The Swan Lake, op. 20
Ballet
Swan Lake (Russian: Лебединое озеро) is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failure, it is now one of the most popular ballets of all time.
The scenario, initially in two acts, was based on Russian and German folk tales, telling a story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse.
The ballet was premiered by the Bolshoi Ballet on 4 March [O.S. 20 February] 1877 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. The choreographer of this original production was Julius Reisinger (Václav Reisinger).
Most ballet companies now base their performances on the 1895 revival of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, first staged for the Imperial Ballet on 15 January 1895, at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. For this revival, Tchaikovsky's score was revised by Riccardo Drigo.
Movements
Act I
- Introduction: Moderato assai, Allegro ma non troppo
- no. 1: Scene: Allegro giusto
- no. 2: Valse, Tempo di valse
- no. 3: Scene: Allegro moderato
- no. 4: Pas de trois: I. Intrada: Allegro
- no. 4: Pas de trois: II. Adagio: Andante sostenuto
- no. 4: Pas de trois: III. Allegro semplice
- no. 4: Pas de trois: IV. Moderato
- no. 4: Pas de trois: V. Allegro
- no. 4: Pas de trois: VI. Coda: Allegro vivace
- no. 5: Pas de deux: I. Tempo di valse ma non troppo Vivo, Quasi moderato
- no. 5: Pas de deux: II. Andante - Allegro
- no. 5: Pas de deux: III. Tempo di valse
- no. 5: Pas de deux: IV. Coda: Allegro molto vivace
- no. 6: Pas d'Action: Andantino quasi moderato - Allegro
- no. 7: Sujet
- no. 8: Danse des Coupes: Tempo di polacca
- no. 9: Finale: Andante
Act II
- no. 10: Scene: Moderato
- no. 11: Scene: Allegro moderato – Allegro vivo
- no. 12: Scene: Allegro
- no. 13: Danses des cygnes: I. Tempo di valse
- no. 13: Danses des cygnes: II. Moderato assai - Molto piu mosso
- no. 13: Danses des cygnes: III. Danses des Cygnes: Tempo di valse
- no. 13: Danses des cygnes: IV. Allegro moderato
- no. 13: Danses des cygnes: V. Pas d'Action (Odette et le Prince): Andante - Andante non troppo - Allegro
- no. 13: Danses des cygnes: VI. Tempo di valse (Tout le monde danse)
- no. 13: Danses des cygnes: VII. Coda: Allegro vivo
- no. 14: Scène: Moderato
Act III
- no. 15: Scène: Allegro giusto
- no. 16: Danses du corps de ballet et des nains: Moderato assai - Allegro vivo
- no. 17: Scène: La Sortie des invités et Valse
- no. 18: Scène: Allegro: Allegro giusto
- no. 19: Pas de six: Intrada: Moderato assai
- no. 19: Pas de six: Variation I: Allegro
- no. 19: Pas de six: Variation II: Andante con moto
- no. 19: Pas de six: Variation III: Moderato
- no. 19: Pas de six: Variation IV: Allegro
- no. 19: Pas de six: Variation V: Moderato - Allegro semplice
- no. 19: Pas de six: Coda: Allegro molto
- Appendix 1: Pas de deux: Moderato: Andante
- Appendix 1: Pas de deux: Variation I: Allegro moderato
- Appendix 1: Pas de deux: Variation II: Allegro
- Appendix 1: Pas de deux: Coda: Allegro molto vivace
- no. 20: Danse hongroise: Czárdás: Moderato assai - Allegro moderato: Vivace
- no. 20A: Danse russe: Moderato: Andante semplice - Allegro vivo
- no. 21: Danse espagnole: Allegro non troppo (Tempo di bolero)
- no. 22: Danse napolitaine: Allegro moderato - Andantino quasi moderato: Presto
- no. 23: Mazurka (Solistes et corps de ballet): Tempo di Mazurka
- no. 24: Scène: Allegro: Valse: Allegro vivo
Act IV
- no. 25: Entr'acte: Moderato
- no. 26: Scène: Allegro ma non troppo
- no. 27: Danse des petits cygnes: Moderato
- no. 28: Scène: Allegro agitato: Molto meno mosso: Allegro vivace
- no. 29: Scene finale: Andante - Allegro agitato - Alla breve. Moderato e maestoso
Act I
- Dance of the Goblets
Act II
- Dances of the Swans: Allegro
- Dances of the Swans: Andante
- Allegro moderato
- Andante non troppo - Allegro
Recommended recordings
- London Symphony Orchestra · André Previn YouTubeSpotify (subscription)
- Kirov Orchestra · Valery Gergiev YouTubeSpotify (subscription)

