The film is based on a ballet performed on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater and, like a classical program, consists of two acts and four scenes.
Act I
Scene 1
Ancient German castle. Celebration of the coming of age of the only son - Prince Siegfried. Friends and courtiers came to the celebration. Chief Executive holiday, the prince's mother is the Sovereign Princess. At the festival, the prince is knighted. Now his life is determined by valor and duty.It’s getting dark, the feast is coming to an end, toasts are being made in honor of the prince, his peers demand attention, but the prince himself is in thought, he wants the ideal, pure love. The guests leave, leaving the prince alone in his thoughts in the coming night. A shadow appears and the prince realizes that this is his Fate, but it has the image of an Evil Genius. Fate reveals secrets to the young man and beckons him. Some kind of premonition haunts him and Siegfried goes into the world of dreams.
Scene 2
Carried away by fate, the prince finds himself on the shore of a night lake. In the glare of the water, a vision of beautiful girls in the form of swans appears in front of him, and in the center is the most beautiful of them - the Swan Queen, Odette. Siegfried is fascinated by her beauty and freezes. The prince is shocked and realizes that in the image of Odette he sees his ideal. He falls in love with the swan princess, confesses his love and swears allegiance.Act II
Scene 3
The ruling princess, Siegfried's mother, invites brides to the castle and wants to find a life partner for her son. She confronts the prince with the choice of a bride and wants him to enter into a marriage alliance with her. But Siegfried is absorbed in memories of the swan princess behind whom the beautiful Odette is hiding. He dances with girls, but shows no interest in them; no one fits the image of his ideal.A new guest appears in the castle, a rather strange knight, with a companion of amazing beauty, they are accompanied by four black swans. Siegfried sees Odette as the knight's companion, but in fact it is her double. The prince, unsuspectingly, rushes towards the girl and loses his head. But this only plays into the hands of the Evil Genius and he experiences feelings young man. Odette's double is actually Odile, who enchants the prince with her game and Siegfried calls her his chosen one. In the castle hall, in front of numerous guests, the prince swears a fatal oath of love and fidelity. But the whole hall plunges into darkness and the image of the real Odette appears. Siegfried realizes late that he has been deceived and tries to follow the image of his true chosen one.
Scene 4
All Swan Lake plunges into news of the prince's broken oath. Siegfried comes ashore asking for a petition, and Odette forgives him. But Fate is inexorable and now the young man has no power over it.The Evil Genius rejoices at the victory and sends a storm to the lake, which separates the lovers, but the prince last bit of strength fights the villain. Ultimately, the image of the beautiful Odette disappears in the first rays of the sun, and the prince finds himself alone on the shore of Swan Lake.
Swan lake end
Before the eyes of Prince Siegfried is Swan Lake. The ending of the ballet film is dramatic. Deceived by Fate, the young man lost his beloved and only dreams and memories remained with him for the rest of his life. What happened to Odette? She remained for the rest of her life a beautiful swan, the Swan Queen.Actors playing the main roles
Svetlana Zakharova- Odette and OdileDenis Rodkin- Prince Siegfried
Artemy Belyakov- Evil Genius
Igor Tsvirko- jester
"Swan Lake" is perhaps the most famous ballet in the world to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Not only the music, but also the 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 the Russian ballet, a symbol of its beauty and greatness.
The premiere of the ballet, which began its glorious history, took place on January 15, 1895 on stage Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. But few people know that this was not the first production of Swan Lake.
ACT ONE
Scene 1
In a clearing near the castle, Prince Siegfried, with his friends, celebrates his coming of age. The friends' fun 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 is over, and tomorrow, at the ball, he will have to choose a bride. After the departure of the Sovereign Princess, the fun and dancing continue. A flock of swans in the sky attracts the attention of Prince Siegfried: why not end this successful day with a glorious hunt?
Scene 2
Lake in the forest
Prince Siegfried, keen on hunting, comes to a forest lake along which a flock of white swans swims. In front of everyone is a bird with a crown on its head. The prince takes aim... But, struck by the amazing beauty of the Swan Queen, Odette, he lowers his crossbow. She tells the Prince about her terrible fate: the Evil Sorcerer, Rothbart, bewitched her and the girls under her control. He guards them in the form of an owl, only at night allowing them to transform from swans into girls. The terrible spell can be broken only by the one who loves her with all his heart and makes a vow eternal love. Odette disappears, and the Prince, amazed by the story of this girl, rushes after her.
Swan girls come to the shore of the lake. Fascinated by their dances, the Prince vows to free them from the power of the evil sorcerer. He sees Odette and swears his love to 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 power of Rothbart's evil spell. It's getting light. The girls turn into swans and swim away. The lovers' happiness is overshadowed by the appearance of an eagle 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 the lovely girls try to captivate Prince Siegfried with their dances: his heart belongs only to the beautiful Swan Queen. However, obeying his mother's orders, he is equally courteous to all guests. The Sovereign Princess demands that the Prince choose a bride from among the contenders who came to the ball. But the Prince is adamant: he is waiting for his only one, Odette.
Suddenly, trumpets announce the arrival of new guests. Siegfried awaits Odette's appearance with hope. 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! Fascinated 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 bewitches 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 has completely captivated the Prince. He doesn’t have time to come to his senses and makes a choice: from now on Odile is his bride! At Rothbart's request, he gives his chosen one an oath of eternal love. The sorcerer triumphs: Siegfried broke his oath, which means nothing can break his spell anymore! Having achieved his goal, Rothbart and his treacherous daughter disappear. General confusion. Having come to his senses and realizing the horror of the deception of which he had become 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 is too late: nothing can break the spell of the evil sorcerer. Rothbart appears. He tries his best to separate the lovers. And he almost succeeds: he grabs Odette in his deadly embrace. Tormented 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 vow eternal love to each other. The power of love kills Rothbart! He's defeated! The spell of the Evil Sorcerer has come to an end!
The swans and Odette turn into girls! Odette and Prince Siegfried are rushing towards their Love and their Happiness! The rays of the rising sun bring Life, Love and Goodness to the world!
"Swan Lake", a ballet to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, is the most famous in the world theatrical production. The masterpiece of choreography was created more than 130 years ago and is still considered an unsurpassed achievement of Russian culture. "Swan Lake" - a ballet for all times, a standard high art. The greatest ballerinas in the world considered it an honor 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" is revealed fairy tale story about the Princess (swan) named Odette and Prince Siegfried.
Each performance of "Swan Lake" at the Bolshoi Theater is a celebration, accompanied by Tchaikovsky's immortal music and magnificent original choreography. Colorful costumes and scenery, impeccable dance of soloists and corps de ballet create big picture high art. The hall of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow is always full when the best thing that has happened in the world of ballet art over the past 150 years is on stage. The performance takes place with two intermissions and lasts two and a half hours. Symphony orchestra and during the intermission continues to play quietly for some time musical theme. 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 leave for a long time. One of the spectators, who came to Moscow and visited, figuratively expressed his admiration Bolshoi Theater: “I regret that it is impossible to bring so many flowers to the performance to give gifts to all the artists; several trucks would be needed.” This best words gratitude that the walls of the Bolshoi Theater have ever heard.
"Swan Lake": history
The legendary ballet production began in 1875, when the management of the Bolshoi Theater ordered to the young composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky music for a new play called "Swan Lake". Creative project suggested updating the repertoire. For this purpose they decided to create the production “Swan Lake”. Tchaikovsky at that time was not yet widely famous composer, although he wrote four symphonies and the opera "Eugene Onegin". He set to work enthusiastically. For the play "Swan Lake" the music was written within one year. The composer presented the notes to the management of the Bolshoi Theater in April 1876.
Libretto
The libretto of the performance was written by the famous theater figure of the 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 prototype was " Belaya Sergeevich Pushkin, but then it is not clear what to do with the main actor fairy tales, Prince Guidon, since he, as a character, is closely connected with the image of a noble bird. Be that as it may, the libretto turned out to be successful, and work began on the play “Swan Lake”. Tchaikovsky was present at the rehearsals and received live participation in the production.
Failure
The Bolshoi Theater troupe worked with inspiration on the performance. The plot of the ballet "Swan Lake" seemed original to everyone, 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 might soon set in. The play "Swan Lake", whose history was quite complicated, was preparing for its premiere. The theater audience was looking forward to this event.
The premiere of Swan Lake took place in February 1877 and, unfortunately, was unsuccessful. Essentially, it was a failure. First of all, the choreographer of the performance, Wenzel Reisinger, was declared the culprit of the fiasco, then the ballerina who played the role of Odette, Polina Karpakova, also got it. "Swan Lake" was abandoned, and all the scores were temporarily "put on the shelf."
Return of the performance
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. All that remained was to restore the performance in a new edition and 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 Theater, volunteered to create a new libretto. The musical part was handled by the famous bandmaster Ricardo Drigo, who short time it was possible to re-arrange the entire composition and compose an updated work. The choreographic part was reworked by the famous choreographer, Marius Petipa, and his student, Lev Ivanov.
New reading
It is believed that Petipa recreated the choreography of the ballet “Swan Lake”, but Lev Ivanov gave the performance a truly Russian flavor, who managed to combine free-spirited melodiousness and the unique charm of the Russian open spaces. All this is present on stage during the performance. Ivanov composed enchanted girls with crossed arms and a special tilt of the head, dancing in four. The touching and elusively attractive charm of the lake of swans is also the merit of the talented assistant Marius Petipa. The play "Swan Lake", the content and artistic color of which in the new reading had significantly improved, was ready to go on stage in a new edition, but before Petipa decided to raise the bar for the aesthetic level of the production even higher and re-enacted all the scenes of the balls in the palace of the Sovereign Princess, and also court festivities with Polish, Spanish and Hungarian dances. Marius Petipa contrasted Odile 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 new production enriched, became more interesting. The maestro and his assistants continued to improve the solo parts and their interaction with the corps de ballet. Thus, the play "Swan Lake", the content and artistic color of which in the new interpretation was significantly improved, was soon finally ready to go on stage.
New solution
In 1950, the choreographer of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg proposed new version"Swan Lake". According to his plan tragic ending the performance was abolished, the white swan did not die, everything ended with a “happy ending”. Similar changes in the theatrical sphere often occurred, in Soviet era was considered in good form embellish events. However, the performance did not benefit from such a change; on the contrary, it became less interesting, although part of the audience welcomed the new edition of the production.
Self-respecting groups adhered to the previous edition. In favor classic version It also says that the tragic ending was originally intended as an in-depth interpretation of the entire work, and its replacement with a happy ending looked somewhat unexpected.
Act one. Scene one
On the stage there is a huge park, centuries-old trees are green. In the distance you can see the castle where the Sovereign Princess lives. On the lawn between the trees, Prince Siegfried, with his friends, celebrates his coming of age. Young people raise cups of wine, drink to their friend’s health, the fun is overflowing, everyone wants to dance. The jester sets the tone by dancing. Suddenly Siegfried's mother, the Sovereign Princess, appears in the park. Everyone present tries to hide traces of the feast, but the jester accidentally knocks over the cups. The princess frowns with displeasure, she is ready to express 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 and 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 a crossbow and goes hunting.
Scene two
Dense forest. Spread among the thickets big lake. White swans swim across the water surface. Although their movements are smooth, some kind of elusive anxiety is felt. The birds are rushing about as if something is disturbing their peace. These are enchanted girls, only after midnight they will be able to take on human form. The evil wizard Rothbart, the owner of the lake, rules over defenseless beauties. And then Siegfried appears on the shore with a crossbow in his hands, deciding 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 enchanted; he has never seen such a beautiful face. The prince tries to meet the beauty, but she slips away. After several unsuccessful attempts, Siegfried finds Odette in a round dance of his girlfriends and confesses his love to her. The prince’s words touch the girl’s heart, she hopes to find in him a savior from Rothbart’s power. Dawn is coming soon, and all the beauties will turn into birds again with the first rays of the sun. Odette tenderly says goodbye to Siegfried, swans slowly swim away along the water surface. There remains an understatement between the young people, but they are forced to part because the evil sorcerer Rothbart is closely monitoring 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 remains to leave so as not to endanger the white swans.
Act two. Scene three
There is a ball in the castle of the Sovereign Princess. There are many girls among those present noble birth, one of them should become Siegfried's chosen one. However, the prince does not honor anyone with his attention. Odette is in his thoughts. Meanwhile, Siegfried's mother is trying in every possible way to force one of her favorites on him, but to no avail. However, in accordance with etiquette, the prince is obliged to make a choice and give his chosen one beautiful bouquet flowers. Fanfares sound to announce the arrival of new guests. The evil wizard Rothbart appears. Next to the sorcerer is his daughter, Odile. She is like two peas in a pod and looks like Odette. Rothbart hopes that the prince will be fascinated by his daughter, forget Odette, and she will forever remain in the power 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 insidious girl. Suddenly Siegfried sees a beautiful white swan in the window, he throws off the witchcraft spell and runs to the lake, but it’s too late - Odette is lost forever, she is exhausted, there are faithful swans around her, but they are no longer able to help.
Act three. Scene four
Deep quiet night. There are drooping girls standing on the shore. They know about the grief that befell Odette. However, all is not lost - Siegfried comes running and on his knees begs his beloved to forgive him. And then a flock of black swans, led by the sorcerer Rothbart, arrives. Siegfried fights him and wins, breaking the evil wizard's wing. The black swan dies, and with it the witchcraft disappears. Rising sun illuminates Odette, Siegfried and dancing girls, who will no longer have to turn into swans.
Tchaikovsky
Ballet Swan Lake. First production
Libretto by V. Begichev and V. Geltser.
Choreographer V. Reisinger.
Characters:
Odette, good fairy. Sovereign princess. Prince Siegfried, her son. Wolfgang, his mentor. Benno von Sommerstein, friend of the prince. Von Rothbart, the evil genius, disguised as a guest. Odile, his daughter, similar to Odette. Master of ceremonies. Court gentlemen, friends of the prince. Herald. Skorokhod.
Village women, courtiers of both sexes, guests, pages, villagers and village women, servants, swans and cubs.
First performance: Moscow, Bolshoi Theater, February 20, 1877
Act one
The action takes place in Germany. Scenery first the action depicts a luxurious park, in the depths of which a castle can be seen. thrown across the stream
beautiful bridge. On stage is the young sovereign Prince Siegfried, celebrating his coming of age. The prince's friends are sitting at tables and drinking wine. The peasants and, of course, the peasant women who came to congratulate the prince, at the request of the drunken old Wolfgang, the mentor of the young prince, dance. The prince treats dancing men wine, and Wolfgang takes care of the peasant women, giving them ribbons and bouquets.
The dancing is more lively. A walker runs in and announces to the prince that the princess, his mother, wanting to talk to 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 tables, hide bottles, etc.
The venerable mentor, realizing that he is setting a bad example for his pupil, tries to assume the appearance of 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 drunken and staggering mentor, go to meet the princess.
The princess, noticing her son’s embarrassment, explains to him that she came here not at all to upset the fun, to disturb him, but because she needs to talk with him about his marriage, for which the real day of his coming of age was chosen.
“I’m old,” the princess continues, “and therefore I want you to get married during my lifetime.” I want to die knowing that with your marriage you did not disgrace our famous family.
The prince, who is not yet ready to get married, although he is annoyed at his mother’s proposal, is ready to submit and respectfully asks his mother: who did she choose to be his life partner?
“I haven’t chosen anyone yet,” the mother answers, “because I want you to do it yourself.” Tomorrow I have a big ball, which will bring together noblemen from
their daughters. From among them you will have to choose the one you like, and she will be your wife.
Siegfried sees that things are not yet particularly bad, and therefore replies that I will never leave your obedience, maman.
“I said everything I need to say,” the princess answers, “and I’m leaving.” Have fun without being shy.
After she leaves, the prince's friends surround him and he tells them the sad news.
- The end of our fun; goodbye, sweet freedom,” he says.
“This is still a long song,” knight Benno reassures 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. The peasants dance sometimes in groups, sometimes separately. The venerable Wolfgang, having drunk a little more, also starts dancing and
dances so hilariously funny that everyone laughs. After dancing, Wolfgang begins to court the girls, but the peasant women laugh at him and run away from him. He especially liked one of them, and he, having previously declared his love for her, wants to kiss her, but the cheat dodges, and, as always happens in ballets, he kisses her groom instead. Wolfgang's bewilderment. General laughter from those present. But now the night is soon, it’s getting dark. One of the guests offers to dance with cups in their hands. Those present willingly comply with the proposal. From afar a flock of swans appears in flight. “But it’s hard to hit them,” Benno encourages the prince, pointing him to the swans.
“That’s nonsense,” the prince replies, “I’ll probably get hit, bring a gun.”
“No need,” Wolfgang dissuades, “no need, it’s time to sleep.”
The prince pretends that in fact, perhaps, there is no need, it’s time to sleep. But as soon as the calmed old man leaves, he calls the servant, takes the gun and
Hastily runs away with Benno in the direction where the swans flew.
Act two
Mountainous wilderness, forest on all sides. In the depths of the stage there is a lake, on the shore of which, to the right of the viewer, there is a dilapidated building, something like
chapels. Night. The moon is shining.
A flock of white swans with their cubs is swimming on the lake. She swims towards the ruins. In front is a swan with a crown on its head. The tired prince and Benno enter the stage.
“I can’t go any further,” says the last one, “I can’t, I don’t have the strength.” Let's take a rest, shall we?
“Perhaps,” Siegfried answers. “We must have moved far from the castle.” We’ll probably have to spend the night here... Look,” he points to the lake, “that’s where the swans are.” Rather, a gun!
Benno hands him a gun; The prince only had time to take aim when the swans instantly disappeared. At the same moment, the interior of the ruins is illuminated by some extraordinary light.
- They flew away! It's a shame... But look, what is this? - 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 towards the ruins.
As soon as he had time to get there, a girl in white clothes, wearing a crown of precious stones. The girl is illuminated by moonlight.
Surprised, Siegfried and Benno retreat from the ruins.
Shaking her head sadly, the girl asks the prince:
- Why are you pursuing me, knight? What have I done to you?
The prince, embarrassed, replies:
- I didn’t think... I didn’t expect...
The girl comes down from 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 fell in love with one noble knight and married him, but he destroyed her - and she was gone. My father got married
on the other, he forgot about me, and the evil stepmother, who was a witch, hated me and almost tormented me. But my grandfather took me in with him. The old man loved my mother terribly and cried 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 has begun to pamper me and gives me complete freedom to have fun. So during the day my friends and I turn into swans and, cheerfully cutting through the air with our chests, we fly high, high, almost to the sky, and at night we play and
We dance here, near our old man. But stepmother still
doesn't leave me alone, or even my friends...
At this moment the cry of an owl is heard.
“Do you hear?.. It’s her ominous voice,” says Odette, looking around anxiously. “Look, there she is!”
A huge owl with glowing eyes appears on the ruins.
“She would have ruined me long ago,” Odette continues. “But grandfather watches her vigilantly and does not let me be offended.” With my marriage, the witch loses the opportunity to harm me, and until then only the crown saves me from her malice. That's it, my story is short.
- Oh, forgive me, beauty, forgive me! - says the embarrassed prince, throwing himself on his knees.
Lines of young girls and children run out of the ruins, and everyone reproaches 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.
“That’s enough,” says Odette, “stop it.” You see, he is kind, he is sad, he feels sorry for me.
The prince takes his gun and, quickly breaking it, throws it away, 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.
The dancing begins, in which the prince and Benno take part. The swans make up beautiful groups, then they dance alone.
The prince is constantly near Odette; During the dance, he falls madly in love with Odette and begs her not to reject his love. Odette laughs and doesn’t 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 party you will see many lovely young girls and you will fall in love with another, forgetting about me.
- Oh, never! I swear on my knightly honor!
- 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 to fight! You, you alone, I will love all my life! And no spell of this witch will destroy my happiness!
“Okay, tomorrow our fate must be decided: either you will never see me again, or I will humbly lay down my crown at your feet.” But enough, it’s time to part, the dawn is breaking.
Goodbye - see you tomorrow!
Odette and her friends are hiding in the ruins. Dawn flared up in the sky, a flock of swans swims onto the lake, and above them, heavily flapping their wings, flies
big owl.
Act three
A luxurious hall in the princess's castle, everything is prepared for the holiday.
Old Wolfgang gives his last orders to the servants.
The master of ceremonies welcomes and accommodates guests.
The appearing herald announces the arrival of the princess and the young prince, who enter accompanied by their courtiers, pages and dwarfs and,
bowing kindly to the guests, they take the places of honor prepared for them. The master of ceremonies, at a sign from the princess, gives the order to begin dancing.
The guests, both men and women, make up different groups, dwarfs are dancing. The sound of a trumpet announces the arrival of new guests; master of ceremonies
goes to meet them, and the herald announces their names to the princess. The old count enters with his wife and young daughter; they bow respectfully to their owners, and
the daughter, at the invitation of the princess, takes part in the dance. Then again the sound of the trumpet, again the master of ceremonies and the herald perform their duties; new guests enter... The old people are accommodated by the master of ceremonies, 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 impressed him pleasant experience. The prince sadly answers her:
“I haven’t liked any of them so far, mother.”
The princess shrugs her shoulders with annoyance, calls Wolfgang over and angrily conveys to him her son’s words. 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, upon seeing 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 she resembles Odette?
“But 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 dancing himself. The princess is very happy, calls Wolfgang and
tells him that this guest seems to have made an impression on her son.
“Oh yes,” Wolfgang answers, “wait a little: the young prince is not a stone, in a short time he will fall in love madly, without memory.”
Meanwhile, the dancing continues, and during it the prince shows a clear preference for Odile, who poses flirtatiously in front of him. per minute
hobbies, the prince kisses Odile's hand. Then the princess and old man Rothbart get up from their seats and go out to the middle, to the dancers.
“My son,” says the princess, “you can only kiss the hand of your bride.”
- I'm ready, mother!
- What will her father say to this? - says the princess.
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. Window with noise
swings open and the window shows white swan with a crown on his head. The prince throws his hand in horror new girlfriend and, clutching my heart,
runs out of the castle.
Act four
Scenery for the second act. Night. Odette's friends are waiting for her return; some of them wonder where she could have disappeared to; they feel sad without
her, and they try to amuse themselves by dancing themselves and making the young swans dance.
But then Odette runs onto the stage, her hair from under the crown is scattered in disarray 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, indignant, persuade her not to think about the traitor anymore.
“But I love him,” Odette says sadly. -
- Poor, poor! Let's fly away quickly, here he comes.
- He?! - Odette says with fear and runs to the ruins, but suddenly stops and says: “I want to see him for the last time.”
- But you will destroy yourself!
- Oh no! I'll be careful. Go, sisters, and wait for me.
Everyone goes into ruins. Thunder is heard... First, isolated rumbles, and then closer and closer; the scene becomes dark from the rushing clouds, which are occasionally illuminated 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 all over.” This is the last time we see each other!
The prince fervently begs her, Odette remains adamant. She timidly looks around at the agitated lake and, breaking away from the prince’s embrace, runs to the ruins. The prince catches up with her, takes her hand and says in despair:
- Well, no, no! Willingly or unwillingly, you will stay with me forever!
He quickly tears the crown from her head and throws it into the stormy lake, which has already overflowed its banks. An owl flies overhead screaming, carrying
in the claws of Odette's crown abandoned by the prince.
- What did you do! You destroyed both yourself and me. “I’m dying,” says Odette, falling into the prince’s arms, and through the roar of thunder and the sound of the waves,
sad last song swan Waves rush over the prince and Odette one after another, and soon they disappear under the water. The storm subsides, barely in the distance
faint rumbles of thunder are heard; the moon cuts through the dispersing clouds with its pale ray and a flock of whites appears on the calming lake
swans.
Ballet "Swan Lake"
The history of the creation of the ballet “Swan Lake”.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in 1840 in Votkinsk. WITH early childhood Peter was drawn to the piano, at which he spent his leisure time. In 1845, he began to learn to play the piano, after just 3 years he could already read music, and a year later he played the piano perfectly. After completing a course of science in 1859, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky entered the service of the department of the Ministry of Justice, but he did not like bureaucratic service. A year later, Tchaikovsky entered the newly opened St. Petersburg Conservatory, where he studied “in the composition class” with Anton Rubinstein.
At first, Tchaikovsky's successes were modest. But hard work paid off. Many were born beautiful works, for example operas: “Iolanta” and “ Queen of Spades", ballets "The Nutcracker" and "Sleeping Beauty", many symphonies and suites, concert and piano works.
Swan Lake was a different story. Firstly, Swan Lake was the first ballet created by Tchaikovsky. Secondly, as Tchaikovsky himself admitted to N. Rimsky-Korsakov, Pyotr Ilyich wrote this work partly because of the money he needed at the time. Thus, a well-known composer in Russia undertakes to write his first ballet. The libretto was written by V. Geltser and V. Begichev. In 1876, the opera Swan Lake was first performed. But the first production was unsuccessful. But 20 years later, in 1895, a brilliant revival of the ballet took place on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. Modest Tchaikovsky redid the libretto, and conductor and composer Riccardo Drigo made some changes to the score. But first of all, “Swan Lake” owes its triumph to two choreographers - Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa. Petipa-Ivanov's choreography contains the all-encompassing jubilation of the holiday and the romantic fragmentation of the world, the idyll of the first act and the fatal break of the second, the purity of the love adagio and the demonic virtuosity of Odile. It contains a symbol of ideal but tragic love, embodied in the image of Odette. A unique Russian phenomenon artistic culture, “Swan Lake” collected and absorbed the heritage of 19th century ballet and largely determined the development of ballet art in the 20th century.
The plot of the opera "Swan Lake".
Act one.
The castle celebrates the coming of age of the young Prince Siegfried. His mother, courtiers, and friends congratulate him. The guests are entertained by a jester. Siegfried's mother gives her son a crossbow. She reminds the prince that it is time for him to choose a bride. The feast is over, the guests leave. Siegfried is left alone. He is tormented by vague premonitions and worried by unclear dreams. A flock of swans appears in the sky, and the prince, carried away by a sudden emotional impulse, hurries after them to the lake.
Act two.
Siegfried finds himself in the night forest, on the shore of a lake. The swans land on the shore and turn into beautiful young girls. The prince, enchanted by their beauty, involuntarily lowers his crossbow. The Swan Queen Odette tells the prince that they are all under a spell evil wizard Rothbart. Only the power of love can overcome his witchcraft. Siegfried swears eternal love and fidelity to her, but Odette warns him: if he does not keep his oath, then the swan girls will forever remain in Rothbart’s power. It's getting light. Swans swim on the surface of the lake. Odette and Siegfried say goodbye.
Act three.
The castle is filled with guests again: today the young prince must choose a bride for himself. Notable beauties from different countries, but Siegfried remains indifferent - none of them can compare with the memories of Odette. Fanfare notifies those gathered about the arrival of new guests - this is a noble knight and his beautiful companion. This is the wizard Rothbart himself and his daughter Odile, who is unusually similar to Odette. Odile charms the prince, deceived by the resemblance. He calls her his chosen one. Rothbart is triumphant: the prince broke his oath of allegiance, and now the swans will forever remain under his spell. For a moment, a picture of a lake appears before the amazed prince, and he rushes after the elusive ghost of the opera. Shore. Lake. Night. Odette tells her friends about the broken oath. Now the swan girls are forever doomed to remain in witchcraft captivity. Siegfried, tormented by remorse, appears and begs Odette for forgiveness; the swan queen forgives him. The prince enters into single combat with Rothbart, and the force human love overcomes the witchcraft of the evil genius, giving the heroes freedom and happiness.
Musical dramaturgy.
Demonic virtuosity of Odile. It contains a symbol of ideal but tragic love, embodied in the image of Odette . The image of Prince Siegfried was new for Russian ballet. For the first time in Russian ballet was created male image(and not just a dance) of a hero going through trials, suffering, challenging fate and fighting for his love. Thanks to the orchestra, you could feel who the character was good and who was evil. During the dance of Odette and Siegfried there was a love melody, but slightly with sad shades of the melody. During the performance of Rothbart's dance, a somewhat insidious, cunning melody sounded. And during the final battle between Siegfried and Rothbart, tension was felt at first, and then a pleasant feeling of the victory of good over evil.
The significance of "Swan Lake" in history.
“Swan Lake” outlined the border between two eras in the history of ballet art - the outgoing century of the romantic “ Bolshoi ballet" And new era symphonization of the ballet, saturating it with end-to-end musical and plot development. In essence, Tchaikovsky transformed the traditional “divertissement” ballet, transforming the genre with the skill of a mature symphonic composer; Petipa and Ivanov created a choreographic interpretation of this work, both preserving some of the features of the tradition of romantic ballet and giving it a new look. A unique phenomenon of Russian artistic culture, “Swan Lake” collected and absorbed the heritage of ballet of the 19th century and largely determined the development of ballet art of the 20th century.
Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet
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