PITchaikovsky "Swan Lake" - the history of creation.
The beautiful bird has long been a symbol of kindness, nobility, true love. The image of a white swan attracted romantics. He became the embodiment of an unattainable ideal. But where there is a white swan, there is another black one nearby. The eternal struggle of good and evil, the battlefield in which is the human soul. The choice between light and dark is sometimes painful, it can be difficult to resist the temptation. A mistake, even an involuntary one, can be fatal.
A halo of secrets is shrouded in the history of the creation of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet "Swan Lake". The plot outline has long become familiar to viewers, although its literary source is still unclear. However, few people remember that the original libretto was completely different. But it was from him that Tchaikovsky repelled when writing music.
Forgotten fairy tale
... On the shore of a mysterious lake, the good fairy Odette lives. During the day, she soars above the earth in the form of a snow-white swan and enjoys freedom. At night, having taken on a human form, she dances merrily with her friends among the ruins of an old castle. However, Odette was disliked by her evil stepmother, who turned out to be a witch. She seeks to destroy her stepdaughter and pursues her, turning into an owl. But Odette is protected by a magical crown.
The girl told her story to the young prince Siegfried, who happened to be in the wilderness. He fell in love with the beautiful fairy at first sight. She reciprocated and revealed the main secret: liberation from the persecution of the stepmother-owl is possible if some young man loves Odette for life. When he calls the girl his wife, the evil witch will become powerless. Siegfried is not afraid of any trials and volunteers to be the deliverer of his beloved.
However, he did not calculate his strength. A ball began in the palace, at which the prince had to choose a bride. The mysterious knight Rothbart appeared at the celebration with his daughter Odile. At first, she seemed to Siegfried like Odette, but then the image of the lake fairy faded in his soul. The charming guest completely captured the attention of the windy young man. Blinded by sudden passion, he calls Odile his bride.
Peals of thunder, a flash of lightning terrify Siegfried - he remembers Odette and hurries to the shore of the lake, hoping to beg her forgiveness. But now they must part. Wanting to keep the fairy next to him at all costs, Siegfried rips off the magic crown from her head. With this, he finally destroys the girl - now nothing will protect her from the evil stepmother. Odette falls dead in Siegfried's arms. A storm begins, and the oncoming waves absorb the unfortunate lovers.
lake of secrets
This was the plot in the first production. It took place in 1877 on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre. The name of the author of the libretto was not on the poster. Presumably he was Vladimir Begichev - the manager of the Imperial Moscow theaters. As his possible co-author, the famous artist Vasily Geltser was called. But there is a possibility that the libretto was written by the composer himself. Vaclav Reisinger, the author of the choreography of the first production, could also participate in the work on the script.
The premiere was a moderate success. The deep music of Tchaikovsky did not immediately meet with understanding and found a worthy embodiment in dance. Choreographer Reisinger was not so much a creative artist as a conscientious worker. Nevertheless, in his production, the performance withstood several dozen performances. Then the ballet was forgotten for years.
The new birth of "Swan Lake" came in 1895 - on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater. The first and third pictures were staged by Marius Petipa, the second and fourth by Lev Ivanov. Pyotr Ilyich was no longer alive at that time. The libretto was revised with the participation of his brother, Modest Tchaikovsky. The changes also affected the score - the order of some numbers has changed. In addition, several piano pieces by the composer were added - they were orchestrated for the ballet by Riccardo Drigo.
The game of opposites
In the plot, a number of key points have changed dramatically. Odette from a good fairy turned into an enchanted girl - one of many. If in the first edition she voluntarily took the form of a swan, then according to the new libretto, this was the result of an evil spell. The image of the owl-stepmother has completely disappeared. The cause of all the troubles was the evil wizard Rothbart, who in the previous version was only an episodic character.
In the first libretto, the resemblance between Odile and Odette did not play a decisive role in the fact that Siegfried broke his word given to his beloved. He was blinded by a brilliant stranger at a ball and forgot about the fairy from the lake. In the new version, the hero saw Odette in Odile, which somewhat mitigated his guilt. However, the oath of allegiance was nevertheless violated - Siegfried succumbed to an external impression, but did not listen to the voice of his soul.
In both versions, the ending is tragic - the heroes die in the stormy waves of the lake. But in the original libretto, the stepmother-owl, having killed Odette, triumphed. In the new version, the heroes defeat evil at the cost of their lives. Siegfried's self-sacrifice in the name of love for Odette leads Rothbart to death. Enchanted girls are released from the spell. Siegfried and Odette are reunited in the other world.
Endless search
The second version of the libretto looks more harmonious and logical. But the paradox is that the music was created based on the original plot. It was changed after the death of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The score was also revised without the consent of the composer. Nevertheless, successful attempts were made to recreate the author's musical edition. In particular, the choreographic version by Vladimir Pavlovich Burmeister is based on it.
There are a lot of productions of Swan Lake. Depending on the reading, some nuances are sometimes introduced into the libretto. It has a mystery that dancers and choreographers are trying to unravel. Everyone sees their own meaning. But the theme of beautiful, sublime love remains unchanged. And, of course, a moral choice - it always has to be made in a difficult struggle between good and evil, light and darkness.
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P.I. Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake - film-ballet 1957 M. Plisetskaya, N. Fadeechev Bolshoi Theater of the USSR