Swan Lake

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Lore & Background

The authorship of the original libretto remains uncertain, and the precise origins of the narrative are likewise obscure. Russian and German folk traditions have been suggested as possible sources, among them Johann Karl August Musäus’s 1784 tale *The Stolen Veil*, from the collection *Volksmärchen der Deutschen* and based on the Swan maiden myth. These accounts bear only limited resemblance to the storyline. One hypothesis proposes that the original choreographer, Julius Reisinger, a Bohemian plausibly acquainted with *The Stolen Veil*, was responsible for devising the story. An alternative view attributes the authorship to Vladimir Petrovich Begichev, then Director of the Moscow Imperial Theatres, possibly in collaboration with Vasily Geltser, a danseur of the Bolshoi Theatre. A surviving libretto copy bears Begichev’s name. Another often-cited possibility proposes that the story was invented by Tchaikovsky himself, who reportedly used a similar plot for his earlier short ballet *The Lake of the Swans* (*Ozero lebedei*). Even the protagonists’ names were already the same: his brother Modest and his niece Tatiana played Siegfried and Odette, respectively. Some of Tchaikovsky’s contemporaries noted his keen interest in the life of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, whose existence was symbolically associated with the swan and who has been regarded as a possible prototype for Prince Siegfried. In May 1875, Begichev commissioned Tchaikovsky to compose the score for 800 rubles, provided only a rudimentary framework from Reisinger. For many years, no original written directives were thought to survive, but in 2015 rehearsal notes from as early as 1876 were identified in the Institute for Art Studies in Moscow, offering fresh insight into the 1877 production.

Reader's Guide

Swan Lake was premiered by the Bolshoi Ballet on 4 March [O.S. 20 February] 1877 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, with choreography by Julius Reisinger. The original production was given as a benefit performance for ballerina Pelageya Karpakova (also known as Polina Karpakova), who performed Odette, with Victor Gillert as Prince Siegfried. Karpakova may also have danced Odile, though the ballet originally called for two different dancers. The première was not a success. Most ballet companies now base their performances on the 1895 revival by Marius Petipa (acts 1 & 3) and Lev Ivanov (acts 2 & 4), first staged for the Imperial Ballet on 15 January 1895 at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, conducted by Riccardo Drigo, who also revised Tchaikovsky's score. Tchaikovsky studied the music of ballet specialists such as Cesare Pugni and Ludwig Minkus before composing *Swan Lake*, and he admired the work of Léo Delibes, Adolphe Adam, and later Drigo. He drew on previous compositions, including a little ballet called *The Lake of the Swans* from 1871, which included the famous 'Swan's Theme' or 'Song of the Swans.' He also used material from his abandoned opera *The Voyevoda* (1868) and the love duet from *Undina* (1873). The score was complete by April 1876. Reisinger set aside certain numbers as 'undanceable,' but Tchaikovsky protested and his pieces were reinstated. Notable later productions include Aleksandr Gorsky's 1901 staging at the Bolshoi, Michel Fokine's 1911 version for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in London, and the 1934 Royal Opera House company premiere by The Vic-Wells Ballet.

Did You Know?

• The original 1877 production was a benefit performance for ballerina Pelageya Karpakova, who danced Odette; Victor Gillert played Prince Siegfried.
• Tchaikovsky reused the 'Swan's Theme' from a little ballet called *The Lake of the Swans* he created in 1871 at his relatives' home.
• In 2015, rehearsal notes from as early as 1876 were discovered in the Institute for Art Studies in Moscow, shedding new light on the original production.
• Tchaikovsky was paid 800 rubles for composing the *Swan Lake* score, commissioned by Vladimir Begichev in May 1875.
• The 1895 revival at the Mariinsky Theatre used a score revised by Riccardo Drigo, with choreography by Marius Petipa (acts 1 & 3) and Lev Ivanov (acts 2 & 4).