Swan Lake

Swan Lake (Russian: Лебеди́ное о́зеро, romanized: Lebedínoje ózero, Russian pronunciation: [lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə]), Opus 20, is a ballet composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky between 1875 and 1876. The original production premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow on 4 March 1877 (20 February Old Style), with choreography by Julius Reisinger. The ballet, initially conceived in two acts, is based on Russian and German folk tales and tells the story of Princess Odette, who is transformed into a swan by the sorcerer Von Rothbart. The initial reception was lukewarm, with criticism directed at various elements of the production. Despite this, Swan Lake has become one of the most frequently performed ballets worldwide. Most modern productions derive their choreography and music from the 1895 revival, which was staged by the Imperial Ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on 15 January 1895. This revival was choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. The musical score was revised by Riccardo Drigo, the chief conductor of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatre. The 1895 version extended the ballet to four acts and restructured the storyline, establishing a framework that has shaped subsequent stagings. The ballet’s narrative centers on the relationship between Prince Siegfried and Odette, the Swan Queen, and includes iconic sequences such as the Dance of the Little Swans and the Black Swan pas de deux. Swan Lake’s themes of transformation, love, and redemption are set against Tchaikovsky’s symphonic score, noted for its complexity and emotional depth.

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