The plot of the ballet "Swan Lake". P. I. Tchaikovsky, "Swan Lake": summary and reviews

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

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

Performance at the Bolshoi Theater

The plot of the ballet "Swan Lake" reveals a fabulous story about a Princess (swan) named Odette and Prince Siegfried.

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

"Swan Lake": history

The beginning of the legendary ballet production was laid in 1875, when the directorate of the Bolshoi Theater ordered the young composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to write music for a new performance called Swan Lake. The creative project involved updating the repertoire. For this, they decided to create a production of "Swan Lake". Tchaikovsky at that time was not yet a well-known composer, although he wrote four symphonies and the opera Eugene Onegin. He enthusiastically set to work. For the performance "Swan Lake" the music was written within one year. Notes composerpresented to the directorate of the Bolshoi Theater in April 1876.

Libretto

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

Failure

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

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

Return of the show

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

Rereading

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

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

New solution

In 1950, the choreographer of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg proposed a new version of Swan Lake. According to his plan, the tragic finale of the performance was abolished, the white swan did not die, everything ended with a "happy ending". Such changes in the theatrical sphere happened quite often, in Soviet times it was considered good form to embellish events. However, the performance did not benefit from such a change, on the contrary, it became not so interesting, although part of the audience welcomed the new version of the production.

Self-respecting teams stuck to the oldeditions. The classic version is also supported by the fact that the tragic ending was originally conceived as an in-depth interpretation of the entire work, and replacing it with a happy ending looked somewhat unexpected.

Summary of the ballet

Act one. Picture one

There is a huge park on the stage, centuries-old trees are green. In the distance you can see the castle in which the Sovereign Princess lives. On the lawn between the trees, Prince Siegfried is celebrating his coming of age with his friends. Young people raise goblets with wine, drink for the he alth of their friend, fun overflows, everyone wants to dance. The jester sets the tone by starting to dance. Suddenly, Siegfried's mother, the Possessing Princess, appears in the park. All those present are trying to hide the traces of the revelry, but the jester inadvertently knocks over the goblets. The princess frowns displeasedly, she is ready to throw out her indignation. Here she is presented with a bouquet of roses, and the severity softens. The princess turns and leaves, and the fun flares up with renewed vigor. Then darkness falls, the guests disperse. Siegfried is left alone, but he does not want to go home. A flock of swans flies high in the sky. The prince takes the crossbow and goes hunting.

Picture Two

Dense forest. Among the thickets stretched a large lake. White swans swim on the water surface. Their movements, though smooth, but some kind of elusive anxiety is felt. Birds rush about, as if something disturbs their peace. These are bewitched girls, only after midnight they will be able to take on a human form. Evil Wizard Rothbart,the owner of the lake, dominates defenseless beauties. And then Siegfried appears on the shore with a crossbow in his hands, who decides to hunt. He is about to shoot an arrow at the white swan. Another moment, and the arrow will pierce the noble bird to death. But suddenly the swan turns into a girl of indescribable beauty and grace. This is the swan queen, Odette. Siegfried is fascinated, he has never seen such a beautiful face. The prince tries to get acquainted with the beauty, but she slips away. After several unsuccessful attempts, Siegfried finds Odette in a round dance of girlfriends and declares his love for her. The words of the prince touch the girl's heart, she hopes to find in him a savior from the power of Rothbart. Soon the dawn should come, and all the beauties with the first rays of the sun will again turn into birds. Odette tenderly says goodbye to Siegfried, swans slowly float away on the water surface. An understatement remains between the young people, but they are forced to part, because the evil sorcerer Rothbart is closely watching what is happening, and he will not allow anyone to escape his witchcraft. All girls, without exception, must become birds and remain enchanted until nightfall. Siegfried has to retire so as not to endanger the white swans.

Act two. Picture three

A ball in the castle of the Sovereign Princess. Among those present there are many girls of noble birth, one of them should become the chosen one of Siegfried. However, the prince does not honor anyone with his attention. In his mind is Odette. Meanwhile, Siegfried's mother is trying in every possible way to impose on him one of herfavorite, but to no avail. However, in accordance with etiquette, the prince is obliged to make a choice and give the chosen one a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Fanfares are heard announcing the arrival of new guests. The evil wizard Rothbart appears. Next to the sorcerer is his daughter, Odile. She, like two drops of water, looks like Odette. Rothbart hopes that the prince will be fascinated by his daughter, forget Odette, and she will forever remain at the mercy of the evil wizard.

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

Act three. Picture Four

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

Reviews about the ballet "Swan Lake"

For more than 130 years of the history of the legendary performance, the organizers, theater administrators, representatives of the management of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow will not remember a single negative review. Grateful spectators with rare unanimity note the magnificent dance technique of soloists and corps de ballet, music. The performance "Swan Lake", reviews of which are delightful, is constantly updated. The generation of artists has changed more than once, many are no longer with us, but the ballet lives on, new young talents come and continue the traditions of the Bolshoi Theater. Visually excellent response to each composition. An unsurpassed masterpiece of ballet art, "Swan Lake", reviews of which are an incentive for further development, lives and will live.

Rudolf Nureyev

Many talented dancers performed in the lead roles in the play "Swan Lake". However, the real sensation was made in 1964 on the stage of the Vienna Opera by the English ballerina Margo Fontaine (Odette) and Rudolf Nureyev (Siegfried). After the curtain fell, the artists were called for an encore eighty-nine times.

"Swan Lake", Nuriev Rudolph, Fontaine Margot - these phrases have been around for a long time and did not leave the pages of the world press.

Masterpiece of ballet art today

Currently, the legendary ballet performance is being staged at the two main theater venues in Russia - the stage of the Bolshoi Theater and the Russian Ballet Theater in St. Petersburg. "Swan Lake" today exists in several versions, each of which has the right to life. At the Bolshoi theatre, the staging is entrusted to the well-known choreographer Yuri Grigorovich. The first version of the play with a tragic ending wascreated by him in 1969. However, the USSR Ministry of Culture then did not agree to the death of Odette and Siegfried. Grigorovich had to redo the production for a "happy ending". In the new interpretation, the performance existed in the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater until 1997. After a break, in 2001, Grigorovich creates another version, shortened, consisting of two acts, and at the same time he returns the tragic ending to the ballet. Today's reading of "Swan Lake" directed by Yuri Grigorovich is a fast-paced action with the inclusion of fragments of choreography by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov and Gorsky.

The scenery in the performance is very expensive, luxurious, but "Swan Lake" is definitely worth it. The performance features star performers from the Bolshoi Theater troupe: Maria Alexandrova, Svetlana Zakharova, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, Sergei Filin, Andrey Uvarov.

"Swan Lake" is a theatrical ballet production of the highest level, it must meet the requirements of the modern public. Therefore, the management of the Bolshoi does not take into account the costs, the performance receives as much money as it needs.

The modern production called "Swan Lake" (photos of individual fragments are presented on the page) is somewhat different from the classic versions of the past, but for the better. Choreography by Maestro Petipa is present in all versions.

"Swan Lake", ballet, theater, high art - all these words are taken from one common source, which is called "Great Russian Culture".