Procession of brides and their parents. General dance. Waltz of the brides.

The princess mother asks her son which of the girls he likes best. Siegfried finds them all charming, but does not see a single one to whom he could swear an oath of eternal love.

Scene 3

Trumpets herald the arrival of new guests. Von Rothbardt enters with his daughter Odile. Siegfried is struck by her resemblance to Odette and greets her admiringly. Odette, in the form of a swan, appears at the window, warning her lover against the spell of an evil genius. But he, carried away by the beauty of the new guest, hears nothing and sees nothing but her. The dancing starts again.

Scene 4

Siegfried's choice is made. Confident that Odile and Odette are one and the same person, he chooses her as his bride. Von-Rothbardt solemnly takes his daughter's hand and passes it to the young man, who pronounces the oath of eternal love in front of everyone. At this moment, Siegfried sees Odette in the window. He realizes that he has become a victim of deceit, but it is too late: the oath is pronounced, Rothbardt and Odile disappear. Odette must forever remain in the power of the evil genius, who, in the form of an owl, appears above her in the window. The unfortunate prince runs away in a fit of despair. General confusion.

A halo of secrets is shrouded in the history of the creation of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet "Swan Lake". The plot outline has long become familiar to viewers, although its literary source is still unclear. However, few people remember that the original libretto was completely different. But it was from him that Tchaikovsky repelled when writing music.

Forgotten story...

The good fairy Odette lives on the shore of a mysterious lake. During the day, she soars above the earth in the form of a snow-white swan and enjoys freedom. At night, having taken on a human form, she dances merrily with her friends among the ruins of an old castle. However, Odette was disliked by her evil stepmother, who turned out to be a witch. She seeks to destroy her stepdaughter and pursues her, turning into an owl. But Odette is protected by a magical crown.

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The girl told her story to the young prince Siegfried, who happened to be in the wilderness. He fell in love with the beautiful fairy at first sight. She answered him in kind and revealed the main secret: liberation from the persecution of the stepmother-owl is possible if some young man falls in love with Odette for life. When he calls the girl his wife, the evil witch will become powerless. Siegfried is not afraid of any trials and volunteers to be the deliverer of his beloved.

However, he did not calculate his strength. A ball began in the palace, at which the prince had to choose a bride. The mysterious knight Rothbart appeared at the celebration with his daughter Odile. At first, she seemed to Siegfried like Odette, but then the image of the lake fairy faded in his soul.

The charming guest completely captured the attention of the windy young man. Blinded by sudden passion, he calls Odile his bride.

The peals of thunder, the flash of lightning terrify Siegfried - he remembers Odette and hurries to the shore of the lake, hoping to beg her forgiveness. But now they must part. Wanting to keep the fairy next to him at all costs, Siegfried rips off the magic crown from her head. With this, he finally destroys the girl - now nothing will protect her from the evil stepmother. Odette falls dead in Siegfried's arms. A storm begins, and the oncoming waves absorb the unfortunate lovers.

lake of secrets

This was the plot in the first production. It took place in 1877 on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre. The name of the author of the libretto was not on the poster. Presumably he was Vladimir Begichev - the manager of the Imperial Moscow theaters. As his possible co-author, the famous artist Vasily Geltser was called. But there is a possibility that the libretto was written by the composer himself. Vaclav Reisinger, the author of the choreography of the first production, could also participate in the work on the script.

The premiere was a moderate success. The deep music of Tchaikovsky did not immediately meet with understanding and found a worthy embodiment in dance. Choreographer Reisinger was not so much a creative artist as a conscientious worker. Nevertheless, in his production, the performance withstood several dozen performances. Then the ballet was forgotten for years.

The new birth of "Swan Lake" came in 1895 - on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater. The first and third pictures were staged by Marius Petipa, the second and fourth by Lev Ivanov. Pyotr Ilyich was no longer alive at that time. The libretto was revised with the participation of his brother, Modest Tchaikovsky. The changes also affected the score - the order of some numbers has changed. In addition, several piano pieces by the composer were added - they were orchestrated for the ballet by Riccardo Drigo.

The game of opposites

In the plot, a number of key points have changed dramatically. Odette from a good fairy turned into an enchanted girl - one of many. If in the first edition she voluntarily took the form of a swan, then according to the new libretto, this was the result of an evil spell. The image of the owl-stepmother has completely disappeared. The cause of all the troubles was the evil wizard Rothbart, who in the previous version was only an episodic character.

In the first libretto, the resemblance between Odile and Odette did not play a decisive role in the fact that Siegfried broke his word given to his beloved. He was blinded by a brilliant stranger at a ball and forgot about the fairy from the lake. In the new version, the hero saw Odette in Odile, which somewhat mitigated his guilt. However, the oath of allegiance was nevertheless violated - Siegfried succumbed to an external impression, but did not listen to the voice of his soul.

In both versions, the ending is tragic - the heroes die in the stormy waves of the lake. But in the original libretto, the stepmother-owl, having killed Odette, triumphed. In the new version, the heroes defeat evil at the cost of their lives. Siegfried's self-sacrifice in the name of love for Odette leads Rothbart to death. Enchanted girls are released from the spell. Siegfried and Odette are reunited in the other world.

Endless search

The second version of the libretto looks more harmonious and logical. But the paradox is that the music was created based on the original plot. It was changed after the death of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The score was also revised without the consent of the composer. Nevertheless, successful attempts were made to recreate the author's musical edition. In particular, the choreographic version by Vladimir Pavlovich Burmeister is based on it.

There are a lot of productions of Swan Lake. Depending on the reading, some nuances are sometimes introduced into the libretto. It has a mystery that dancers and choreographers are trying to unravel. Everyone sees their own meaning. But the theme of beautiful, sublime love remains unchanged. And, of course, a moral choice - it always has to be made in a difficult struggle between good and evil, light and darkness.

"Swan Lake" (Rudolf Nureyev, Margo Fontaine)

"Swan Lake" (Maya Plisetskaya, Nikolai Fadeechev)

"Swan Lake" (Galina Mezentseva, Konstantin Zaklinsky)

Now "Swan Lake" is one of the most famous and beloved ballets by the audience. He went around, probably, all the ballet stages of the world. Representatives of many generations of choreographers from different countries have been thinking about it and thinking about it, and, apparently, they will still think about it, trying to comprehend the secrets and philosophical depths of the music composed by Tchaikovsky. But the whitest swan, born of the imagination of the great composer, will always remain a symbol of Russian ballet, a symbol of its purity, grandeur, its noble beauty. And it is no coincidence that Russian ballerinas, acting as the queen of swans Odette, remained in the memory of people as wonderful legends - Marina Semenova, Galina Ulanova,
Maya Plisetskaya, Raisa Struchkova, Natalia Bessmertnova...
The skill of Russian ballet dancers is recognized all over the world. One of the best ballet troupes in the country for many years has been the ballet of the Musical Theater named after K.S. Stanislavsky and Vl.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko. This original, imitating group has its own identity and is loved by the audience both in Russia and abroad.

The performance is familiar to ballet lovers from many countries. He was seen in France
Japan, China, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Portugal, Hungary, Syria, Jordan,
India, Spain...
It's safe to say - "Swan Lake" staged by
V.P. Burmeister has stood the test of time. The performance does not seem to have grown old. His creative pulse beats full, he continues to delight the hearts and souls of the audience.

Production by V. Reisinger 1877: Libretto Ballet program Article by E. Surits Article by Y. Slonimsky on the music of the ballet Production by M. Petipa and L. Ivanov 1895 Libretto Ballet program Productions in Moscow and St. Petersburg (with commentary)

Description

First staging:
Composer: P. I. Tchaikovsky.
Screenplay: V. P. Begichev, V. F. Geltser.
First performance: 20.2.1877, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow.
Choreographer: V. Reisinger.
Artists: K. F. Waltz (II and IV acts), I. Shangin (I act) and K. Groppius (III act).
Conductor: S. Ya. Ryabov.
The first performers: Odette-Odile - P. M. Karpakova, Siegfried - A. K. Gillert, Rothbart - S. P. Sokolov.

Classic version:
First performance: 15.1.1895, Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg.
Choreographers: M. I. Petipa (acts I and III), L. I. Ivanov (acts II and IV, Venetian and Hungarian dances of act III).
Artists: I. P. Andreev, M. I. Bocharov, G. Levot (sets), E. P. Ponomarev (costumes).
Conductor: R. E. Drigo.
The first performers: Odette-Odile - P. Legnani, Siegfried - P. A. Gerdt, Rothbart - A. D. Bulgakov.

LIBRETTO 1877

Libretto published for the premiere of Swan Lake staged by V. Reisinger at the Bolshoi Theater of Moscow on Sunday, February 20 (old style), 1877. Cit. Quoted from: A. Demidov. "Swan Lake", Moscow: Art, 1985; ss. 73-77.

Characters

Odette the good fairy
Possessing princess
Prince Siegfried, her son
Wolfgang, his mentor
Benno von Somerstern, friend of the prince
Von Rothbart, the evil genius, disguised as a guest

Master of Ceremonies
Baron von Stein
Baroness, his wife
Freiger von Schwartzfels
His wife
1, 2, 3 - court cavaliers, friends of the prince
Herald
Skorokhod
1, 2, 3, 4 - villagers
Courtiers of both sexes, heralds, guests, pages, villagers and villagers, servants, swans and swans.

Act one

The action takes place in Germany. The scenery of the first act depicts a luxurious park, in the depths of which one can see the castle. A beautiful bridge spans the stream. On the stage, the young sovereign prince Siegfried, celebrating his coming of age. The prince's friends sit at tables and sip wine. The peasants who came to congratulate the prince and, of course, the peasant women, at the request of the old tipsy Wolfgang, the young prince's mentor, dance. The prince treats the dancing men with wine, and Wolfgang takes care of the peasant women, giving them ribbons and bouquets.

The dancing is getting livelier. A runner runs in and announces to the prince that the princess, his mother, wishing to talk with 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 the tables, hide the bottles, etc. The venerable mentor, realizing that he sets a bad example for his pupil, tries to pretend to be 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 reckless and staggering mentor, go towards the princess.

The princess, noticing the embarrassment of her son, explains to him that she did not come here at all to upset the fun, interfere with him, but because she needs to talk with him about his marriage, for which the present day of his coming of age was chosen. “I am old,” continues the princess, “and therefore I want you to marry during my lifetime. I want to die, knowing that by your marriage you did not shame our famous family.

The prince, who is not yet married, although he is annoyed at his mother's proposal, is ready to submit and respectfully asks his mother: whom did she choose for him as a friend of life?

I have not chosen anyone yet, - the mother answers, - because I want you to do it yourself. Tomorrow I have a big ball, which will be attended by nobles with their daughters. Of these, you will have to choose the one that you like, and she will be your wife.

Siegfried sees that it is not yet particularly bad, and therefore replies that I will never get out of your obedience, maman.

I said everything that is needed, - the princess answers this, - and I'm leaving. Have fun without being shy.

After leaving, her friends surround the prince, and he tells them the sad news.
- The end of our fun, goodbye dear freedom - he says.
"It's still a long song," Knight Benno soothes 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 spree begins again. Peasants dance either in groups or separately. The venerable Wolfgang, having drunk a little more, also starts to dance and dances, of course, so hilariously funny that everyone laughs. Having danced, Wolfgang begins courting, but the peasant women laugh at him and run away from him. He especially liked one of them, and, having previously declared his love for her, he wants to kiss her, but the cheat dodges, and, as always happens in ballets, he kisses her fiancé instead. Wolfgang's perplexity. The general laughter of those present.

But now the night is coming soon; getting dark. One of the guests offers to dance with cups. Those present willingly fulfill the proposal.

A flying flock of swans is shown from a distance.

But it's hard to hit them, - Benno encourages the prince, pointing him to the swans.
- That's nonsense, - the prince answers, - I'll hit, probably, bring a gun.
- Don't, dissuades Wolfgang, don't: it's time to sleep.

The prince pretends that in fact, perhaps, it’s not necessary, it’s time to sleep. But as soon as the calmed old man leaves, he calls the servant, takes a gun and hastily runs away with Benno in the direction where the swans flew.

Action two

Mountainous, wilderness, forest on all sides. In the depths of the scene there is a lake, on the shore of which, to the right of the viewer, a dilapidated building, something like a chapel. Night. The moon is shining.

A flock of white swans with swans floats on the lake. The herd floats towards the ruins. In front of him is a swan with a crown on his head.

A weary prince and Benno enter the stage.
“Go on,” says the last one, “I can’t, I can’t. Let's take a rest, shall we?
“Perhaps,” Siegfried replies. - We must be far removed from the castle? Perhaps you will have to spend the night here ... Look, - he points to the lake, - that's where the swans are. More like a gun!

Benno gives him a gun; the prince has just had time to take aim, as the swans instantly disappear. At the same moment, the interior of the ruins is illuminated by some unusual light.

Fly away! Annoying... But look, what is it? And the prince points Benno to the illuminated ruins.
- Strange! Benno is surprised. This place must be enchanted.
- This is what we are now exploring, - the prince answers and heads towards the ruins.

As soon as he got there, a girl in white clothes, in a crown of precious stones, appears on the steps of the stairs. The girl is illuminated by moonlight.

Surprised, Siegfried and Benno retreat from the ruins. Shaking her head sullenly, the girl asks the prince:
Why are you following me, knight? What I did to you?
The embarrassed prince replies:
- I didn't think... I didn't expect...

The girl comes down the steps, quietly approaches the prince and, putting her hand on his shoulder, reproachfully says:
- 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 in love with one noble knight and married him, but he ruined her - and she was gone. My father married another, forgot about me, and the evil stepmother, who was a sorceress, hated me and almost exhausted me. But my grandfather took me to him. The old man loved my mother terribly and wept 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 began to pamper me and gives me complete freedom to have fun. In the daytime, with my friends, we turn into swans and, cheerfully cutting through the air with our chest, we fly high, high, almost to the very sky, and at night we play and dance here, near our old man. But my stepmother still won't leave me or even my friends alone...

At this moment, an owl calls.
- Do you hear? .. This is her ominous voice, - says Odette, anxiously looking around.
- Look, there she is!

A huge owl with glowing eyes appears on the ruins.
“She would have killed me long ago,” Odette continues. - But grandfather vigilantly watches her and does not allow me to be offended. With my marriage, the sorceress will lose the opportunity to harm me, and until then only this crown will save me from her malice. That's it, my story is not long.
- Oh, forgive me, beauty, forgive me! - says the embarrassed prince, throwing himself on his knees.

Strings of young girls and children run out of the ruins, and everyone reproachfully turns to 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.

Enough, says Odette, stop it. You see, he is kind, he is sad, he is sorry for me.

The prince takes his gun and, quickly breaking it, throws it away from him, 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.

Dances begin, in which the prince and Benno take part. Swans either form beautiful groups or dance alone. The Prince is constantly near Odette; while dancing, he falls madly in love with Odette and begs her not to reject his love (Pas d'action). Odette laughs and does not 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 holiday you will see many lovely young girls and fall in love with another, forget about me.
- Oh, never! I swear on my knighthood!
- Well, listen: I will not hide from you that I like you, I also fell in love with you, but a terrible premonition takes possession of me. It seems to me that the machinations 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 charms of this sorceress will destroy my happiness!
- Well, tomorrow our fate must be decided: either you will never see me again, or I myself will humbly lay down my crown at your feet. But enough, it's time to part, the dawn is breaking. Farewell - see you tomorrow!

Odette and her friends are hiding in the ruins, the dawn is on fire in the sky, a flock of swans swims out on the lake, and above them, heavily flapping its wings, a large owl flies.

(A curtain)

Act Three

Luxurious hall in the castle of the princess, everything is prepared for the holiday. Old man Wolfgang gives the last orders to the servants. The Master of Ceremonies meets and accommodates guests. The herald who appears announces the arrival of the princess with the young prince, who enter, accompanied by their courtiers, pages and dwarfs, and, bowing kindly to the guests, take the places of honor prepared for them. The master of ceremonies, at a sign from the princess, gives the order to start dancing.

Guests, both men and women, form different groups, dwarfs dance. The sound of the trumpet announces the arrival of new guests; the master of ceremonies goes to meet them, and the herald proclaims their names to the princess. The old count enters with his wife and young daughter, they bow respectfully to the owners, and the daughter, at the invitation of the princess, takes part in the dances. Then again the sound of the trumpet, again the master of ceremonies and the herald perform their duties: new guests enter ... The master of ceremonies places the old people, and the young girls are invited by the princess to dance. After several such exits, the princess calls her son aside and asks him which of the girls made a good impression on him? ..

The prince sadly replies to her:
“So far I haven’t liked any, mother.

The princess shrugs her shoulders in annoyance, calls Wolfgang and angrily conveys to him the words of her son, 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, at the sight of 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 much she looks like Odette?"
- And 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 dance himself. The princess is very happy, calls Wolfgang and tells him that it seems that this guest made an impression on her son?
- Oh, yes, - answers Wolfgang, - wait a bit, the young prince is not a stone, in a short time he will fall in love without a mind, without a memory.

Meanwhile, the dancing continues, and during them the prince shows a clear preference for Odile, who coquettishly poses in front of him. In a moment of passion, the prince kisses Odile's hand. Then the princess and old man Rothbart get up from their seats and go to the middle, to the dancers.

My son, - says the princess, - you can only kiss your bride's hand.
- I'm ready, mother!
What will her father say to that? the princess says.

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. The window swings open noisily, and a white swan with a crown on its head appears on the window. The prince with horror throws the hand of his new girlfriend and, clutching her heart, runs out of the castle.

(A curtain)

Fourth act

Scenery of the second act. Night. Odette's friends are waiting for her return; some of them wonder where she could have gone; they are sad without her, and they try to amuse themselves by dancing themselves and making the young swans dance.

But now Odette runs on stage, her hair from under the crown is scattered in disorder 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 indignantly persuade her not to think about the traitor anymore.
“But I love him,” says Odette sadly.
- Poor, poor! Let's fly away, here he comes.
- He?! - Odette says with fright and runs to the ruins, but suddenly stops and says: - I want to see him for the last time.
- But you will ruin yourself!
- Oh no! I'll be careful. Go, sisters, and wait for me.

All go to ruins. Thunder is heard ... First, separate peals, and then closer and closer; the scene is darkened by the oncoming clouds, which are illuminated from time to time by lightning; the lake begins to sway.

The prince takes the stage.
- Odette... here! he says and runs up to her. “Oh, forgive me, forgive me, dear Odette.
- Not in my will to forgive you, it's over. We see each other for the last time!

The Prince implores her fervently, Odette remains adamant. She timidly looks around at the surging lake and, escaping from the arms of the prince, runs towards the ruins. The prince catches up with her, takes her by the hand and says in despair:
- So no, no! Willingly or not, but you stay forever with me!

He quickly tears off the crown from her head and throws it into the stormy lake, which has already burst its banks. An owl flies overhead with a cry, carrying in its claws the crown of Odette thrown by the prince.

What did you do! You have destroyed yourself and me. I'm dying, - says Odette, falling into the arms of the prince, and through the roar of thunder and the sound of the waves, the sad last song of the swan is heard

The waves, one after another, run into the prince and Odette, and soon they disappear under the water. The storm subsides, the weakening rumbles of thunder are barely audible in the distance; the moon cuts its pale ray through the dispersing clouds, and a flock of white swans appears on the calming lake.

PROGRAM OF 1877

Below is information from the premiere poster of the play. The minor characters who do not take part in the dance numbers are omitted. Cit. Quoted from: A. Demidov. "Swan Lake", Moscow: Art, 1985; With. 131, 135 and encyclopedia "Russian Ballet", M.: Consent, 1997; With. 254.

1877
IMPERIAL MOSCOW THEATERS
AT THE GRAND THEATER
Sunday, February 20th
in favor of the dancer
Mrs. KARPAKOV 1st
for the first time
SWAN LAKE

Big ballet in 4 acts
Composer P. I. Tchaikovsky
Screenplay V. P. Begichev, V. F. Geltser
Choreographer V. Reisinger
Conductor S. Ya. Ryabov
Machinery and Electric Lighting – C.F. Waltz
Artists I. Shangin (I d.), K. Waltz (II and IV d.), K. Groppius (III d.)

Odette, the good fairy - P. M. Karpakova 1st
Sovereign Princess - Nikolaeva
Prince Siegfried, her son - A. K. Gillert 2nd
Benno von Somerstern - Nikitin
Von Rothbart, an evil genius, disguised as a guest - S. P. Sokolov
Odile, his daughter who looks like Odette - Mrs. * * *
Villagers - Stanislavskaya. Karpakova 2nd, Nikolaeva 2nd, Petrov 3rd, etc.

The order of dance numbers and their participants

First action

1. Waltz
Soloists - four villagers - Stanislavskaya, Karpakova 2nd, Nikolaeva 2nd, Petrova 3rd, twelve luminaries and a corps de ballet.
2. Dancing scene
Four peasant women, Siegfried (Gillert 2nd), Benno (Nikitin), two cavaliers.
3. Pas de deux
The first villager (Stanislavskaya) and Siegfried
4. Polka
Three villagers (Karpakova 2nd, Nikolaeva 2nd, Petrova 3rd)
5. Gallop
First villager, Siegfried, luminaries and corps de ballet
6. Pas de trois
Three villagers
7. Final
The first villager, Siegfried and all involved

Second act

8. Exit of swans
Soloists, two swans (Mikhailova, vot. Volkova), sixteen luminaries and a corps de ballet.
9. Pas de trois
Two swans and Benno
10. Pas de deux
Odette (Karpakova-1) and Siegfried
11. Final
Odette, Siegfried, Benno, two swans, luminaries and a corps de ballet

Third act

12. Dance of courtiers and pages
13. Pas de six
Karpakova 1st, Savitskaya, Mikhailova, Dmitrieva, Vinogradova and Gillert 2nd
14. Pas de cinq
Karpakova 1st. Manokhin, Karpakova 2nd, Andreyanova 4th and Gillert 2nd
15. Hungarian dance (Nikolaeva 2nd, Bekefi)
16. Neapolitan dance (Stanislavskaya, Yermolov)
17. Russian dance (Karpakova 1st)
18. Spanish dance (Alexandrova, Manokhin)
19. Mazurka (four pairs of soloists)

Fourth act

20. Pas d'ensemble
Mikhailov, resurrect Volkova, luminaries and sixteen pupils

ELIZAVETA SURITS SWAN LAKE 1877
To the 125th anniversary of the first production of the ballet

None of Wenzel Reisinger's ballets remained in the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater for long. They left the stage after 30-40 performances. But ironically, it was Reisinger, the choreographer, about whom the critic Yakovlev wrote that he strongly doubts "that he could be called a choreographer", who became the first director of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.

More has been written about the Swan Lake ballet than about any other dance performance in the world. The history of its production in Moscow has also been carefully studied by researchers. Serious research was undertaken, in particular, by Yuri Slonimsky at the time of the preparation of the book "P.I. Tchaikovsky and the ballet theaters of his time." Then the libretto of the production of 1877 was found, according to indirect data, the authors of the script were presumably identified - Begichev and Geltser, who composed it, presumably, with the participation of Reisinger, and perhaps Tchaikovsky himself. The latter assumption is supported by the fact that five years earlier (in 1871) Tchaikovsky had written the children's ballet The Lake of Swans, which was performed by children in the Kamenka estate. Researchers - both Slonimsky and Krasovskaya, and the English ballet historian Beaumont, and the American John Wylie - all tried to find out what literary source formed the basis of Swan Lake. Slonimsky suggests that the screenwriters used the Museus' fairy tale "The Swan Pond", explaining that it served only as a plot basis, while the image of the swan girl constantly appears in folk poetry, including Russian. Beaumont points to a number of possible sources - Ovid's Metamorphoses, a number of Grimm's fairy tales, folklore samples, John Wylie points to another Museus tale - "The Stolen Veil" (Johann Karl August Musaus "Der geraubte Schleier"). The most correct, it seems, are the conclusions of Krasovskaya, who refuses to look for a work that directly inspired the authors, believing that all the main plot moves that occur in Swan Lake (a girl turned into a swan, true love saving a beauty, involuntary betrayal of a lover, etc.) .p.) are found in numerous literary sources.

I would like to add to this that not only in literature, but also in the ballet theater. The script of the ballet included many motifs worked out by the experience of the previous decades. Many cliches have penetrated into it - verbal and dramatic, but it also includes those images that were found and justified themselves in the performances of previous decades.

The first act depicts the prince as a careless young man who, not knowing affection, is bored waiting for something to change in his life. This is the exposition of the hero, familiar to the ballet of that era: in the next act, as a rule, one appears that should bring him out of a state of serenity or disappointment, make him love himself. Thus began Coralli's Peri, Mazilier's Elves, Saint-Leon's The Flame of Love, and finally, the same Sandrillon that Tchaikovsky was offered to write.

The second act introduces the magical world where the heroine lives. This was the case in most romantic ballets with an element of fantasy and in performances created in imitation of them: "La Sylphide", "Maid of the Danube", "Peri", "Ondine", "The Fern" and many others. The heroine appears in a fantastic form, this time as a bird. This is also a familiar motif: even before “Swan Lake”, the romantic ballet theater knew, along with sylphs, elves, dryads, naiads, revived flowers, also winged heroines - butterfly girls and bird girls (“Butterfly”, “Kashchei”, “Trilby” and etc.)

Evil geniuses and sorceresses, like the owl-stepmother from the script and von Rothbart from the play, are constant characters in romantic ballets, starting with the sorceress Madge in La Sylphide. The motif of the talisman protecting the heroine is just as constant: almost no ballet is complete without it (the flower in Peri, the wings of the Sylph, the crown in Grandmother's Wedding). In the original version of Swan Lake, Odette wore a magical crown that protected her from evil machinations. There are also heroes and heroines in the ballets of the era of romanticism, sacrificing their lives for the sake of love (“Peri”, “Satanilla”), and the plot move is also known, based on an involuntary (caused by a spell) betrayal of oaths: “Sakuntala”. Not for the first time, the method of “splitning” the heroine (Odile is Odette’s double) also appears in Swan Lake: in Faust, for example, the real Margarita and the evil spirit that takes her appearance also appeared. However, the Swan Lake script has one major merit that distinguishes it from most of the scripts of the era. There is not that intricacy of the plot, the heap of events that distinguish performances created in the 1860s and 70s, as in the case of Reisinger's productions. Simplicity, the logic of the development of the action, in which a small number of characters participate, brings Swan Lake closer to the exemplary performances of the romantic ballet of its heyday (La Sylphide, Giselle). Each of the mentioned motives finds its place, each is necessary to move the action forward, to create the right atmosphere. Tchaikovsky thus received a fairly solid foundation for his music. Such shortcomings as Odette's long and obviously unrealized "story" about her past in the ballet, as well as the insufficiently motivated behavior of the hero in the last act, were not a serious obstacle.

For the first time, Tchaikovsky turned to ballet seriously (with the exception of the unrealized "Sandrillions"). Musicologists have studied in detail both the history of Tchaikovsky's writing of Swan Lake and the music itself. It is known that Tchaikovsky loved ballet, attended ballet performances and admitted that he "wanted to try himself in this kind of music." The composer is known to have studied scores provided to him by Gerber; there is evidence that among them were "Giselle" and "Fern". Tchaikovsky thus realized that ballet music has its own specifics. It is noteworthy that he comprehended this specificity, never violated the laws of the genre, as they were understood in those years, and at the same time created an innovative work of its kind. Scenario situations are outwardly completely preserved by the composer, but each time their content is deepened, and sometimes rethought.

The divertissement of the first act was used by the composer to characterize Siegfried. A young man having fun with his friends on his coming of age day. The subject of his fleeting passion is one of the villagers: it should not be forgotten that it was for this act that the duet was written, now performed by the prince and Odile at the ball. This is already a foretaste of love, but not the true passion that will flare up in the prince's soul when he meets Odette.

The second act is dedicated to Odette and the swans. The scriptwriters used a tried and tested method of transformation here: the swans shed their wings and became girls. Tchaikovsky deepened the motif by painting enchanted bird girls. The music that characterizes them develops the theme of the “flight of the swans” of the first act, the melody that sounds when the swans swim across the lake at the beginning of the act, and at the same time is heartfelt lyrical, full of deep and undoubtedly “human” experiences. Musicologists and Slonimsky in the book "Tchaikovsky and the ballet theater of his time" studied the music of this, according to the composer himself, the best ballet act. The conclusion of the researchers is as follows: Tchaikovsky enriched the traditional ballet forms of grand pas (adagio with corps de ballet accompaniment and adjoining solo and group dances), permeating it with a single lyrical theme. Music opened up opportunities for creating an evolving plastic image. And this phenomenon is fundamentally innovative for the ballet of the era.

The third act is also traditional in form. In the center of his characteristic divertissement, which were in almost all ballets. Throughout the act, the music of the “bride waltz” is repeated several times, which determines one of the main plot motifs: the prince rejects all applicants until the sorcerer’s daughter, who appeared in the guise of Odette, manages to deceive him. Here, the attention of researchers was attracted by pas de six - a large musical ensemble, which until recently remained unused in all productions, except for the lifetime one. Based on the nature of the music, Slonimsky and musicologists argue that, according to Tchaikovsky's plan, it was this sextet that was the main effective center of the act: here the seduction of the prince by Odile was to take place.

The fourth act in the original script contained a number of inconsistencies, which were rightly pointed out by many, including when Ivan Vsevolozhsky revised the script in 1894: why, in particular, does the prince rip off the crown from Odette, protecting her from the machinations of her stepmother? Nevertheless, the motive of fidelity is visible in it even in the face of death. The prince's mistake must lead to eternal separation from Odette. She, having lost hope of being freed from the spell, can, nevertheless, be saved if she leaves the prince. Love encourages her to stay. The Prince takes the final decision by throwing her crown into the lake. While refining the script later, Modest Tchaikovsky abandoned this final touch, introducing a more convincing detail: the self-sacrifice of lovers leads to the death of the sorcerer. But even in the first version of the script, the fourth act contained fewer traditional motifs than the rest, simultaneously carrying an idea that was undeniably dear to Tchaikovsky: it was not for nothing that he had already developed it in the symphonic poems Romeo and Juliet and Francesca da Rimini. In the fourth act, Tchaikovsky moved furthest from the practice of the ballet theater of the era. There are no obligatory musical and dance formulas here, the music is rather a symphonic picture containing an excited story about the fate of the characters. The episode of the anxious expectation of the swans is replaced by a scene of Odette's grief, then the appearance of the prince, driven by the pangs of remorse. The storm raised by the sorceress is both a threat to lovers and a reflection of the passions raging in their souls.

Such was the material that ended up in Reisinger's hands. Rehearsals for the first act began in the spring of 1876. On April 6, Tchaikovsky presented the score of the remaining acts to the theater (1). However, the work dragged on for quite a long time. The ballet was not shown, as is usual for all premieres at the end of the year (November-December): the first performance took place on February 20, 1877. Whether this was due to the difficulties experienced by the choreographer, faced with unusually complex music, or for other reasons, it is difficult to say. It seems that the production of Swan Lake did not require any special efforts (there is only one difficult scene in the ballet - a storm), nor large expenses: the estimate for Swan Lake was unusually modest for those times, only 6,792 rubles (i.e. two and a half times less than "Kashchei", which cost 16.913)

Tchaikovsky's first ballet was expected with interest, at least in the circles of true connoisseurs of art. Slonimsky pointed out that the script for the ballet had appeared in print long before the premiere, which had never been done before (2), and that the clavier had been sold as early as February 1877. The performance, however, was disappointing. Reisinger, who struggled even with the traditional music of his regular collaborators such as Mühldorfer and Gerber, naturally could not even come close to understanding Tchaikovsky's score. Immediately began permutations of music. How exactly Reisinger ordered it, we do not know, since there is no way to find out what the choreographer used for the “gallop” and “polka” indicated on the poster in the first act, pas de trois of two swans and Benno in the second act, pas de cinq in the third act . We only know, according to Kashkin, that “some numbers were omitted as inconvenient for dancing, or replaced by inserts from other ballets” (3).

The poster shows that the choreographer built the divertissement of the first act around the prince and the peasant woman, which was performed by one of the leading soloists of the troupe - Maria Stanislavskaya. She participated in five of the seven dance numbers: waltz, dance scene, pas de deux, gallop and finale, thus growing into the leading character of the act. This was in line with the idea of ​​Tchaikovsky, who wrote the pas de deux for the first act, and here, apparently, Reisinger followed him, especially since there is no peasant woman in the script who attracted the attention of the prince. In addition, it is known that Tchaikovsky attended the rehearsals of the first act and, judging by the remark in one of the letters, these rehearsals amused him, but did not cause irritation (4).

Judging by the engraving printed in the World Illustration and the photo of Anna Sobeshchanskaya as Odette, the swans in the second act danced with wings behind their backs. In addition to Odette, there were also two soloists who performed pas de trois with a friend of the prince, Benno. The pas de trois was followed by the pas de deux of Siegfried and Odette and a common ending. The press does not give us any information about the dances staged by Reisinger, except for a general description in Russkiye Vedomosti: “the corps de ballet is marking time in one place, waving its arms like windmill wings, and the soloists are jumping around the stage with gymnastic steps” (5 ).

The third act was devoted mainly to characteristic dances. "Russian", completed by Tchaikovsky at the insistence of the choreographer (6), was performed by the beneficiary. But the national suite was preceded by two ensembles with the participation of the main characters: pas de six (six dance numbers) to the corresponding music by Tchaikovsky and pas de cinq, whose music is unknown to us. In both ensembles, along with the performers of the prince and Odette, only dancers participated: in pas de six, four adult pupils, in pas de cinq, three soloists, two of whom - Karpakova 2nd and Manokhin, occupied a respectable position in the theater. At individual performances, pas de cinq was replaced by pas de deux (7): the soloists dropped out, leaving the duet of the main characters.

Researchers are still arguing about who played the role of Odile in the third act. On the poster, the name of the dancer is hidden behind three stars. This served as the basis for Yuri Bakhrushin's assumption that the party was performed by an unknown extra who did not deserve to be mentioned on the poster. However, we know that even the names of underage pupils were placed on the poster. Three asterisks were used in other ways: sometimes to hide the name of a high-society amateur actor, which is excluded in the ballet theater; sometimes to intrigue the viewer. Slonimsky also claims that three stars appeared in cases where one actor played two roles. On the poster of the ballet performances of the era, we were unable to find confirmation of this: neither in Faust, nor in Grandmother's Wedding and a number of other ballets, where the ballerina had two parts, three stars were not used. Nevertheless, Slonimsky's guess that the performer Odette danced Odile seems to be more fair than Bakhrushin's guess. Indeed, we know that Karpakova participated in two ensembles and in Russian. In what guise could she appear at a palace ball - after all, not in the form of Odette, who has absolutely nothing to do there? It is hard to imagine that the choreographer introduced her to this act only as a character participating in divertissement. This is all the more unlikely that twice she dances with the prince. We also recall that Mukhin in the history of the Moscow ballet wrote about Sobeshchanskaya as a performer of Odette and Odile. Meanwhile, Mukhin undoubtedly saw the performance himself, since he served at the Bolshoi Theater from the beginning of the 1860s and wrote his reports as an eyewitness (A).

The first Odette was Pelageya Karpakova, about whom the same Mukhin wrote that she "tried, if possible, to produce a fantastic impersonation of a swan, but as a weak mimic, she did not make much of an impression." Starting from the fourth performance, Sobeshchanskaya entered the performance. Her performance was rated somewhat higher by the press, there were even bewilderments why she, the first ballerina of the troupe, was not entrusted with the premiere. However, what we know about this dancer, conscientious, efficient, but not possessing a bright talent, gives reason to think that nothing much has changed with her arrival.

None of the critics and contemporaries finds a word of praise when it comes to the choreography of the ballet. Laroche wrote that “in terms of dancing, Swan Lake is perhaps the most official, boring and poor ballet that is given in Russia” (8). Lukin was ironic about Reisinger's "remarkable skill" "instead of dancing to arrange some kind of gymnastic exercises", and at the same time pointed out that the characteristic dances were "simply borrowed by him from other ballets" (9). Modest Tchaikovsky also mentioned the "poverty of the ballet master's imagination" (10).

In the fourth act there were no solo dances at all. The poster shows only one mass swan dance with the participation of two soloists, luminaries and 16 pupils. The storm played a significant role in this act. According to Waltz's memoirs, it is known that this scene “occupied Pyotr Ilyich”: “In the thunderstorm scene, when the lake overflows its banks and floods the entire stage, at the insistence of Tchaikovsky a real whirlwind was arranged - the branches and branches of the trees broke, fell into the water and rushed along waves" (11). The fact that the last act was a success in terms of decoration was later recalled by ballet critics (12), although on the whole Tchaikovsky's ballet was not richly furnished. Laroche wrote about this (“meager ballet” (13)), and von Meck (“everything is so poor, gloomy ...” (14)). This is evidenced by the above amount of costs for setting.

The success of "Swan Lake" with the audience was not great. The ballet was performed 27 times in 1877-1879. A summary of fees has been saved. The highest collection was, of course, at the premiere, which was also a benefit performance, when tickets were sold at higher prices: 1918 rubles 30 kopecks. The second performance gave 877 rubles 10 kopecks, and the third was only 324 rubles. The fee rose when on April 23 the role passed to Sobeshchanskaya (987 rubles) and gradually dropped to 281 rubles. In the future, fees fluctuated, sometimes giving only 300-200 rubles (the lowest on November 7, 1878: 209 rubles 40 kopecks). In January 1879, Swan Lake was shown for the last three times, after which it fell out of the repertoire. A year later, the ballet was resumed by Joseph Hansen and performed 12 times in three years (the last performance on January 2, 1883), with ever-decreasing fees.

The failure of the first production of Swan Lake was natural. The Moscow troupe, led by Reisinger, was unable to comprehend Tchaikovsky's music. Perhaps if the ballet had fallen immediately into the hands of Marius Petipa, his fate would have been different. Probably, he would have found a worthy embodiment during the composer's lifetime, and perhaps his music would not have undergone those alterations that Drigo and Petipa, who turned to ballet when Tchaikovsky was no longer alive, considered it necessary to make in 1895. Unfortunately, the small success of the ballet in Moscow closed his access to the St. Petersburg stage, although Tchaikovsky's friends, in particular, Laroche, advocated staging it in the capital.

On March 2, 1877, the Chairman of the Commission managing the Imperial Moscow Theaters sent a letter to the Moscow office: “On the occasion of the expiration of the contract of the choreographer Mr. Reisinger, I have the honor to propose to the Office of the Imperial Moscow Theaters to announce to him that the Directorate has no intention of renewing such a contract with him again " (15). The Moscow office, however, replied that "without having in mind another more capable choreographer," they petitioned to satisfy Reisinger's request to renew his contract with him for another year (16).

The 1877-78 season was thus the last that Reisinger spent in Moscow, staging during it "Grandma's Wedding" (premiered on April 23, 1878). In the same season, Marius Petipa staged the one-act ballet Two Stars at the Bolshoi Theater (premiered on February 25, 1878, a version of his St. Petersburg ballet Two Stars). The rest of the repertoire was old: there were Giselle, Gitana, Satanilla, Pharaoh's Daughter, King Kandavl, Two Thieves, and from Reisinger's productions Stella and Swan Lake.

(1) RGALI, f.659, op.3, ex.3065, l.36
(2) "Theatrical newspaper", 1876, No. 100, October 19, S. 390
(3) Kashkin N.D. Memories of P.I. Tchaikovsky. M, 1896, S. 103
(4) In a letter to Modest Tchaikovsky dated March 24, 1876, he writes: “how comical it was to look at a ballet master composing dances with the most thoughtful and inspired look to the sound of one violin.”
(5) Modest observer (A.L. Lukin). Observations and notes. Russkiye Vedomosti, 1877, N50, February 26, p. 2
(6) Ibid. (7) Apparently, this is not the duet that was composed for Sobeshchanskaya: what Pchelnikov writes about (see Slonimsky and Demidov). Wylie clarifies that the duet for Sobeshchanskaya went instead of the effective pas de deux, and not the specified pas de cinq.
(8) Larosh G.A. Collection of musical critical articles. T.P., S. 166-167
(9) Modest observer (A.L. Lukin). Observations and notes. Russkiye Vedomosti, 1877, N50, February 26, p.2
(10) Tchaikovsky M. Life of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Jurgenson, M., vol. I, 1900, p.257
(11) Waltz K. Sixty years in the theater. L., 1928, S. 108
(12) New ballet. Moscow News, 1881, N96
(13) Laroche GA. Collection of musical critical articles. T.P., part 2, M.-P., 1924, S. 132
(14) Tchaikovsky P.I. Correspondence with N.F. von Meck. vol. II, M.-L. "Academia", 1935, p.298
(15) RGALI, f.659, op.3, item 3065, l.35
(16) RGALI, f.659, op.3, item 3065, l.37

(A) Approx. comp. The American researcher R. D. Wiley notes that there is a completely accurate indication that Karpakova danced both roles. He quotes the Novoye Vremya newspaper of February 26, 1877, which contains a parody of the libretto of Swan Lake with the following comic dialogue in the scene of Odile's appearance at the ball: "How she looks like Mademoiselle Karpakova," exclaims Siegfried.
"Why are you so surprised?" - his servant is perplexed. “You can see that this is her, only in a different role.”
Cit. by R.J. Wiley. Tchaikovsky's Ballets. Oxford Univ. Press, 1985; c. 50.

Yu.A. SLONIMSKY "Swan Lake" by P. Tchaikovsky
L.: Muzgiz, 1962

Chapter 2 - Music
(reproduced with cuts)

Consider the ideas and images of the 1877 score. The introduction is "the first sketch of a beautiful and sad story about a bird girl". It begins with the lyrical theme of the oboe. Continued by the clarinet, it grows into a sad Russian romance song. This theme is akin to a swan melody, which will sound for the first time at the end of Act I. Beginning with mournful reflection, the story moves through a passionate impulse to dramatic protest and despair. “In the middle section... dark and unsettling shadows creep in. Trombones sound menacing and ominous. The escalation leads to a repetition of the initial theme (reprise-coda), which is performed by the trumpets, and then by the cello against the background of the alarming hum of the timpani. The explosion of despair ends, and again the pensive song of sorrowful reflections sounds. Such is the exposition - a summary of the story about "the desire for true happiness and love" (Tchaikovsky). Everyone who hears it is captured by the psychological reality of what is being told. The curtain has not yet risen, the viewer has not yet had time to get acquainted with the program, and he is already involved in Tchaikovsky's thoughts and sympathetically reacts to the beginning of his story.

Before meeting Odette, the prince was a frivolous young man who did not know thoughts and sorrows, like Romeo at the time of courting Rosalind before meeting Juliet. This motif deserves to be staged. The best episodes of Tchaikovsky's music are dedicated to its disclosure.

Cheerful, festive, dynamic music paints a vivid picture of a carefree life. Tchaikovsky creates the prerequisites for lively and continuous stage action not yet found in productions. Motley, noisy life rages in music, demanding from the choreographer different genre scenes - lyrical and comedic, solo and mass. Noteworthy in this sense is the music of the first scene (No. 1). In it, according to Laroche, "light, cheerful and powerful Tchaikovsky" appeared. Its contrasts create a varied characterization of the characters appearing and disappearing in the park and castle. In the middle episode - a transparent sound of a pastoral character; apparently, he was given to the choir of the villagers.

The composer's intentions were clearly manifested in the next issue - the big Waltz of the villagers (No. 2). Modest in comparison with the Peasant Waltz from The Sleeping Beauty and the Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker, the A-dur "Waltz of Act I of Swan Lake has great content. This distinguishes it from traditional corps de ballet dances that are not connected with the main dramatic line. The alternation of melodic images, the departure from them and the subsequent return in a new orchestral sound, with a new emotional coloring, an abundance of undertones that set off the main idea - all this achieved its goal. The composer's inexhaustible melodic gift gave rise to various scenes in the listener's imagination - either intimate or mass , sometimes cheerful, sometimes sad; it is enough to recall the d-moll theme of the middle part of the waltz.

On the one hand, the waltz characterizes the life of the hero, full of careless entertainment; at the same time, in the trio of the waltz, meditation sounds, striving into the unknown distance - the motive of creeping doubts. And it is no coincidence that in the first dialogue between Odette and Siegfried one can hear the melodic turns of the waltz, presented in a new way. Was the composer not looking for a connection of what, it would seem, is not connected in any way? Already in the waltz, the composer was preparing Siegfried's break with the palace environment and a meeting with Odette. The melodic relationship between the waltz and the dialogue is of fundamental importance: the waltz loses the character of an isolated “inserted” number, acquires a musical and dramatic connection with other ballet numbers.

The scene following the waltz (No. 3) - the arrival of Siegfried's mother - corresponds to the composer's attraction to the real-psychological subtext of the action. The heartfelt, affectionate theme of a mother's address to her son emphasizes the nature of their relationship.

Here the development of the plot stops, and according to the plan of the choreographer, “just” dances come into their own: No. 4 - a trio and No. 5 - a duet; they are not even mentioned in the libretto. A small genre picture No. 6- (girls make fun of the prince's mentor) through a short connecting pantomime (No. 7) leads to a big Dance with Cups (No. 8). Such a task, it would seem, was supposed to put an end to the composer's claims to conduct a through thought. But Tchaikovsky largely overcame this barrier.

And in the andante sostenuto of the trio and in the andante of the duet, the kinship with the lyrical image that arose in the introduction is captured. Both andantes refer to the image of the prince, revealing his inner world.

In andante sostenuto one hears a concentrated, slightly overshadowed folk-lyrical tune. This is a dance-song in the literal sense of the word, belonging to the hero and constituting his first stage statement (1). Perhaps the prince is not alone: ​​in the orchestra, two voices - an oboe and a bassoon - create an idea of ​​a sincere dialogue, suggesting an expressive choreographic "two-voice" to the choreographer.

The duet's Andante, as the program says, was intended for the divertissement adagio of a prince and a young villager. But the music expresses a feeling of intensifying love attraction, a vague melancholy. Just about, it seems, a swan bird will flash in the sky or among the forest thicket, and a touching swan song will appear in the orchestra (2). Music accumulates the features of the hero's image and prepares his transformation, which begins from the moment of meeting with love. From this point of view, there is a great contrast between the carelessness of youth and the inexplicable yearning of attraction that seizes Siegfried at the sounds of the main theme of swans. It is important that in between these two states there are others; andante sostenuto, adagio, Siegfried's variation and coda in duet give movement to the image.

And other episodes that make up the divertissement contain a range of diverse emotional characteristics, much more specific and individual than the sequence of stereotypical divertissement numbers that was proposed by Reisinger. It is not difficult to establish who helped Tchaikovsky to look at the problem with such eyes: it is, of course, Glinka with his music of classical dances in "Susanin" and "Ruslan". We cherish the composer's intentions, breaking through the flaws of the scenario and choreographer's assignments. As soon as he was freed from them, the music rose to a great height. This is the finale of Act I (No. 9).

After the careless Dance with Cups in the nature of a polonaise, where string and wooden instruments in the middle part of the number, together with bells, subtly imitate the clink of glasses, and the fun reaches its festive climax, a modest, irresistibly beautiful main theme of the ballet is born in the orchestra - the theme of swans.

The composer was required to use ordinary music “for leaving” - for mimic conversation, and in this scene he tied the knot of the musical dramaturgy of the performance. An orchestral picture-song was born, which you want to hear and see in choreographic images. The bright national character of the swan's melody, akin to many lyrical themes of Russian classics, is indisputable.

The theme of swans is usually considered as a musical portrait of Odette. This interpretation is correct, but reveals only part of the composer's intention. The swan song characterizes both the fate of Odette's friends and the motive of attraction to happiness, which determines the behavior of Odette and the prince. The thoughtless environment is opposed by a restless young man. His passionate desire for love and happiness is reflected in the song of the swans, in the light-sad melody of the oboe and strings supported by harps.

Act II begins with a repetition of the music of the finale (No. 10) of the previous act. As can be seen from Tchaikovsky's manuscript, originally this number served as an intermission between Acts I and II, which were paintings. But the composer crossed out the word "intermission" in the score, wrote "scene" and introduced the remark: "Swans swim on the lake." Act II begins like this: swans are swimming on the lake, in front of a swan with a crown on its head. The composer did not limit himself, however, to repetition. He wanted to emphasize the approach of a dramatic plot. Therefore, if the first performance of this theme by the solo oboe sounds like a touching song, then later, as it is presented by the whole orchestra, it acquires a dramatic tone, the motives of a passionate appeal and a sense of misfortune hanging over the heroes come through in relief.

In the ordinary ballet scores of the 19th century, there was no image of nature, organically connected with the fate of the characters. The music of the finale of act I, and especially its dramatization at the beginning of act II, connects nature with the stage action and with the life of the hero. The swan theme has another function here: it switches the stage action from an environment flooded with sunlight to an environment illuminated by the moon. For Tchaikovsky, even in the early days of his work, the change of light on stage was a reflection of a change in states and moods. So here. The song of swans takes the listener from the real world to the world of fantasy: with the onset of night, as the script says, the swans turn into girls.

The introduction is followed by the first stage episode (No. 11). The prince wants to shoot the swans, fragments of the swan theme burst into the allegro of his arrival. Then the birds disappear and, illuminated by moonlight, a girl in white clothes, wearing a crown of precious stones, appears on the steps of the stairs. She begs the prince not to shoot the swans.

Further, Odette talks about the bitter fate of a girl turned into a bird. The content of this story is incomprehensible to the viewer, since it refers to the past, not previously shown. The composer, on the other hand, has the opportunity to echo the introduction and develop the main ideological motifs. Tchaikovsky created music that conveys the sincere speech of the heroine. The melancholy tune of the oboe echoes, and then sounds simultaneously with the melody of the cello. In the episode B-dur (“Odette’s recitative”, allegro vivo, the girl’s speech becomes agitated, as if she is in a hurry to finish her story before the sorceress interferes with her. And indeed, ominous chords of trumpets and trombones are heard: a huge owl that rules over swans appears. Then the already dramatized theme of Odette's story sounds again: only true love can save her from bondage; Siegfried's passionate exclamations assure her that he wants to be her savior.

The exit of the swans follows (No. 12). “Strings of young girls and children run out of the ruins” - this is how the description of this episode in the libretto begins. And here Tchaikovsky interpreted the task in his own way. The librettists have girls on stage, the composer has bird girls. This is felt in light, fluttering music. Then a lyrical theme develops, close to the swan song: disturbingly quivering music persistently reminds of the common bitter fate of girls suffering under the rule of an owl sorceress. Odette responds with a gentle melody that soothes the swans. Siegfried's phrase - he "throws his gun" - and again Odette's remarks, The new implementation of her theme "in a high register near the wooden ones" is addressed to the young man. On this plot, the action of the act, according to the scriptwriters and choreographer, ended.

No. 13 of the score is called "Swan Dances". It consists of 7 episodes: a) waltz, b) variation, c) waltz again, d) variation, e) adagio of Siegfried and Odette, f) updated waltz, g) general coda. The choreographer apparently had no intention of combining these episodes; all it took was a series of dance routines, without any connection to the action. “The dance begins, in which the prince and Benno take part. Swans either form beautiful groups or dance alone. The Prince falls madly in love with Odette." For the director, Odette and Siegfried were not the only soloists: their duet was preceded by a trio of a squire with two soloists. If we proceed from the composer's intention, then Benno is superfluous in this picture. Music creates an intimate lyrical world, in the general characterization of which Odette, the prince and bird girls merge. small waltz<13/I и 13/III в нашей нумерации – прим. сост.>, repeating twice, connects the scattered numbers of the suite.

The waltz is followed by an episode (moderato assai<13/II>) with the author's note in the manuscript of the score: "Odette solo". Strictly observing ballet forms, the composer gave the ballerina's performance an unusual character. It's a little monologue - graceful and smiling, shy and somewhat anxious; the melody is played by violins, then by flutes, giving Odette's speech an affectionate, soulful sound. There is no dance in the virtuoso-gymnastic sense of the word. The music prompts a leisurely, majestic tread. The third episode is a repetition of the waltz. Fourth (allegro moderato<13/IV>) contrasts sharply with Odette's dance. Now it is widely known under the name "Dances of the Little Swans" (3). Its melody, rhythm, instrumentation (woodwinds predominate; the theme is led by two oboes supported by a bassoon) give the music a playful and humorous character.

The stronghold of the dramaturgy of Act II was made by Tchaikovsky in a kind of duet with the choir - a dance adagio of two soloists, accompanied by a corps de ballet (Andante, Andante non troppo). The dialogue of lovers is interrupted by the replicas of the mass of participants. The "choir" does not just accompany the "soloists": it interweaves with their voices, then picks up their motive, then prompts its own.

The Russian ballet theater has long cultivated lyrical duets with the corps de ballet. In most cases, the main participants began the duet, then they performed variations, and only after that the mass was included in the dance. This is how similar episodes were built in Don Quixote, La Bayadère and other old ballets. The new quality of the choreographic duet in "Swan Lake" was suggested not by the choreographer, but by the composer and was learned by him from operatic practice. “... The theme of the duet of Gulbrand and Ondine (from the opera Ondine) served for one adagio in the ballet Swan Lake,” recalled N. Kashkin. The operatic origin of the adagio of Act II of "Swan Lake" is felt in its vocal melody (excellently expressed by the timbres of the violin and cello), the dialogic presentation and the organic contact of the parts of the soloists and the "choir". "Pas d'action" the composer called this ballet episode, thereby emphasizing its nodal effective character.

The Adagio opens with a grand harp cadenza. Like a gust of wind rushing over the expanse of water, this harp cadence moves the orchestra in passages, meanwhile smoothly modulating to the main key of the number. Freezing in motion, the harp becomes the soft and flexible background of the melody sung by the solo violin. A gentle solo is supported by soft chords - sighs of woodwinds. So in the description of V. Bogdanov-Berezovsky begins the wonderful music of the duet. A feeling awakens in the girl's soul, which has long been waiting for a meeting with the hero. Odette's simple confession gradually grows into a passionate appeal to the young man. When the romance melody of the first part returns updated and enriched, as if in response to the passionate call of the violin, the “male” voice of the cello sounds. Both voices are intertwined, an incomparable song of triumphant love unfolds. The intensely vibrating voices of the violin and cello convey an intensifying passion. And Odette's friends are sensitively following the spiritual movements of the heroes, the growth of their feelings, seeing in this the hope of getting rid of the spell gravitating over them. The flutter of their wings, the splash of water are heard in their movement around the main characters.

By turning the ballet adagio into a stronghold of dramaturgy, Tchaikovsky carried out a reform of great importance. The composer went towards a trend that had long been outlined in the Russian theater, but did not find support in ballet music. The score of "Swan Lake" called for a realistic disclosure of the inner content, the development of characters. Ballet masters have found the right solution to this problem. A revolution took place in all choreographic dramaturgy, and Tchaikovsky's duet became a classic example of dance symphonism.

Episode six - small variation in allegro tempo<13/6>- only a link between the adagio and the last performance of the waltz.

Lively coda (Allegro vivace<13/VII) завершает танцы лебедей. В ней тоже ощущаются действенные мотивы. Беспокойные перебежки девушек по сцене, их тревожный зов говорят о предчувствии конца недолгой ночной свободы, о неизбежности разлуки влюбленных, о часе, когда девушки снова станут птицами.

The act ends with the music that started it - the bright melos of the swan song (No. 14). At the beginning of the act, she transferred the action into the setting of the night; at the end, it foreshadows the coming of the day: the light will soon dawn, and a sad song calls Odette's friends, urging them to take on the swan form.

The scene of Act III is Siegfried's castle. The ball is dedicated to the review of brides. Following the march that characterizes the palace procession (No. 15), there are dances of the corps de ballet and dwarfs (No. 16), according to the author's remark - "Balabile". Considered usually as a divertissement number, this musical episode is excluded or used as a purely spectacular moment: Amazon ladies, jesters, guests are dancing. Meanwhile, the musician was attracted by the desire to create a contrast between the carelessness of the palace festival and the drama of the impending disaster. In the middle part, the timbre coloration is distinguished by a sharp characteristic and gives the dance a gloomy shade: the trio has the author's note - "Dwarfs are dancing." The prince is surrounded by freaks and dwarfs who intrigue him: something similar to the refrain "Three cards" at the ball in the "Queen of Spades".

Brides Waltz (No. 17) is a big, bright, carefree dance, the music of which becomes the leitmotif of the act. Tchaikovsky turned the waltz into an important element of the action. The image of young seekers of happiness - beautiful, joyfully excited by the ballroom atmosphere and admiring the prince, sets off the growing thickening of the action. The composer's intentions are expressed not only in the music, but also in the notes in the score, which are still out of sight of the choreographer. Tchaikovsky suggested to the stage director the breakdown of stage episodes, the accumulation of the dynamics of the waltz, and with it the effective meaning. The waltz music is interrupted twice by trumpet signals announcing the arrival of new guests. The libretto states that at the first sound of the trumpet, the count enters with his wife and daughter, who "at the invitation of the princess takes part in the dances." Tchaikovsky clarified (4) "The daughter is dancing with one of the gentlemen of the waltz."

Thus the waltz runs three times; for the last time, it is emphasized broadly and loudly: here, according to Tchaikovsky's remark, "the corps de ballet in its entirety is dancing." In the last reprise of the waltz there is a new middle episode with a brass theme, which foreshadows anxiety, trouble.

Then there is a pantomime dialogue between mother and son (beginning No. 18): the mother persuades Siegfried to find a bride for himself. The dialogue is based on a modified melody of the Brides Waltz. The solution of this dialogue is indicative for Tchaikovsky: here, as in Act I, the composer strives to unite the episodes that are disunited on the stage.

The conversation between mother and son is suddenly interrupted by a fanfare announcing the arrival of new guests - Odile and Rothbart (continuation No. 18). Against the background of the restless tremolo of the strings, the disturbing phrases of the swan song are heard. They seem to be cut through by the sarcastic laughter of the wizard, delighted with the impression that Odile made on Siegfried. The music suggests an expressive scene: the young man came out of deep thought and rushed to the stranger, reminiscent of Odette; Odile slowly opens her face, striking Siegfried with a resemblance to a swan girl; Rothbart laughs at the shocked youth; the guests are bewildered and confused. The dramatic knot has been created, it remains only to develop it.

Neither in the script nor in the music of Act III, at first glance, there are any prerequisites for the development of the conflict. Following the episode of the appearance of Odile, there is a divertissement - a series of inactive dances - which ends with a denouement scene. Such a disregard for elementary logic is normal for Reisinger: the ballet practice of that time is replete with similar examples. Has Tchaikovsky resigned himself to the obvious dramatic inferiority of this act?

This question was answered in the affirmative: Tchaikovsky wrote what was required of him; Act III is nothing more than a costume divertissement; Odile is given so little space that in the program of the premiere, the performer of this role is indicated by three stars.

To see the opposite, let's pay attention to the sextet (Pas de six), which is number 19.

It can be seen from the programs of 1877/78 that the sextet was performed not only by dancers outside the main action, but also by those who played the main roles - Siegfried, Odette, Rothbart. One can, of course, say that this circumstance does not change anything; just the main performers in divertissement demonstrated their art. But how could S. Sokolov shine, if both in the role of Rothbart and in age he mainly mimed? Participating in the sextet, he could and should have performed the usual function: to support the ballerina and mimic. Therefore, there were effective elements in the dances of the sextet. This assumption is confirmed by the fact that the role of Odile in the sextet was entrusted to the performer of the role of Odette (4). Probably, the following phrase from the script refers to the sextet: "The dancing continues, during which the prince shows a clear preference for Odile, who coquettishly draws herself in front of him."

Here it is, the missing dramatic link! The music of the sextet contains an expressive, active situation. Here the threads of sorcery and seduction of Siegfried develop. From here there is a direct passage to a dramatic denouement; according to Tchaikovsky's remark, it begins like this: the prince invites Odile to the Brides Waltz.

In the sextet, the composer created the image of an obsession that appears to Siegfried "in the midst of a noisy ball", his music acquires meaning, dramatic character, a certain portraiture.

Introduction<19/I>) strikes with the unusualness of the composer's manner - some harshness, harshness, lack of a smooth melody; apparently, it was for the composer a bravura-festive exposition of new characters - Odile and Rothbart.

The exit is followed by four variations and a common coda. Between 1st<19/II>and 2nd<19/IV>variations contains the episode andante con moto<19/III>. Already in duration (86 measures) it is not a variation: it is rather a duet or a dance ensemble. Was it not here that the dramatic knot was tied, which is lacking in the act in order for it to acquire a through action? The passionate and melancholy melody of the oboe is supported by the bassoon. With each measure, excitement grows and gradually the music approaches the familiar swan song. The harbinger of misfortune, weeping and moaning, which will spill out in the music of the IV act, sound stronger and stronger. Having reached its climax in a tense tutti, the melody fades and falls silent in pizzicato strings, clarinet and flute cadences. This is Odette trying to fight for her beloved, talking to him anxiously and affectionately, smelling trouble, and the choir of friends in an undertone “sings” a sad song (5)

Another variation<19/IV>- thoughtful monologue. The calm, artless narration becomes agitated, almost unsettling. Then peace of mind is restored again, and the monologue continues.

3rd variation<19/V>speaks of the wizard Rothbart (B). Tchaikovsky painted it in characteristic tones. Copper and wood instruments predominate. There are solemn and frightening, maliciously jubilant fanfare exclamations. The composer builds music on stubborn repetitions, drawing the image of Rothbart - imperious, persistent in carrying out his diabolical plan, stupid and stubborn, cruel and confident (6)

4th variation<19/VI>reminiscent of an artless children's song, the melody of which is led by an oboe. Cheerful, courageous, it is performed with growing strength and confidence. The traditional fast-paced end, designed for rotations and flights, dramatically changes the nature of the dance: in the place of sincerity comes playfulness, in place of sadness - a short flash of joy (C)

And finally, in the sextet code<19/VII>its "bacchanal" character is clearly expressed. The prince seems to be caught in a whirlwind of jubilation; this whirlwind, raised by Rothbart, whirled the young man. The emotional figurativeness of the code is so great, and it is so original that one can only wonder how choreographers could pass it by for three quarters of a century, using another, rather banal code (7).

Through the impersonality of the choreographer's order, the intense thought of the composer-playwright emerges, looking for the thread of action he needs. And the fruit of it was the original decision of the sextet. The threads of sorcery and seduction are tied in it, leading to a dramatic denouement. The composer created excellent prerequisites for staging a large "effective pas". Here you can show in different variations Odette and Odile, Rothbart and Siegfried, a motley collection of invited and uninvited guests who turn Siegfried's head. Fantasy and reality are combined in a sextet, merging two spheres that exist separately in previous paintings.

The sextet is followed by characteristic dances (Nos. 20-23) - Hungarian, Spanish, Neapolitan, Polish. In the ordinary ballets of that time, pseudo-national, not folk, but ballroom forms of characteristic dances were cultivated. Tchaikovsky refused stamps. His dances in Act III still lack the authenticity that he achieved in The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. But the brightness of national themes, their symphonic development, the richness of melodic and rhythmic elements already here lead to a genuine renewal of the genre.

After characteristic dances, the Brides Waltz appears again (beginning No. 24) (8). It is impossible not to see a definite intention of Tchaikovsky in this. At the beginning of the act, the prince ignored the waltz and its participants, now he is dancing in tandem with Odile. The appearance of a waltz before the denouement means that the long-awaited choice of the bride has been made. A wonderful dramatic detail, unfortunately, remained out of the attention of choreographers until recently, and the waltz music was subjected to cuts.

Siegfried's confession of Odile's love follows. Rothbart joins their hands. The finale of the act is described in the libretto as follows: “The scene instantly darkens, the cry of an owl is heard, the clothes fall off von Rothbart, and he appears in the form of a demon. Odile laughs." The theme of swans now sounds even more dramatic than at the time of Odile's appearance. The cries of the trumpets (the malevolent laughter of Rothbart) destroy the smooth melody of the swan song, creating the sharpness of the conflict. “The window swings open with noise,” the libretto says, “and a white swan with a crown on its head appears on the window.” The music speaks excitedly about the experiences of Odette and her friends. One might think that the handshake between the prince and Odile inflicted a serious wound on Odette: the swan girls suddenly fill the darkened hall, rushing about in alarm and indignation.

Stage practice inflicted perhaps the greatest wounds on the music of Act III. The current third act is the most unsatisfactory from the point of view of musical and choreographic dramaturgy: it largely falls out of the mainstream of the action. An appeal to the original musical text makes it possible to make Act III an effective culmination of the performance - preparation for the denouement. It is important to understand the composer's intention: everything outwardly seemed to him to be brides' bridesmaids, and in content - a test of the hero's love. With this interpretation, dances acquire a general meaning. Again and again, in defiance of the vulgarizers of the problem of the effectiveness of the dance, Tchaikovsky teaches us the most important element of the ballet - the dance in the image, which is the Waltz of the brides, and the sextet, and the suite of characteristic dances, and the final waltz. Only with such an understanding of the dramaturgy of this act is it possible to bring it closer to the composer's intention and include it in action.

In the intermission to Act IV (No. 25), the music seems to be asking: how to live now, how to be after what happened? The intonations of the intermission and the next musical episode are full of indecision and sadness. The first stage episode (No. 26) develops the intermission theme in the dance. The swan girls are waiting for Odette. In this music, Tchaikovsky proceeded from folk song sources. Like a girl's choir mourning the fate of a friend. Glissando harp sets the scene for a large dance number called "Dance of the Little Swans" (No. 27). This episode is a precious and still underestimated contribution of Tchaikovsky to the art of music and dance. Such an original composition - diverse in feeling, democratic in content, folk in song structure - the ballet theater did not know. The lyrics of the autumn Russian nature, the motives of the bitter maiden's lot (D) are conveyed here with great force.

In order not to leave a shadow of doubt as to who the thoughts and feelings of the agitated swans refer to, the composer in the next apparition (No. 28) turns to Odette. She, as the libretto says, is “in tears and in despair”: Siegfried broke his oath of allegiance, the hope of getting rid of bondage disappeared. Choking from resentment and grief, not holding back her sobs, Odette tells her friends about what happened in the castle, and the girls answer her with heartfelt participation.

Odette's agitated musical speech reaches a dramatic climax. As D. Zhitomirsky writes, “tutti strikes, sharp tonal shifts... the composer notes with a note: “Here he comes!”, taken from the libretto.” The new theme is full of passionate anguish, it prepares the approach of the hero, tormented by remorse. But an angry owl appears instead. A storm begins, “transmitted by gloomy chords and “whirlwinds” of chromatic scales” - an episode that was not recorded in any way in the libretto.

The picture of the storm in Act IV contains both the image of bad weather, and the malicious laughter of a jubilant sorcerer, and the despair of girls (9).

The music, expressing the action of an evil force, breaks off, as if stopped by an imperious hand, and after a short pause, a wide pathetic cantilena appears. Thus begins the final scene (No. 29) of the ballet: Siegfried, tormented by remorse, appears. You might think that the breath of a warm wind stopped the bad weather for a moment. Again, as in the previous episode, nature and the world of elements and feelings merged into one.

A dialogue between Odette and her beloved unfolds. Having undergone a number of changes in the course of the action, the swan theme became individualized and became an integral element of the characterization of the characters. Here, in symphonic form, Tchaikovsky created a new type of choreographic dialogue. Next to the “duet of agreement”, which was strong in the ballet theater of the 19th century (its highest expression is the duet of Act II), the composer staged the “duet of destroyed agreement” (10), “duet of the search for agreement” - a phenomenon previously unknown in choreographic art.

A storm of feelings of the heroes sounds in the orchestra, it merges on the stage with the raging elements: the waves of the lake, invading the land, fill the entire stage. The growing sound of the main theme - the swan song - is intended here to characterize the growing determination of the heroes, the rebelliousness of their spirit, fearlessness in the face of imminent death.

The composer translates his narrative into a major plan, asserting the victory of the heroes despite their death. The technique that crystallized in symphonic music helped to bring the main idea of ​​the work to the listener with the utmost clarity in the ballet score. The huge tension accumulated earlier is discharged, the raging elements calm down, in a small apotheosis the composer composes a bright anthem of victorious love. The development of the action in Act IV is extremely interesting. Tchaikovsky began it with a story about the misfortune hanging over the swan girls. The development of this theme ”leads to a dramatic monologue by Odette, causing the grief of her friends: everything is lost - this is the meaning of their experiences. Emphasizing this idea, the composer depicts a storm raised by a sorcerer: evil forces are celebrating a victory over the doomed, over the love of Odette and Siegfried. And suddenly, unexpectedly for the sorcerer, intoxicated with his triumph, the storm breaks off with the intrusion of the E-dur's theme that accompanies the appearance of the prince.

For the first time throughout the entire score, Tchaikovsky endows Siegfried with a passionate and active characterization: the hero defeated by the sorcerer, it turns out, found strength in himself that he did not have before. In the trials, the young man's determination was born to fight for his beloved, to unite with her in spite of insurmountable obstacles. Now Siegfried fully becomes the hero of the play (isn't that why he got his own music?) and delivers a crushing blow to the sorcerer. Therefore, Rothbart's maliciously jubilant theme is no longer heard in the finale. His charms are defeated by the love of heroes, reborn along with a willingness to fight. The storm in the final scene takes on a new meaning: it is not Rothbart's anger and jubilation, but the theme of all-conquering love, suffering, but desperately fighting, facing the threat of death, but triumphant. That is why the final bars of the music sound like a hymn of love, in spite of the darkness of death.

(1) It was absent in all productions: it was first restored by F. Lopukhov on the stage of the Opera and Ballet Theatre. S. M. Kirov in 1945
(2) When the ballet was staged at the Mariinsky Stage in 1895, the duet was transferred to an act at a ball and used for a dance quartet, during which Odile seduces the prince.
(3) It was apparently given by L. Ivanov. The composer has this name for No. 27 in Act IV.
(4) Here is an important confirmation of the composer's view of the image of Odile: it is, as it were, the other side of the image of Odette, and not another role played by the second ballerina. Consequently, attempts to separate the parts of Odette and Odile and entrust them to two ballerinas run counter to the composer's desire, moreover, they cancel the main conflict: the prince was deceived by the similarity, and did not fall in love with the other.
(5) For the first time this episode was staged by A. Vaganova on the advice of B. Asafiev on the stage of the Opera and Ballet Theater. S. M. Kirov in 1933
(B) A. Demidov believes that this variation belonged to Siegfried - ed. comp.
(6) For the first time this variation was staged as Rothbart's dance by F. Lopukhov in his 1945 version in the same theatre.<А также Сергеевым и Григоровичем – прим. сост.>
(C) In a number of versions (Burmeister, Nureyev, Grigorovich) used for a variation of Odile in the Black pas de deux.
(7) It was first used by V. Burmeister on the stage of the Theater. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko in 1953 as the code for all dances at the ball.<А также Нуреевым – прим. сост.>
(8) For the ballerina P. Karpakova, who played the role of Odette - Odile, Tchaikovsky wrote a Russian dance, which was performed after other characteristic dances. Later it was used by A. Gorsky as the dance of the Tsar Maiden in the last act of The Little Humpbacked Horse.
For another Odette - Odile, A. Sobeshchanskaya (1877), Tchaikovsky wrote the music Pas de deux, consisting of an adagio, two variations and a coda. After E. Kalmykova, who replaced Sobeshchanskaya, this duet was not performed, and its notes were lost for a long time, until recently<1953 прим. сост.>the “tutor” (part of two violins) was not found, according to which V. Shebalin made the orchestration of the duet. Part of it was used for the first time by V. Burmeister in the third act of his production of Swan Lake. When evaluating the duet, one should take into account that Tchaikovsky did not write it of his own free will. Sobeshchanskaya asked Petipa to stage a duet for her for Swan Lake. Petipa complied with her request by using someone else's music. Tchaikovsky, not wanting to have a foreign body in his score, composed duet music based on Petipa's finished dance. (D) Used in many versions (Gorsky-Messerer, Burmeister, Nureyev, Grigorovich); replaced by Petipa-Ivanov with Tchaikovsky's orchestrated piano piece "Sparkle" ("Bauble Waltz"), op.72 No. 11 - ed. comp.
(9) According to the note in the score, the sorcerer raises a storm after Siegfried runs into the forest, looking for his beloved. Thus, the storm is designed to erect obstacles in the way of the hero.
(10) This definition was suggested to the author by Professor MS Druskin.

LIBRETTO 1895

Libretto published for the production of "Swan Lake" by M. Petipa and L. Ivanov at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg on Sunday, January 15 (old style), 1895. Cit. Quoted from: A. Demidov. "Swan Lake", Moscow: Art, 1985; ss. 154-157.

Characters

Possessing princess
Prince Siegfried, her son
Benno, his friend
Wolfgang, Prince's tutor
Odette, the swan queen
Von Rothbardt, the evil genius, disguised as a guest
Odile, his daughter who looks like Odette
Master of ceremonies, herald, friends of the prince, court gentlemen, lackeys, court ladies and pages in the retinue of the princess, bride, settlers, villagers, swans, swans

The action takes place in fabulous times, in Germany.

Act one

Painting I

Park in front of the castle.

Scene 1
Benno and his comrades are waiting for Prince Siegfried to celebrate his coming of age with him. Prince Siegfried enters, accompanied by Wolfgang. The feast begins. Peasant girls and boys come to bring congratulations to the prince, who orders the men to be treated with wine, and the girls to be presented with ribbons. Drunk Wolfgang manages the execution of the orders of his pupil. Dancing peasants.

Scene 2
Servants run in and announce the approach of the Princess Mother. This news upsets the general merriment. The dancing stops, the servants hurry to clear the tables and hide the traces of the feast. The youth and Wolfgang make an effort to pretend to be sober. The Princess enters, preceded by her retinue; Siegfried goes to meet his mother, greeting her respectfully. She affectionately rebukes him for trying to deceive her. She knows that he was feasting now, and she came not to prevent him from having fun in the circle of comrades, but to remind him that the last day of his single life had come and that tomorrow he should become a bridegroom.

To the question: who is his bride? The princess replies that tomorrow's ball will decide this, to which she has called all the girls worthy of becoming her daughter and his wife; he chooses the one he likes best. Having allowed the interrupted feast to continue, the princess leaves.

Scene 3
The prince is thoughtful: he is sad to part with a free, single life. Benno persuades him not to spoil the pleasant present by worrying about the future. Siegfried gives a sign to continue the amusements. The feasting and dancing resume. Completely intoxicated Wolfgang makes everyone laugh with his participation in the dances.

Scene 4
It's evening. One more farewell dance and it's time to leave. Cup dance.

scene 5
A flock of swans is flying by. Youth is not up to sleep. The sight of the swans makes them think of ending the day with a hunt. Benno knows where the swans flock to at night. Leaving the intoxicated Wolfgang, Siegfried and the young people leave.

Scene II

Rocky wilderness. At the back of the stage is a lake. To the right, on the shore, are the ruins of a chapel. Moonlight night.

Scene 1
A flock of white swans floats on the lake. Ahead of all is a swan with a crown on its head.

Scene 2
Enter Benno with some of the prince's entourage. Noticing the swans, they prepare to shoot them, but the swans swim away. Benno, having sent his companions to report to the prince that they had found the herd, is left alone. Swans, having turned into young beauties, surround Benno, struck by a magical phenomenon and powerless against their charms. His comrades return, preceded by the prince. When they appear, the swans retreat. Young people are going to shoot them. The prince enters and also takes aim, but at this time the ruins are illuminated by a magical light and Odette appears, begging for mercy.

Scene 3
Siegfried, struck by her beauty, forbids his comrades from shooting. She expresses her gratitude to him and tells that she is Princess Odette and the girls subject to her are the unfortunate victims of the evil genius who bewitched them, and they are condemned to take the form of swans during the day and only at night, near these ruins, can they retain their human appearance. Their master, in the form of an owl, guards them. His terrible spell will continue until someone falls in love with her forever, for life; only a man who has not sworn love to any other girl can be her deliverer and restore her to her former image. Siegfried, fascinated, listens to Odette. At this time, the owl arrives and, having turned into an evil genius, appears in the ruins and, having overheard their conversation, disappears. Siegfried is horrified at the thought that he could kill Odette when she was in the form of a swan. He breaks his bow and throws it away indignantly. Odette consoles the young prince.

Scene 4
Odette calls all her friends and together with them tries to disperse him by dancing. Siegfried is more and more fascinated by the beauty of Princess Odette and volunteers to be her savior. He has never sworn love to anyone and therefore can save her from the spell of the owl. He will kill him and free Odette. The latter replies that it is impossible. The death of the evil genius will come only at the moment when some madman sacrifices himself for the love of Odette. Siegfried is ready for that too; For her sake, he is happy to die. Odette believes in his love, believes that he never swore. But tomorrow the day will come when a host of beauties will come to his mother's court and he will be obliged to choose one of them as his wife. Siegfried says that he will only be a groom when she, Odette, comes to the ball. The unfortunate girl replies that this is impossible, because at that time she could only fly around the castle in the form of a swan. The prince swears that he will never cheat on her. Odette, touched by the love of the young man, accepts his oath, but warns that the evil genius will do everything to snatch an oath from him to another girl. Siegfried also promises that no spell will take Odette away from him.

scene 5
Dawn breaks. Odette says goodbye to her lover and hides in the ruins with her friends. The light of dawn is getting brighter. A flock of swans again swims up on the lake, and above them, heavily flapping its wings, a large owl flies.

Action two

Luxurious room. Everything is ready for the holiday.

Scene 1
The Master of Ceremonies gives final orders to the servants. He meets and accommodates arriving guests. Exit of the princess and Siegfried in the forerunner of the court. Procession of brides and their parents. General dance. Waltz of the brides.

Scene 2
The princess mother asks her son which of the girls he likes best. Siegfried finds them all charming, but does not see a single one to whom he could swear an oath of eternal love.

Scene 3
Trumpets herald the arrival of new guests. Von Rothbardt enters with his daughter Odile. Siegfried is struck by her resemblance to Odette and greets her admiringly. Odette, in the form of a swan, appears at the window, warning her lover against the spell of an evil genius. But he, carried away by the beauty of the new guest, hears nothing and sees nothing but her. The dancing starts again.

Scene 4
Siegfried's choice is made. Confident that Odile and Odette are one and the same person, he chooses her as his bride. Von-Rothbardt solemnly takes his daughter's hand and passes it to the young man, who pronounces the oath of eternal love in front of everyone. At this moment, Siegfried sees Odette in the window. He realizes that he has become a victim of deceit, but it is too late: the oath is pronounced, Rothbardt and Odile disappear. Odette must forever remain in the power of the evil genius, who, in the form of an owl, appears above her in the window. The unfortunate prince runs away in a fit of despair. General confusion.

Action three.

Desert area near Swan Lake. In the distance are magical ruins. Rocks. Night.

Scene 1
Swans in the form of maidens anxiously await the return of Odette. To shorten the time of anxiety and longing, they try to entertain themselves by dancing.

Scene 2
Odette runs. The swans joyfully meet her, but despair seizes them when they learn about Siegfried's betrayal. Everything is over; the evil genius has triumphed, and there is no salvation for poor Odette: she is forever condemned to be a slave to evil spells. It is better, while she is in the form of a maiden, to perish in the waves of the lake than to live without Siegfried. Her friends try in vain to comfort her.

Scene 3
Siegfried runs in. He is looking for Odette so that, falling at her feet, he begs for forgiveness for his involuntary betrayal. He loves her alone and swore allegiance to Odile only because he saw Odette in her. The latter, at the sight of her lover, forgets her grief and gives herself over to the joy of meeting.

Scene 4
The appearance of an evil genius interrupts the momentary charm. Siegfried must fulfill this oath and marry Odile, and Odette, with the onset of dawn, will forever turn into a swan. Better to die while there is time. Siegfried vows to die with her. The evil genius disappears in fear. Death for the love of Odette is his death. The unfortunate girl, embracing Siegfried for the last time, runs onto the rock to throw herself from its height. An evil genius in the form of an owl hovers over her to turn her into a swan. Siegfried hurries to help Odette and rushes into the lake with her. Owl falls dead.

PROGRAM OF 1895

Below is information from the premiere poster of the play. The minor characters who do not take part in the dance numbers are omitted. Cit. Quoted from: A. Demidov. "Swan Lake", Moscow: Art, 1985; With. 163 and encyclopedia "Russian Ballet", M.: Consent, 1997; With. 254.

AT THE MARIINSKY THEATER
Sunday, January 15th
artists of the Imperial Theaters
will be presented for the first time
SWAN LAKE

Fantastic ballet in 3 acts
Composer P. I. Tchaikovsky
Choreographers M. Petipa and L. Ivanov
Conductor R. Drigo
Artists I. P. Andreev, M. I. Bocharov, G. Levot (sets), E. P. Ponomarev (costumes)
Machinist - G. Berger

Actors and performers

Princess Sovereign - Mrs. Cecchetti
Prince Siegfried, her son - P. A. Gerdt
Benno, his friend - A. A. Oblakov 1st
Wolfgang, the prince's tutor - Gillert
Odette (Queen of the Swans) - P. Legnani
Von Rothbardt, an evil genius, disguised as a guest - A. D. Bulgakov
Odile, his daughter, resembling Odette - P. Legnani

Dance numbers and their participants

First action

They will dance in the 1st picture:
1. Pas de trois<так в афише: па де труа перед вальсом – прим. сост.>
Preobrazhenskaya, Rykhlyakova 1st, Kyaksht
2. Valse champetre ("Peysan waltz")
Four pairs of second dancers and dancers, 16 pairs of luminaries and luminaries.
3. Danse au cliquetis de coupes ("Clinking glasses")
All participating

In the 2nd picture:
1 Scene dansante
Legnani, Gerd
2. Entree des cygnes
32 dancers
3. Grand pas des cygnes
Legnani, Gerd, Oblakov 1st, seven second dancers, dancers and dancers, pupils of the Imperial Theater School
a) Valses
b) Adagio
c) Variation
Rykhlyakova 1st, Voronova, Ivanova, Noskova
Ofitserova, Obukhova, Fedorova 2nd, Rykhlyakova 2nd
Legnani
d) Coda et Finale
Legnani, Gerdt and all involved

Second act

Will dance:
1 Valse des fiancees
Six brides (Ivanova, Leonova, Petrova 2nd, Noskova, Persons?, Kuskova) and Gerdt
2. Pas Espagnol
Two pairs - Skorsyuk, Obukhova, Shiryaev, Litavkin
3. Danse Venitienne
Corps de ballet - 16 couples
4. Pas Hongois
Petipa 1st, Bekefi and eight couples
5. Mazurka
Four couples (including Kshesinsky 1st and Kshesinskaya 1st)
6. Pas d'action
Legnani, Gerdt, Gorsky and Bulgakov

Third act

Will dance:
1 Valse des cygnes
30 dancers listed, including eight black swans
2 Scene dansante
Legnani, Gerd, Bulgakov and all involved

STATIONS IN MOSCOW AND PETERSBURG
Information about the performances of the ballet is given with brief comments - citations from the literature (see the list below).

20.2.1877, Bolshoi tr, Moscow.
Ballet. W. Reisinger
Hood. K. F. Waltz (II and IV acts), I. Shangin (I act) and K. Groppius (III act)
Dir. S. Ya. Ryabov
Odette-Odile - P. M. Karpakova, Siegfried - A. K. Gillert, Rothbart - S. P. Sokolov.

“The ballet was conceived as a dramatized spectacle, the stage action was a festive extravaganza.

Act I - village waltz, dance scene - 8 women; pas de deux peasant women with the prince; polka - 3 soloists; gallop; pas de trois - 3 soloists (Reisinger swaps pas de deux and pas de trois, compared to Tchaikovsky's score); the finale is a village girl with a prince and a corps de ballet.
act - waltz of the villagers; dance scene - 8

II act - exit of swans; pas de trois - Benno and 2 soloists; pas de deux - Odette with the prince; the final.

III act - dance of courtiers and pages; effective pas de six - the prince, 4 women and Odile, who appears with von Rothbart (did not participate in the dance). Pas de deux, staged for Petipa's Sobeshchanskaya, now known as Tchaikovsky's Pas de deux, the ballerina performed instead of pas de six. Pas de cinq - Odile, the prince and 3 soloists (in some performances it was replaced by a duet of the main characters or stopped); Hungarian, Neapolitan, Russian (Odile), Spanish dance, mazurka.

IV act - dance of swans; a scene of a storm in which the heroes perish, and the fate of the sorcerer remains unclear" (<4>).

The play ran 22 times.

13.1.1880, ibid., resumed.
Ballet. I. Hansen (according to Reisinger), art. and dir. The same.
Odette-Odile - E. N. Kalmykova (then L. N. Geiten), Siegfried - A. F. Bekefi.

“The version is based on 1877 with minor changes.

Act I - in pas de deux, the motive of the seduction of the prince by the peasant is intensified; a scene with garlands appears - 3 people.

Act II - “... the scene was effectively intercepted in several rows by green tulle, depicting water. The corps de ballet dancing behind these waves was a herd of bathing and swimming swans.

Act III - pas de quatre appears at the ball instead of pas de six - Odile, the prince and 2 soloists; hung. - one more pair of soloists is added to the pair "(<4>).

The play ran 11 times.

17.2.1894, Mariinsky Tr, II act
Ballet. L. I. Ivanov; Odette - P. Legnani.

1/15/1895, ibid.
Ballet. M. I. Petipa (I and III acts), L. I. Ivanov (II and IV acts, Venetian and Hungarian dances of the III act)
Hood. I. P. Andreev, M. I. Bocharov, G. Levot (sets), E. P. Ponomarev (costumes)
Dir. R. E. Drigo
Odette-Odile - P. Legnani, Siegfried - P. A. Gerdt, Rothbart - A. D. Bulgakov

The plot has been completely changed. New orchestration by R. Drigo, individual numbers in the score were rearranged, some of them were removed, new numbers were added. Pas de deux of Act I became a duet between Siegfried and Odile, with the female variation replaced by Tchaikovsky's orchestrated piano piece La Minx (Rezvushka). For the adagio of Odette and Siegfried in the last act, the mazurka "A Little Chopin" is used, for the ensemble of yearning swans - the waltz "Sparkle" ("Waltz-trinket"). Removed pas de sis in the palace act and the scene of the storm - in the last. The Petipa-Ivanov production became the classic version of Swan Lake and saved the ballet from oblivion. Alexander Demidov writes:.>.>.>

“Without Petipa, Drigo and Ivanov, this ballet would not have conquered the whole world.<...>This ballet missed its time - that, if you like, is Reisinger's historical fault. Like "Giselle", it could remain for us a masterpiece of pure romantic classics, not embarrassed by later stratifications of the most diverse ideas and motives. But “Swan Lake” appears, as it were, from non-existence at the very end of the 19th century and ends up in a theater that has already staged The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, in a theater in which Glazunov’s Raymond will be staged three years later, mixing neo-romantic tendencies time with the symbolist chivalric drama. Petipa left all his undines, naiads, fairies in the past. And the fairies of the "Sleeping Beauty" were already completely different than their magical and mysterious predecessors. Those fairies settled near lakes or in enchanted forests, on some abandoned island, fluttered through the trees and peered with curiosity into such an unfamiliar and alien earthly world. Fairies of the "Sleeping Beauty" - fairies from the palace, their place is at the festive table, and the king is their best friend. They take care of little princesses, give them gifts and frolic at the wedding, feeling comfortable in the court hall near the throne and around it. Yes, and they danced differently than those already forgotten by them fairies of forests, lakes and rivers. In ceremonial tutus, they shone with academic virtuosity, demonstrated an elegant and durable aplomb, preferring ground dance to air dance. "Swan Lake" called to another world. And, of course, we can condemn Petipa for not responding to this call. But Petipa faced another task - to revive the forgotten Tchaikovsky ballet, to give it a new life, taking into account all the changes that have occurred during this time both in life and in art.<3>, cc. 160-162).

1/24/1901, ibid., new post.
Ballet. A. A. Gorsky
Hood. A. Ya. Golovin (I), K. A. Korovin (II, IV), N. A. Klodt (III)
Dir. and music writer. ed. A. F. Arends
Odette-Odile - A. A. Dzhuri, Siegfried - M. M. Mordkin, Rothbart - K. S. Kuvakin

“It is based on the St. Petersburg version of Petipa-Ivanov 1895 with private alterations (he restored the author's order of musical numbers).

Act I - no pas de deux (as in Petipa), new pas de trois ("peasant dance") - peers of the prince; a peasant waltz at the beginning instead of a Peisan waltz in the middle of the act by Petipa; the polonaise was decided in the spirit of a violent farandole.

II act - changed the choreography. "Swans with swans" - 8 small. pupils: the prince appeared on the lake with hunters who participated in the dance, swans - with swans; figures in the spirit of farandole (orgiastic round dances) in the lake scene, which later disappeared; 3 large swans (instead of 4 by Ivanov); “Dance of the little swans” - 6 (4 for Ivanov), they are not clasped with their hands, scattered around; new act code.

Act III - as in Petipa's pas de quatre: Prince, Benno, Rothbart, Odile, turning into pas de deux of the Prince with Odile to music from Act I; bride dance; new isp. dance - two pairs (moved to later St. Petersburg editions); mazurka and crown. - extras are added to 4 couples. Character. dancing is a different order. IV act - Odette's new plastic solo; no black swans with insert. waltz "Sparkle"; again the episode of the storm in the finale - the elements overtook the heroes, and Rothbart triumphed. There was no apotheosis of Petipa" (<4>).

12/9/1912, in the same place, resumed, ballet. and dir. The same
Hood. Korovin
Odette-Odile - E. V. Geltser, Siegfried - V. D. Tikhomirov, Rothbart - A. Bulgakov

“Enhanced psychological realism by dramatizing the action.

Act I - ends at dusk with a torchlight dance at a peasant feast.

Act II - a string of swans floats, then the dancers appear on the backs of plaster swans; the finale of the adagio of Odette and Siegfried is decided in a bird-like way. Asymmetry, spreading pattern, arrangement of swans is natural.

III act - a new waltz of brides: 6 different characters. brides lead their own text, at certain moments they merge into pairs, and at the culmination and finale - into a common dance (Petipa has 6 identical soloists in white dancing together).

Act IV - as a whole, was unsuccessful, has not been preserved. The flood is more believable than previous editions" (<4>).

The play ran 116 times.

29.2.1920, Bolshoi tr, Moscow
Ballet. Gorsky, director V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko
Hood. Korovin (I act), A. A. Arapov (new scenery of II-IV acts)
Dir. Rentals
Odette - E. M. Ilyushchenko, Odile - M. R. Reisen, Siegfried - L. A. Zhukov, Evil Genius - A. Bulgakov, Jester - V. A. Efimov.

“Experimental production of Gorsky together with Nemirovich-Danchenko at the Aquarium Garden Theater (passed several times). The libretto has been changed, a new dramatic and ideological concept of music, mime play and dance pantomime prevail, the number of episodes that reveal the plot has increased. The parts of Odette and Odile were performed by two ballerinas.

Act I - a characteristic dance and pantomime, without the classics: the peasant waltz from "finger" becomes "heeled" and is lost in the hustle and bustle; re-arranged pas de trois.

Act II - the evil beginning is clearly opposed to the good, a clash and a struggle are shown. Together with Rothbart, Odile appeared here and watched the prince and Odette; Odette's friends led girlish round dances; 6 swans - in dresses, Odette is not in a tutu, but in a long dress, on her head is a crown and two braids.

Act III - a jester is introduced into the dance of masks (to this day in performances), masquerade jesters are introduced, Odile - an overseas bird without a pack with horns on her head disguises herself as Odette; in the scene of betrayal, Odette walked along the ledge and went out through another window.

II and IV acts - "some kind of transition from ballet to cinema." For the first time, Odette and Siegfried triumphed over Rothbart, and Odile went crazy.<4>).

The show ran 5 times.

February 19, 1922, ibid., resumed.
Odette-Odile - M. P. Kandaurova, Siegfried - A. M. Messerer.

“A new stage version in 4 acts - a return to the 1912 version with adjustments to individual mise-en-scenes and episodes of Acts I and II, with the best finds of the 1920 performance, the image of the Jester, a reworked dance of masks, a tragic ending, and in 1923 again a happy ending with apotheosis” (<4>).

13.4.1933, GATOB, Leningrad
Ballet. AND I. Vaganova (according to Ivanov and Petipa)
Hood. V.V. Dmitriev, dir. E.A. Mravinsky
Odette - G.S. Ulanova, Odile - O.G. Jordan, Siegfried - K.M. Sergeev.

“In 1934, the production of Petipa-Ivanov was reconstructed by A. Vaganova with the participation of the artist V. Dmitriev. They interpreted the ballet as a romantic drama, they wanted to remove pantomime episodes from the performance, performed by means of a conditional gesture, and return the musical "pieces" that Drigo had taken away. The authors of the reconstruction transferred the action of the ballet to the 30s of the 19th century. Siegfried appears before the viewer as a romantic dreamer, with the features of a “young man of the 30s”. Living in discord with palace reality, he sees a way out of the impasse in love for the bird girl. But reality is stronger than him: the daughter of the knight Rothbart - Odile (this role was played by the second ballerina) seduces the young man with earthly passions and destroys the dream of his life. Deceived by Siegfried, Odette is killed by a hunter-knight. Over her corpse, the hero commits suicide.

Incidentally, the performance, which preserved the choreography of Petipa-Ivanov in the II, III and IV acts, had interesting intentions. For the first time, the mood and images of Tchaikovsky were vividly embodied in Dmitriev's talented scenery. For the first time, the music of the storm sounded on the Leningrad stage. Vaganova created a semblance of a sextet in an act at a ball; the white shadow of Odette glides among the guests, being visible only to Siegfried, and mournfully and gently, like Undine in Zhukovsky's poem, "speaks" to her beloved in the wonderful musical episode of the sextet - andante con moto. G. Ulanova wrote: "The Adagio is built on an internal struggle ... it acquires a dramatically rich color." Without loss for the performance, the hunters disappeared from the act of swans: the girls and the prince henceforth became the masters of the lyrical action. Instead of an incomprehensible presentation of her biography by Odetta with gestures, Vaganova made an expressive dance scene “The Hunter and the Bird” - the young man collides with the bird girl, both freeze, seized by a sudden attraction, and then she runs away from the feeling that has arisen, and he pursues her - this find entered into everything stage performances.

And yet Vaganova's intentions are wrong. It is impossible to violate the genre of the work, it is impossible to make a dramatic play out of an ingenuous fairy tale, which does not need logical "justifications" for each step. This is contrary to Tchaikovsky's intention. It is impossible to make two independent parties from one party of Odette - Odile. Ulanova said it well: “The devoted love, on which the plot of the ballet is built, comes down to a fleeting attraction, and the prince turns into an empty anemone ... in this situation, the starting point is lost.” A number of Vaganova's mistakes followed from this, including the pretentiously melodramatic finale of the heroine's murder and the hero's suicide.<5>, c. 70).

05/16/1937, Bolshoy tr, Moscow
Ballet. E.I. Dolinskaya (restoration of Acts I-III according to Gorsky and Ivanov), Messerer (new post. Act IV)
Hood. S.K. Samokhvalov, L.A. Fedorov
Dir. Yu.F. Fire
Odette-Odile - M.T. Semyonova, Siegfried - M.M. Gabovich, Rothbart - P.A. Gusev.

“The role of Benno, who previously participated in the Adagio of Act II, was abolished. The text of the parts of Siegfried and Odette in the adagio was followed by the chorus. Ivanova, ed. Vaganova, the dance accompaniment was preserved from the post. Gorsky. The crown, the dance of the III act, which since 1922 was performed by the pupils of the school, now went with the leading couple (dancer-dancer). IV act - a new sequence of scenes and dances: the dance of the "sorrow of swans" (to the music of 2 variations of Pas de six, No. 19); the appearance of Odette; duet of Siegfried and Odette (to the music of Tchaikovsky's fort. mazurka, orchestra. Drigo); a new final with a duel between Siegfried and Rothbart, where the latter's wing was torn off. The compositional symmetry of the II and IV "swan" acts of Gorsky's production was broken, with the roll call of the Waltz of the II act - and the Waltz of the swan girls of the IV (to the music of the Fort. waltz "Sparks"); adagio and variations (a trio of heroes, dance 6 lev., dance 3 lib.) - and "Odette's dance with swan girls"; var. Odette - and her "Swan Song" "(<4>).

1945, T-r im. Kirov, Leningrad, new ed. fast. Ivanov and Petipa
Ballet. F.V. Lopukhov
Hood. B.I. Volkov (set), T.G. Bruni (costumes)
Odette-Odile - N.M. Dudinskaya, Siegfried - Sergeev, Rothbart - R.I. Gerbek.

“In a dispute with the Vaganov interpretation of the ballet, the version of F. Lopukhov was born in 1945 (artist B. Volkov). Lopukhov wanted to develop and enrich the natural genre of the work - to multiply the fantastic element of the fairy tale. At the same time, he wanted to strengthen the dance imagery of Siegfried and Rothbart, who previously worked mainly in the field of pantomime.

Although Lopukhov's stage version had a relatively short life, its results are felt in subsequent productions. First of all, the correctness of his initial positions was strengthened: the fairy tale became more fabulous, the characters more ballet.

In Act I, staged anew (except for the trio), the waltz clearly lost. But there was also one significant discovery. Lopukhov restored the andante sostenuto episode to the trio, dedicating it to the exposition of the hero's image. Since then, the name “song of the prince” has gone. Meditation, languor, attraction to something unknown, foreshadowing further events - all this is expressed in a purely dance image. Now most productions in Lopukhov style use this musical episode.

In Act II, Lopukhov originally conceived the nature of Rothbart's stage behavior: he repeats Siegfried's movements all the time. It is like an evil shadow of a person, invisible and indestructible.

In Act III, Lopukhov restored the Dance of the corps de ballet and the dwarfs (albeit without evaluating its effective meaning) and, most importantly, he found the exit and departure of Rothbart and Odile, brilliant in fantasticness. As soon as the fanfares sound, and in the radiance of beauty Odile appears, as the half-dark palace hall is instantly illuminated; a colorful crowd of guests fills the hall. This magic is repeated in the final: as soon as Siegfried comprehends the meaning of deception, Rothbart and Odile disappear, and with them the guests.

In Act IV, Lopukhov's intentions are higher than the results. He wanted to make Rothbart active, dancing, but he achieved this only in part. An attempt to separate the swans by declaring the black ones as Rothbart's entourage is, in our opinion, vicious and goes against the idea of ​​Petipa-Ivanov. For the first time, Lopukhov proposed in the finale to show that the swans are freed from the spell at the cost of Odette's selfless love and acquire a human appearance. The idea is tempting, but somewhat straightforward" (<5>, cc. 71-72).

1950, ibid., resumed. new ed.
Ballet. Sergeev
Hood. Virsaladze
Screened in cinema (1968).

“Since 1950, on the stage of the Opera and Ballet Theater named after S. M. Kirov, the ballet has been staged by K. Sergeev. Unlike his predecessors, Sergeev had no intention of rebuilding the Ivanov-Petipa choreography. After a long search for a new solution, a return to the original would be extremely important and timely. Especially on the stage where this ballet was born. Unfortunately, it did not happen. Sergeev did not restore Petipa's production in Act I, but followed the path of his predecessors - he composed his own, leaving only the trio untouched.

In the swan acts (II and IV) corrections also appeared, moreover, arbitrary ones. Thus, in Act II, Sergeev replaced Ivanov's Four Great Swans with a new production, made a new arrival and departure of Odette; he destroyed the dramaturgically important mise-en-scene of the “headless” triangle of swans at the beginning of act IV, rearranged the groups at the appearance of Siegfried, turned the effective Dance of the Brides into a divertisse. In a word, he treated the legacy as freely as other "renewers"" (<5>, c. 72).

There, resume. 1970

25.4.1953, Moscow, tr. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko, new post.
Ballet. V.P. Burmeister (I, III and IV acts), P.A. Gusev (II act after Ivanov)
Hood. A.F. Lushin (scenery), E.K. Arkhangelskaya (costumes)
Dir. V.A. Edelman
Odette-Odile - V. T. Bovt, Prince - A. V. Chichinadze, Rothbart - V. A. Klein.

“In 1953, V. Burmeister showed on the stage of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater his new production of the ballet, retaining only Ivanov's Act II from the previous one.

Promising to completely return to the original score, the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater actually retreated from its declaration, and not only in Act II, where Ivanov's choreography, based on Drigo's version, forced it to do so.

V. Burmeister did not put the sextet, which constitutes its dramatic framework, in its place in the third act, but took Tchaikovsky's inserted duet, and even then replenished with other episodes. He did not return the characteristic dances to their places, but retained their order, which was established by Drigo-Petipa. Returning the duet to its place in act I, he used only the exit and adagio from it, and removed the variations and the coda. Taking the episode andante con moto from the sextet of act III, he included it in act IV. Can we talk about a complete restoration of the score after this? Of course no. But it was not so much subjective creative desires that forced him to do so, in some places they even expressed themselves too overbearingly. No, the objective interests of music forced him to do this - there was no turning back, Reisinger's mistakes could not be resurrected.

Burmeister's performance presented the audience with many new things. And its originality begins with the introduction: here the author of the production shows how Odette was turned into a swan by the magician Rothbart. Thus, the action contains in the prologue an explanation of what was previously taken for granted.

In terms of intensity and compactness, Act I in Burmeister's production makes a fresh impression, but it does not correspond to the composer's intention. In Act II, which completely repeats Ivanov, Burmeister invented the image of Rothbart, who, like a demon, overshadows the entire scene with wings, but does not leave the place - the wings, so to speak, dance - they scatter, bewitched girls, attract them to themselves, cause a storm, etc. d.

Act III aroused the greatest interest. Disintegrating usually into a series of incoherent concert numbers, it is for the first time assembled into a through dramatic narrative. The technique of instantaneous appearance and disappearance of foreign guests, taken from Lopukhov, formed the basis of the original action. The appearance of Odile and Rothbart causes a complete transformation of the situation. The gloomy medieval hall, hitherto half empty, is filled with many guests, blazing with the flames of their colorful dances and screaming costumes. The Burmeister's suite of characteristic dances forms a chain of temptations that bewitches Siegfried's head. These are different faces of the insidious Odile and her retinue. The werewolf woman inflames Siegfried's sensuality, lulls his will, subjugates Rothbart's power in order to force Odette's renunciation. As a diabolical director, the magician Rothbart participates in all these dances: he organizes them, entangling the young man in a web of temptation. For the first time Burmeister fulfilled the will of the authors of the ballet: before the eyes of the audience, the magician turns into an owl, and the sorceress disappears.

The last act was also re-staged by Burmeister. Using Ivanov's image of a swan girl and a number of choreographic techniques of Act II, Burmeister staged the dances to music that had previously been excluded. He dramatizes the plasticity of the dance, being inspired, in particular, by the motifs of The Dying Swan. Particularly expressive are his groups and plasticity in the andante con moto episode from the sextet. New in the performance is the "old" flood, which attracted the composer so much. Burmeister characterizes the raging element, which is opposed by the love of heroes, with the methods of extravaganza. In the finale, he uses Lopukhov's application: triumphant love frees the swans from the spell, returns them to their human form. So the through-action ring closes. The prologue leads to an epilogue.

After the performance, in the quiet of thinking about it, a number of significant objections come to mind. Is it legal to play the prologue on the music of the introduction? And is a prologue required, does the viewer need an explanation of how the magician bewitched the girl? Is it right to interpret the suite of characteristic dances as a chain of glamours of "evil forces"? After all, this thought does not exist in the nature of Tchaikovsky's music. Is the coexistence in the performance of completely different (and sometimes alien in language) productions of Ivanov and Burmeister appropriate? It is easy to answer this in the negative.

With all the desire to part with Ivanov's choreography, Burmeister could not do this, although he undertook his own production of Act II in Tallinn. Apparently, in single combat with Ivanov, he was forced to yield to him in the interests of Tchaikovsky's music.

Burmeister was convinced that he did everything else in his own way. In fact, he was sometimes inspired by the motives of his predecessors: he took a jester from Gorsky's performance; borrowed from Petipa certain techniques that characterize the bird of prey Odile, developed Lopukhov's find. And this is symptomatic.

However, no matter how much he complains to Burmeister (and there are many), he manages to electrify the auditorium with the genuine drama of the act, which previously looked only like a costume concert. This cannot be ignored." (<5>, cc. 73-75)

30.6.1956
Recycling post. Dolinskaya and Messerer 1937
Hood. – Virsaladze

“The reworking of the ballet in connection with the tour to Covent Garden was accompanied by a split within the theater. A group led by the artistic director of the ballet Gusev proposed taking Burmeister's version as a basis and transferring act IV from there in its entirety. Messerer and his supporters agreed with private editing, insisting on keeping Act IV in the 1937 edition. As a result, the theater turned to Shostakovich, Kabalevsky and others, who recommended following the author's music. ed. The production team, in addition to Gusev and his assistant Varlamov, included Messerer (Act IV), Radunsky and Ulanova.

Act I - the waltz was re-staged (Gusev); the finale of the polonaise is turned into a general departure of the characters.

Act II - a new dance accompaniment was composed for the adagio of Siegfried and Odette (Gusev): the prince's friends disappear, support. in the adagio of soloists-swans.

Act III was supposed to be performed in Gorsky's way as a masquerade ball. In the intended sequence of scenes, the waltz of the brides concluded with a characteristic divertissement. In the pas de deux, new variations of Odile (Gusev) and Siegfried (Varlamov) were composed to Tchaikovsky's previously unused music from this act. Tweaked the dance of masks and the jester.

Act IV - banknotes were opened, the piano insert mazurka was withdrawn, a new choreography was composed.

The first two acts (the prince's picnic with friends and the hunt on the lake) are combined into one. In this form, the ballet was held once and was rejected by the directorate ”(<4>).

31.8.1956, Bolshoi tr, Moscow,
Ballet. Gorsky and Messerer, resumed. Messerer and A. Radunsky
Hood. S.B. Virsaladze, dir. Y. Fire
Odette-Odile - N. Timofeeva, Siegfried - N. Fadeechev, Evil Genius - V. Levashev, Jester - G. Farmanyants

“A new version of the performance (IV act) - changes have been made:
at the beginning and end of Act I; in the adagio of Siegfried and Odette, Act II; in act III, the waltz of the brides came after the crown., hung. and mazurkas, the ball was interrupted by the appearance of Rothbart and Odile, the prince rushed after her and returned to the stage after the Spanish. dance. The pas de deux used a choreographer. Petipa and the corresponding musical edition; sequence of scenes and dances of the IV act: dance of the “sorrow of the swans” (to the previously stopped music of the Dance of the Little Swans, No. 27) - 24 dancers; the appearance of Odette and Rothbart's dance-reprisal over her (to the music of the Scene, No. 28, including the beginning of the storm, stopped in previous editions); the appearance of the prince (in the first bars of the Finale, no. 29), the duet of Siegfried and Odette (to the music of variation no. 2 from Pas de six of the third act, no. 19) with corps de ballet accompaniment; the finale (for the continuation of music No. 29), the duel of the prince with Rothbart, who, as before, was torn off his wing ”(<4>).

10/12/1956, Bolshoi tr, Moscow
Odette-Odile - M.M. Plisetskaya, Prince - L.T. Zhdanov; adapted into cinema (1957).

“While the troupe was touring in London, Semyonova, Kuznetsov, Nikitina, Messerer and Gabovich resumed the 1937 edition (decorated by Samokhvalov and Fedorov). The part of Odette-Odile was performed by Plisetskaya" (<4>).

The performance in the 1956 version ran 392 times. On October 20, 1965, the ballet "Swan Lake" was shown at the Bolshoi Theater for the 1000th time (conductor - A. Zhuraitis, Odette-Odile - M. Plisetskaya, Siegfried - N. Fadeechev, Rothbart - V. Levashev). This revision was last submitted on June 15, 1975.

19.7.1958, Leningrad, Maly tr, restoration of the original composition by Ivanov and Petipa
Ballet. Lopukhov, K.F. Boyarsky
Dir. G.A. Doniyah, O.M. Berg
Odette - V. M. Stankevich, Odile - T.G. Borovikova, Siegfried - Yu.Ts. Malakhov.

Ibid., resumed, choreography by Petipa and Ivanov, art. head N.N. Boyarchikov
Hood. V.A. Okunev and I.I. Press.

“And finally, in 1958, face to face with the new choreography by Burmeister and the updated versions of Petipa-Ivanov, the 1895 production of 1895 appeared on the stage of the Maly Opera Theater in its original form (down to the scenery of that time and costumes). F. Lopukhov restored it.

The theater declared a complete return to the original text of Ivanov-Petipa, but in fact it was forced to retreat from its intention. And not so much because the small size of the stage made it impossible to reproduce the old composition (this is clearly seen in the waltz of Act I), or because some things have been forgotten. What has been acquired over the past decades cannot be discounted either; to revive mistakes, miscalculations, everything that died a natural death, of course, is pointless. It is in vain to look for the little swans in the second act of the play, the pupils of the school. In vain are attempts to reproduce exactly the pantomime dialogues played out in the language of the deaf and dumb.

Extremes meet. It turned out the same as in the experience of reviving the author's score: there is no turning back! Today it is impossible to mechanically reproduce the production of 1895. This would mean throwing out of the performance the goodness acquired by generations of masters of Russian ballet, and fetishizing gaping miscalculations, weaknesses that are easily corrected today" (<5>, cc. 75-76).

06/09/1969, Bolshoi tr, Moscow, run of a new post.
Ballet. - Yu. N. Grigorovich (with the preservation of fragments of Ivanov, Petipa, Gorsky).
Hood. – S. Virsaladze
Dir. - A.M. Zhuraitis

“The performance was intended to be cleansed of fantastic miracles. Everything that happened on the stage seemed to happen in reality. A work of a philosophical and symbolic nature was created. 4 acts turned into 2 acts of 2 paintings each: a comparison of ordinary (knightly) and ideal (swan) paintings.

Act I - finale: not Siegfried's variation, as in<последующей>December edition, and the duet of Siegfried and the Evil Genius (which eventually returned to ballet) - the dance of the prince was duplicated by the gloomy shadow of the double (that is, the Evil Genius) with grotesque movements.

Act II - composed choreography. dance of the Russian bride, kupirov. in the previous editorial, he walked right after the Hungarian dance. brides; the trio of Odile, the Evil Genius and Siegfried went to the intrada music from pas de six, no. 19; in the finale, the Evil Genius died in the struggle, Odette fell lifelessly, the shocked Siegfried remained alone, repeating the gesture of swearing an oath to his dream for the third time. After the run, the release of the performance was suspended by the decision of the Minister of Culture Furtseva and recommended for serious revision, and the old performance went on tour to London (it was not successful there) ”(<4>).

12/25/1969, Bolshoy tr, Moscow, new edition.
Ballet, art. and dir. - The same
Odette-Odile - N. I. Bessmertnova, Siegfried - N. B. Fadeechev. Evil genius - B. B. Akimov, Mentor - V. Levashev, Jester - A. Koshelev, Prince's messengers - I. Vasilyeva, M. Samokhvalova, Brides: I. Prokofieva (Hungarian), T. Golikova (Russian), E. Kholina (Spanish), G. Kozlova (Italian), N. Krylova (Polish); Three swans - I. Vasilyeva, G. Kozlova, T. Cherkasskaya; Four swans - V. Kokhanovskaya, N. Krivovyaz, N. Polzdnyakova, T. Popko. Screened for TV (1983).

“Maximum approximation to Tchaikovsky's score, removed by Drigo. Variations of Rothbart, Odile and Siegfried are restored in Act III. Some banknotes are preserved, there are almost no new ones. From music. rest. preserved in the 3rd scene is the D major waltz from the first (entre in pas de deux and its coda), otherwise with a group. national dancing; the action is transferred to the "legendary" Middle Ages.

Act I (mostly preserved by Gorsky's edition) - introduction (modification of the "swan" theme) with a dramatic. aggravation of music in the middle and pathetic. holding a mournful theme at the end sounds with the curtain closed. The action takes place in a palace hall full of conditional medieval attributes. A "portrait" variation of Siegfried was composed; new choreography. waltz of peers (on fingers), pantomime knighting scene; pas de trois with the participation of Siegfried himself - as before, his slow part (andante sostenuto) was stopped; the movements of the polonaise with goblets became more intelligible; the prince's loneliness is exacerbated by the "swan" theme in the orchestra; the swan girl behind the heraldic sign is highlighted: the prince rushes after her (in this edition, the Evil Genius did not appear in 1 picture).

Act II - layers of Gorsky were removed; in the adagio, the Ivanovo accompaniment of the corps de ballet, reworked by Gorsky, based on the plastic. motif of the "floating arabesque"; in the waltz of the swans, the choreography was left. three luminaries according to Gorsky. The “Swan” theme (No. 10), which sounded in card 1 as the theme of Siegfried, opens picture 2 as the theme of the Evil Genius (strict suit, no wings). The "Swan" theme (No. 14) completes the picture of the parting of the heroes by the Evil Genius and the oath of Siegfried - this scene was re-staged by Grigorovich.

III act - the brides came from different parts of the world and show their national dances, re-set on the fingers: an exposition of brides; dancing, Hungarian, Spanish, Neap., Paul. brides; waltz of the prince with the brides. The episode of the appearance of the Evil Genius with Odile (No. 18) has been changed: the trio and variation of the Evil Genius with black swans (2 and 4 variations of pas de six No. 19); pas de deux of heroes, consisting of an entre (waltz d-dur from the pas de deux of a villager and a prince of act I), adagio, var. Siegfried to music variation from pas de deux act III (Sobeshchanskaya), var. Odile (5 var. Pas de six No. 19) and codes (from pas de deux of Act I); the coat of arms descends and the waltz of the brides is repeated; treason, the prince's oath, and the finale (No. 24).

Act IV - part 1: the swan dances, Odette's despair and the scene of Siegfried's appearance - are re-staged; Ivanov's triangles, Lopukhov's circles are used; in the finale, the movements of the adagio of act II are repeated. New choreography. finale: no storm, the heroes stay together, the evil genius dies.

The performance was subjected to further processing, from a four-act one to a two-act one and vice versa, separate scenes were inserted or rearranged" (<4>).

For some time at the Bolshoi Theater "Swan Lake" went on in two different productions - Gorsky-Messerer and Grigorovich. On January 10, 1991, the ballet in Grigorovich's edition was held for the 200th time (Odette-Odile - N. Ananiashvili, Siegfried - A. Fadeechev, Evil Genius - S. Bobrov). January 18, 1995 saw the 1500th performance since the first performance (1877) of Swan Lake at the Bolshoi Theater (Odette-Odile - N. Ananiashvili, Siegfried - A. Fadeechev, Evil Genius - R. Pronin). On February 14, 1997, the 238th performance of the ballet was held, edited by Grigorovich.

July 1988, Moscow state USSR Ballet Principal (premier in London)
Ballet. N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev (according to Ivanov, Petipa, Gorsky)
Consultants Semyonova, Messerer
Hood. T. Goodchild (Great Britain)
Odette-Odile - A. A. Artyushkina-Khaniashvili, Siegfried - A. V. Gorbatsevich, Rothbart-V. P. Trofimchuk, Jester - I. R. Galimullin.

The version goes back to Gorsky and (in Act IV) to Messerer with additions from the theater's artistic directors. Of the features of the production, one can note the stools in the Peisan waltz (Lopukhov grieved about their loss during the permutations of Petipa's version). Of course, no one remembers those stools anymore, and Kasatkina and Vasilev used their imagination, but it’s still interesting, you won’t see this anywhere else. Benno is dancing - pas de trois with the two brides of the prince (not villagers, Siegfried is already starting to woo here). Polonaise is purely masculine. The Song of the Prince goes to the music of the finale of the 1st picture.

Act II begins with the dance of the Fool and the Fools; this number of the score is usually interrupted. There is a variation from Rothbart - to music from the pas de sis. The brides are on pointe shoes, but they only dance the waltz, and their retinue is engaged in characteristic dances. The exception is the Russian bride. The female variation of the Black traffic code is a p / n play Naughty (as in Petipa). But there are no other insertions by Drigo-Petipa in Act III. As in most versions, there is an adagio by Siegfried and Odette in act III - to music from the pas de sis. Siegfried does not tear off the wing from Rothbart, but all the plumage, after which he, mortally wounded, kills the prince, and dies himself. Under the enlightened finale, the girls swim backstage, freed from the spell, and Odette, as it should be for a swan, dies of grief on the prostrate body of the prince.

27.4.1990, Moscow. state USSR Ballet Principal (2nd premiere in Moscow)
Ballet, art. The same
Odette-Odile - S. I. Smirnova (then V. P. Timashova), Siegfried - V. A. Malakhov, Rothbart - Trofimchuk, Jester - Galimullin.

12/25/1996, Bolshoi tr, Moscow
Screenplay by A. Agamirov and V. Vasiliev
Ballet. V. Vasiliev (with the preservation of Ivanov's fragments in the 2nd act)
Hood. M. Azizyan
Dir. A. Kopylov
The Swan Princess - E. Andrienko, the King - N. Tsiskaridze, the Prince - V. Neporozhny, the Prince's Friends - G. Yanin, V. Golubin, A. Evdokimov; Maid of honor - I. Zibrova, M. Ryzhkina; Dances: M. Filippova, A. Petukhov (Neapolitan), M. Volodina, A. Popovchenko (Hungarian), Y. Malkhasyants, V. Moiseev (Spanish); Two swans - M. Allash, N. Speranskaya; Three swans - E. Drozdova, Yu. Efimova, O. Tsvetnitskaya; Four swans - O. Zhurba, T. Kurilkina, E. Neporozhnaya, O. Sokolova.

In other compositions, the role of the swan princess was played by A. Antonicheva and G. Stepanenko, the king - by Dm. Belogolovtsev, Prince - K. Ivanov and S. Filin.

“The ballet loses its romantic and symbolic content, submits to a far-fetched plot-variation on the theme of the Oedipus complex. A new demonic character is introduced - the King (the father of the Prince and the lord of the lakes), who has absorbed the bird features of the owl's stepmother, from the libretto of Reisinger's ballet, the evil sorcerer von Rothbart and the sexy rival of the faceless protagonist. The image of Odile is cropped, along with her famous pas de deux with Siegfried, part of this music goes to Odette dancing with the Prince at the ball, after her solo performance in Russian dance (in kokoshnik). The order of score numbers is free. The choreography is a remake of editions of various classical ballets.

I act - the action takes place in the park, a series of dances, mainly with the participation of the Prince and his male friends; exit of the Prince's parents; The prince finds himself on a lake; meets the Swan Princess; exit of the King.

Ivanov's choreography is partially preserved in the swan scenes.

Act II - the Prince's friends are in charge at the ball, imitating the dances of jesters from previous editions. There is no dance of brides, all dances at the ball are united by a common pas d'action. The Swan Princess appears, dancing Russian; The Prince chooses her as his wife, but suddenly the King throws off his mantle and swiftly carries the girl to the lake, where he dances charmingly, hoping to attract her attention, but in vain. On major notes, the prince appears and rescues the bride. In desperate suffering, the King dies, giving way to a happier son.

The performance was not successful, with the exception of individual works by performers (Anna Antonicheva - the Swan Princess and Nikolai Tsiskaridze - the King) ”(<4>).

2.3.2001, Bolshoi tr, Moscow
Ballet. (with the preservation of fragments of Ivanov, Petipa, Gorsky) Yu. N. Grigorovich
Odette-Odile - A. Volochkova, Siegfried - A. Uvarov, Evil genius - N. Tsiskaridze, Jester - M. Ivata, Prince's peers (pas de trois) - M. Alexandrova and M. Allash, Brides: Hungarian - M. Allash , Russian - S. Lunkina, Spanish - M. Aleksandrova, Neapolitan - A. Yatsenko, Polish - N. Malandina, Three swans - M. Allash, N. Vyskubenko, O. Suvorova, Four swans - S. Gnedova, O. Zhurba , N. Kaptsova, T. Kurilkina

4.3.2001, ibid., 2nd squad
Odette-Odile - G. Stepanenko, Siegfried - S. Owl, Evil Genius - Dm. Belogolovtsev, Jester - Y. Godovsky, Prince's peers (pas de trois) - E. Andrienko and M. Ryzhkina, Brides: Hungarian - O. Suvorova, Russian - S. Uvarova, Spanish - M. Allash, Neapolitan - A. Yatsenko, Polish - M. Ryzhkina, Three swans and Four swans - the same.

“I act - the final duet of Siegfried and the Evil Genius in the first picture is concretized - the latter touches the prince, literally pulls him, lifts him above the stage.
The second picture remains the same.
Act II - the return of the sad ending: The evil genius takes away and destroys Odette, disappears himself, leaving the prince in bitter thoughts over his unfortunate fate. Repetition of minor music from the introduction "(<4>).

Yesterday we visited the ballet "Swan Lake" in the State Kremlin Palace. I am not a fan of ballet, before that I had only singled out one performance of this genre, but I could not miss one of the most famous ballets.

Expectations from the ballet were justified - I enjoyed Tchaikovsky's music more than from the action on stage.

And it's also interesting that after watching "The Ugly Duckling" Bardin was hard to keep and not sing along to Tchaikovsky's music. The fact is that Bardin shot a cartoon to the music of Tchaikovsky and even turned it into memorable songs)

For those who are interested, below is the libretto of Swan Lake.

P. I. Tchaikovsky "Swan Lake"

Libretto by V. Begichev, V. Geltser.

First action
First picture. Spring morning. On the shore of the lake, Prince Siegfried, Benno and the Prince's friends are having fun, dancing with peasant women, feasting. The Sovereign Princess appears - Siegfried's mother, accompanied by her retinue.
She reminds the Prince that the last day of his single life has come - tomorrow he comes of age, and he must choose a bride for himself. The Sovereign Princess introduces two brides to Siegfried and invites him to choose one of them. The prince is confused. Benno comes to his aid. Mother again offers Siegfried to choose a bride. He refuses. The Sovereign Princess leaves in anger with her retinue. Wanting to distract the Prince from unpleasant thoughts, Benno, the Jester, the Hunters involve him in their dance. But the Prince wants to be left alone. A flock of swans flies over the lake, and the Prince rushes to the lake.

Second picture. A flock of swans swims across the lake. The prince is surprised to see that the swans turn into girls. The swan queen Odette tells the Prince that she and her friends are the victims of the evil witchcraft of the wizard Rothbart, who turned them into swans. Only at night, near this lake, can they take on human form. The terrible spell will continue until someone loves her for life. The one who did not swear love to another girl can be her deliverer and return her to her former appearance. Siegfried is fascinated by Odette's beauty and volunteers to be her savior. He swears eternal love and fidelity to her. Dawn breaks. Odette says goodbye to her lover and hides with her friends. A flock of swans swims out onto the lake again.

Second act
Third picture. In the castle of the Sovereign Princess, there is a big ball dedicated to the coming of age of the Prince. At this ball, according to the will of his mother, Siegfried must finally choose his bride. Guests appear, brides and their retinue pass. The brides are dancing. The prince dances with the brides. Mother again asks Siegfried to make a choice. He hesitates. Suddenly, an unknown knight appears with a beautiful daughter. The resemblance between Odile and Odette confuses the Prince. Fascinated by her beauty, he does not notice anything around. Odile, in every possible way emphasizing her resemblance to the swan girl, seduces the Prince. Siegfried makes a choice - convinced that Odette and Odile are the same person, he declares Rothbart's daughter his bride and swears eternal love to her. Rothbart and Odile laugh at him. A white swan beats through the window of the castle. The prince rushes out of the castle. The Possessing Princess is in despair, everyone is trying to console her.

Third act
Fourth picture. Lake of swans. The swan girls anxiously await the return of Odette. In desperation, she tells them about Siegfried's betrayal. The evil genius has triumphed, and now the girls have no salvation. There is a storm on the lake. The Prince runs ashore, begging Odette for forgiveness. But Odette is destined to die. The Prince fights Rothbart. Mortally wounded, dying Rothbart destroys the Prince. Leaning over Siegfried, Odette fades away. But the swan girls are freed from Rothbart's evil sorcery.

Swan Lake is perhaps the most famous ballet in the world to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Not only music, but also choreography has long been considered a universally recognized masterpiece of world ballet, one of the brightest achievements of Russian culture. And the White Swan will forever remain a symbol of Russian ballet, a symbol of its beauty and grandeur.

The premiere of the ballet, with which its glorious history began, took place on January 15, 1895 at the stage of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. But few people know that this was not the first production of Swan Lake.

ACT ONE

Painting 1

In a clearing near the castle, Prince Siegfried is celebrating his coming of age with his friends. The fun of friends is interrupted by the sudden appearance of the Prince's mother, the Sovereign Princess. She gives her son a crossbow and reminds him that childhood has passed, and tomorrow, at the ball, he will have to choose a bride for himself. After the departure of the Sovereign Princess, the fun and dancing continues. A flock of swans in the sky attracts the attention of Prince Siegfried: why not end this lucky day with a glorious hunt?

Picture 2

Lake in the forest

Fascinated by hunting, Prince Siegfried goes to a forest lake, along which a flock of white swans swims. Ahead of all is a bird with a crown on its head. The Prince takes aim... But, struck by the amazing beauty of the Queen of Swans, Odette, lowers the crossbow. She tells the Prince about her terrible fate: the Evil Sorcerer, Rothbart, has bewitched her and the girls subject to her. He guards them in the form of an owl, only at night allowing them to turn from swans into girls. The terrible spell can only be broken by the one who loves her with all his heart and vows eternal love. Odette disappears, and the Prince, amazed by the story of this girl, rushes after her.

The swan girls come out to the shore of the lake. Enchanted by their dancing, the Prince vows to deliver them from the power of the evil sorcerer. He sees Odette and swears his love for her. Tomorrow, at the ball, he will make his choice: Odette will become his wife. The Swan Queen warns the Prince: if the oath is not kept, Odette and all the girls will forever remain under the evil spell of Rothbart. It's getting light. The girls turn into swans and swim away. The happiness of the lovers is overshadowed by the appearance of an owl, who overheard their conversation. He will do everything to destroy their hopes!

ACT TWO

Court ball at Prince Siegfried's castle. In vain do beautiful girls try to captivate Prince Siegfried with their dances: his heart belongs only to the beautiful Swan Queen. However, obeying the command of his mother, he is equally kind to all guests. The Sovereign Princess demands that the Prince choose a bride for himself from among the applicants who came to the ball. But the Prince is adamant: he is waiting for his only one, Odette.

Suddenly, the trumpets announce the arrival of new guests. Siegfried looks forward to Odette's arrival. However, like a bolt from the blue, Rothbart appears in the guise of a noble knight and his daughter, Odile. The prince is confused: this beauty is unusually similar to Odette! Bewitched by Odile, Siegfried rushes after her. The dancing begins. It is the turn of Siegfried and Odile. Oh, how she looks like Odette! With her seductive and seductive dances, she fascinates and captivates the Prince. He can't take his eyes off her. Suddenly, a white swan appears in the window - this is Odette trying to warn her lover. But to no avail - he is so passionate about Odile!

Rothbart's insidious goal is fulfilled - Odile completely captivated the Prince. He does not have time to come to his senses and makes a choice: from now on, Odile is his bride! At the request of Rothbart, he gives his chosen one an oath of eternal love. The sorcerer triumphs: Siegfried has broken his oath, which means nothing can break his spell anymore! Having reached his goal, Rothbart and his treacherous daughter disappear. General confusion. Coming to his senses and realizing all the horror of the deception of which he became a victim, Siegfried rushes to the lake, to Odette.

ACT THREE

On the shore of the lake, the girls anxiously await their queen. Odette appears with the sad news of Rothbart's treachery and Siegfried's betrayal. The Prince appears. He begs Odette to forgive him, because he took an oath, deceived by the similarity of the girls. Odette forgives him, but it's too late: nothing can break the spell of the evil sorcerer. Rothbart appears. With all his might, he tries to separate the lovers. And he almost succeeds: he grabs Odette in his deadly embrace. Tortured by the owl, Odette falls to the ground exhausted. Siegfried enters into single combat with Rothbart. Love gives strength to the Prince - he almost defeats the sorcerer. Odette and Siegfried pledge eternal love to each other. The power of love kills Rothbart! He is defeated! The spell of the Evil Sorcerer has come to an end!

Swans and Odette turn into girls! Odette and Prince Siegfried hurry towards their Love and their Happiness! The rays of the rising sun bring Life, Love and Good to the world!