The best ballet performances. Ballet (musical work) The most famous ballets of Russian composers
Ballet how a musical form evolved from a mere adjunct to a dance, to a specific compositional form that often had the same meaning as the accompanying dance. Originating in France in the 17th century, the dance form began as a theatrical dance. Formally, until the 19th century, the ballet did not receive a "classical" status. In ballet, the terms "classical" and "romantic" have chronologically evolved from musical usage. Thus, in the 19th century, the classical period of ballet coincided with the era of romanticism in music. Ballet music composers of the 17th and 19th centuries, including Jean-Baptiste Lully and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, were predominantly in France and Russia. However, with increasing international fame, Tchaikovsky during his lifetime saw the spread of ballet musical composition and ballet in general throughout the Western world.
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- Until about the second half of the 19th century, the role of music in ballet was secondary, with the main emphasis on dance, while the music itself was simply borrowed from dance melodies. Writing "ballet music" used to be the work of musical artisans, not masters. For example, critics of the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky perceived his writing of ballet music as something vile.
From the earliest ballets until the time of Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687), ballet music was indistinguishable from ballroom dance music. Lully created a distinct style in which music would tell a story. The first "Ballet of Action" was staged in 1717. It was a story told without words. The pioneer was John Weaver (1673-1760). Both Lully and Jean-Philippe Rameau wrote an "opera - ballet", where the action was performed partly by dance, part singing, but ballet music gradually became less important.
The next big step took place in the early years of the nineteenth century, when special rigid ballet shoes - pointe shoes - began to be used by soloists. This allowed for a more fractional style of music. In 1832, the famous ballerina Marie Taglioni (1804-1884) demonstrated her dance on pointe for the first time. It was in Sylph. It was now possible for the music to become more expressive. Gradually the dances became more daring, with the dancers lifting into the air by the men.
Until the time of Tchaikovsky, the composer of ballet did not separate from the composer of symphonies. Ballet music was the accompaniment for solo and ensemble dance. Tchaikovsky's ballet "Swan Lake" was the first musical ballet work that was created by a symphonic composer. At the initiative of Tchaikovsky, ballet composers no longer wrote simple and light dance parts. Now the main focus of the ballet was not only on the dance; the composition after the dances took on equal importance. In the late 19th century, Marius Petipa was a choreographer of Russian ballet and dance, working with composers such as Caesar Pugni to create ballet masterpieces that both boasted of both complex dance and complex music. Petipa worked with Tchaikovsky, collaborating with the composer on his Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, or indirectly through a new edition of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake after the composer's death.
In many cases still short ballet scenes were used in operas to change scenery or costume. Perhaps the most famous example of ballet music as part of an opera is the "Dance of the Hours" from the opera La Gioconda (1876) by Amilcare Ponchielli.
A cardinal change in mood occurred when Igor Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring (1913) was created.
The music was expressionistic and discordant, and the movements were highly stylized. In 1924, George Antheil wrote The Mechanical Ballet. This was suitable for a film of moving objects, but not for dancers, although it was an innovation in the use of jazz music. From this starting point, ballet music is divided into two streams - modernism and jazz dance. George Gershwin attempted to fill this gap with his ambitious score for Let's Dance (1937), comprising more than an hour of music that spanned intellectual and technically kicked jazz and rumba. One of the scenes was written especially for the ballerina Harriet Hawthor.
Many say jazz dance is best represented by choreographer Jerome Robbins, who worked with Leonard Bernstein on West Side Story (1957). In some respects it is a return to "opera-ballet", as the story is mostly told in words. Modernism is best represented by Sergei Prokofiev in the ballet "Romeo and Juliet". This is an example of pure ballet, and there is no influence from jazz or any other kind popular music.Another trend in the history of ballet music is the trend toward creative adaptations of old music.Ottorino Respighi adapted the works of Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868) and their joint series in a ballet called "Magic Shop", which premiered in 1919. prefers romantic music, so that new ballets are combined with old works through new choreography.A famous example is "Sleep" - the music of Felix Mendelssohn, adapted by John Lanchbury.
Ballet composers
At the beginning of the 19th century, choreographers staged performances based on collected music, most often composed of opera fragments and song melodies that were popular and well known to the public. The first who tried to change the existing practice was the composer Jean-Madeleine Schneitzhoffer. For this, he was subjected to considerable criticism starting from his first work - the ballet "Proserpina" (1818):
The music belongs to a young man who, judging by the overture and some ballet motifs, deserves encouragement. But I firmly believe (and experience supports my opinion) that motives skillfully chosen to situations always better serve the intentions of the choreographer and reveal his intention more clearly than almost completely new music, which, instead of explaining pantomime, itself awaits explanation.
Despite the attacks of critics, following Schneitzhoffer, other composers began to depart from the tradition of creating ballet scores assembled from musical fragments based on the motives of other famous (most often operatic) works - Ferdinand Herold, Fromental Halevi, and, first of all - and then fruitfully who worked with Marius Petipa, when creating his scores, he strictly followed the instructions of the choreographer and his plan - right down to the number of bars in each number. In the case of Saint-Leon, he even had to use melodies set by the choreographer: according to the memoirs of Karl Waltz, Saint-Leon, himself a violinist and musician, more than once whistled motives to Minkus, which he “feverishly translated into musical signs”.
This practice did not correspond to the principles of the same Schneitzhoffer, who valued his reputation as an independent author and always worked separately from the choreographer when creating scores (an exception was made only when creating the ballet La Sylphide, together with
Swan Lake
Ballet is an art form in which dance is the main means of expression. The dance plot is closely connected with the music and dramaturgy. Russian ballet gained fame thanks to brilliant composers.
The most famous ballets of Russian composers embodied in musical and choreographic images emotions that completely captivated the audience.
Among the most famous ballets, one can distinguish "Swan Lake" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The premiere of the ballet took place on March 4, 1877 at the Bolshoi Theatre. The first directors of the ballet were Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. It is their names that are associated with the staging of the famous "swan" scenes. The prerequisite for writing the ballet was Tchaikovsky's visit to the estate in the Cherkasy region, where he spent a lot of time on the lake. There the great composer admired the snow-white birds. The ballet "Swan Lake" is rightfully considered a universally recognized masterpiece of the world ballet school. And the image of the White Swan remains a symbol of Russian ballet today.
Nutcracker
The "Encyclopedia of classical ballet dance" is often called another ballet by Tchaikovsky - "The Sleeping Beauty". The director-choreographer of the ballet was again Marius Petipa. The central figure of the musical and dance action is the ballerina. The ballet itself impresses with the variety of carefully staged choreographic scenes. And the pinnacle of this dance splendor is the solemn dance miniature of the young beauty Aurora and Prince Desire.
Famous ballets are not without reason correlated with the name of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Another work of the famous composer is The Nutcracker. The premiere of the ballet was successfully held in December 1892 at the Mariinsky Theatre. The stage action does not leave the audience indifferent. The ballet was based on the fairy tale of the same name by Hoffmann with a classic fairy tale plot about the confrontation between good and evil.
Ballet "Romeo and Juliet"
Another of the most famous ballets of the twentieth century is Romeo and Juliet, a work by the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. The ballet was staged based on Shakespeare's work of the same name. Wonderful music and amazing choreography brought the ballet worldwide popularity. The premiere of the masterpiece took place in Czechoslovakia in 1938. But the production, first presented in Leningrad in 1940, gained the greatest fame.
The outstanding Russian composer Sergei Sergeevich Prokofiev created another famous creation - Cinderella. S. Prokofiev is rightly called the "master of musical portrait". So subtly, with the help of music, he conveyed the character and feelings of the characters. Prokofiev wrote music for Cinderella for four years. The premiere of Cinderella took place at the Bolshoi Theater in November 1945. The director of the ballet was Rostislav Zakharov, the role of Cinderella was performed by Olga Lepeshinskaya, and later by Galina Ulanova.
The list of famous ballets by Russian composers also includes Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. The composer's dream served as a prerequisite for the creation of the ballet. In it, he saw a dancing young girl among the elders around her. To awaken spring nature, the girl dances, losing her strength, and dies. The girl's soul is reborn in the "Bright Resurrection of Nature".
"The Rite of Spring" is already in space
The premiere of the ballet took place in Paris on the Champs Elysees in May 1913. But it cannot be said that it was successful. The audience did not understand the originality of the music and dances and booed the artists. "The Rite of Spring", as one of 27 pieces of music, was recorded on a Voyager record and sent into outer space for extraterrestrial civilizations.
World classical ballet is unthinkable without Russian composers. It was the Russian ballet school that became the locomotive of world art. It is famous throughout the world, touching the finest strings of the soul of every viewer.
Like it or not, one cannot ignore the famous masterpiece of the Russian composer in four acts, thanks to which the German legend of the beautiful swan girl is immortalized in the eyes of art connoisseurs. According to the plot, the prince, in love with the swan queen, betrays her, but even the realization of the mistake does not save him or his beloved from the raging elements.
The image of the main character - Odette - complements the gallery of female symbols created by the composer during his life. It is noteworthy that the author of the ballet plot is still unknown, and the names of the librettists have never appeared on any poster. The ballet was first presented back in 1877 on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre, but the first version was considered unsuccessful. The most famous production is Petipa-Ivanov, which became the standard for all subsequent performances.
The best ballets in the world: Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker
Popular on New Year's Eve, the ballet for children The Nutcracker was first presented to the public in 1892 on the stage of the famous Mariinsky Theatre. Its plot is based on Hoffmann's fairy tale "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". The struggle of generations, the confrontation between good and evil, the wisdom behind the mask - the deep philosophical meaning of the tale is clothed in vivid musical images that are understandable to the youngest viewers.
The action takes place in winter, on Christmas Eve, when all wishes can come true - and this gives an additional charm to the magical story. Everything is possible in this fairy tale: cherished desires will come true, masks of hypocrisy will fall off, and injustice will be definitely defeated.
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The best ballets in the world: Giselle by Adam
“Love that is stronger than death” is perhaps the most accurate description of the famous ballet in four acts of Giselle. The story of a girl dying from ardent love, who gave her heart to a noble young man betrothed to another bride, is so vividly conveyed in the graceful pas of slender wilis - brides who died before the wedding.
The ballet was a huge success from the first production in 1841, and for 18 years, 150 theatrical performances of the work of the famous French composer were given on the stage of the Paris Opera. This story won the hearts of art connoisseurs so much that an asteroid discovered at the end of the 19th century was even named after the main character of the story. And today, our contemporaries have already taken care of preserving one of the greatest pearls of the classical work in film versions of the classical production.
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The best ballets in the world: Don Quixote by Minkus
The era of great knights has long passed, but this does not prevent modern young ladies from dreaming of meeting Don Quixote of the 21st century. The ballet accurately conveys all the details of the folklore of the inhabitants of Spain; and many masters tried to stage the plot of noble chivalry in a modern interpretation, but it is the classical production that has been decorating the Russian stage for one hundred and thirty years.
The choreographer Marius Petipa was able to skillfully embody the whole flavor of Spanish culture in the dance thanks to the use of elements of national dances, and some gestures and postures directly indicate the place where the plot unfolds. History has not lost its significance today: even in the 21st century, Don Quixote skillfully inspires young people with warm hearts, capable of desperate deeds in the name of goodness and justice.
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The best ballets in the world: Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev
The immortal story of two loving hearts, united only after death forever, is embodied on stage thanks to Prokofiev's music. The production took place shortly before the Second World War, and we must pay tribute to the dedicated masters who resisted the orders that were customary at that time, which also reigned in the creative sphere of the Stalinist country: the composer retained the traditional tragic ending of the plot.
After the first grandiose success, which awarded the performance with the Stalin Prize, there were many versions, but literally in 2008, the traditional production of 1935 in New York took place with a happy ending to the famous story unknown to the public until that moment.
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Happy viewing!
Help me please. We need 10 Russian composers and their ballets.
- Tchaikovsky swan lake
- 1. Asafiev Boris Vladimirovich - "The Fountain of Bakhchisarai"
- Yes, it's much easier :)
1- Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker
2-Stravinsky- firebird
3-prokofiev-cinderella
4-scriabin-scriabiniana
5-rachmaninoff-paganini
6-eye-raymond
7-Shostakovich-Svetly Stream
8-Roman-Korsakov-Scheherazade
9-gavrilin -anyuta
10-cherepnin -armida pavilion
I give a minimum, there is darkness :))) - I will write without composers!
15 BALLET NAMES
1) "Swan Lake"
2) "Sleeping Beauty"
3) "Nutcracker"
4) "Raymonda"
5) "Don Kitoch"
6) "Corsair"
7) "Medium duet"
8) "Cinderella"
9) "Golden Age"
10) "Playing cards"
11) "Romeo and Juliet"
12) "Spartacus"
13) "Giselle"
- thanks for the help to everyone who knows these composers
- 1- Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker
2-Stravinsky- firebird
3-prokofiev-cinderella
4-scriabin-scriabiniana
5-rachmaninoff-paganini - Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Stravinsky and many more
- . Asafiev Boris Vladimirovich - "The Fountain of Bakhchisarai"
2. Arensky Anton (Antony) Stepanovich - "Egyptian Nights"
3. Glazunov Alexander Konstantinovich - Raymond
4. Glier Reingold Moritsevich - "The Bronze Horseman"
5. Prokofiev Sergey Sergeevich - Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet
6. Rachmaninov Sergei Vasilyevich - ballet performance "Paganini"
7. Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolai Andreevich - the ballets Scheherazade and The Golden Cockerel were staged to his music
8. Skryabin Alexander Nikolaevich - the ballets Prometheus, Poem of Ecstasy were staged to his music
9. Stravinsky Igor Fdorovich - "The Firebird"
10. Shchedrin Rodion Konstantinovich - "Konk-Gorbunok", "Carmen Suite"
They wrote about Tchaikovsky, but Glinka and Mussorgsky wrote music for ballet dances in their operas.
Eshpay Andrey Yakovlevich - "Angara" - Alexander Nikolaevich Skryabin Alexander Nikolaevich Skryabin is a Russian composer and pianist, one of the brightest personalities of Russian and world musical culture. The original and deeply poetic work of Scriabin stood out for its innovation even against the background of the birth of many new trends in art associated with changes in public life at the turn of the 20th century.
Born in Moscow, his mother died early, his father could not pay attention to his son, as he served as ambassador to Persia. Scriabin was brought up by his aunt and grandfather, from childhood he showed musical abilities. At the beginning he studied at the cadet corps, took private piano lessons, after graduating from the corps he entered the Moscow Conservatory, his classmate was S. V. Rachmaninov. After graduating from the conservatory, Scriabin devoted himself entirely to music - as a concert pianist-composer, he toured Europe and Russia, spending most of his time abroad.
The peak of Scriabin's composing work was the years 1903-1908, when the Third Symphony ("Divine Poem"), the symphonic "Poem of Ecstasy", "Tragic" and "Satanic" piano poems, 4th and 5th sonatas and other works were released. "The Poem of Ecstasy", consisting of several themes-images, concentrated Sryabin's creative ideas and is his bright masterpiece. It harmoniously combined the composer's love for the power of a large orchestra and the lyrical, airy sound of solo instruments. The colossal vital energy, fiery passion, strong-willed power embodied in the "Poem of Ecstasy" makes an irresistible impression on the listener and to this day retains the strength of its influence.
Another masterpiece of Scriabin is "Prometheus" ("The Poem of Fire"), in which the author completely updated his harmonic language, departing from the traditional tonal system, and for the first time in history this work was supposed to be accompanied by color music, but the premiere, for technical reasons, passed no light effects.
The last unfinished "Mystery" was the idea of Scriabin, a dreamer, romantic, philosopher, to appeal to all mankind and inspire him to create a new fantastic world order, the union of the Universal Spirit with Matter.
A. N. Scriabin "Prometheus"Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninov Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninov is the greatest world composer of the early 20th century, a talented pianist and conductor. The creative image of Rachmaninoff as a composer is often defined by the epithet “the most Russian composer”, emphasizing in this brief formulation his merits in combining the musical traditions of the Moscow and St. Petersburg composer schools and in creating his own unique style, which stands out in isolation in the world musical culture.
Born in the Novgorod province, from the age of four he began to study music under the guidance of his mother. He studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, after 3 years of study he transferred to the Moscow Conservatory and graduated with a big gold medal. He quickly became known as a conductor and pianist, composing music. The disastrous premiere of the groundbreaking First Symphony (1897) in St. Petersburg sparked a creative composer's crisis, from which Rachmaninoff emerged in the early 1900s with a style that combined Russian church songwriting, waning European romanticism, modern impressionism and neoclassicism, all saturated with complex symbolism. During this creative period, his best works are born, with - WELL, I won’t write so extensively and I won’t be able to name all 10. But .. . Shostakovich, ballets "Bright Stream", "Bolt" (this is less known), Tchaikovsky - "The Nutcracker", "Swan Lake", Prokofiev "Romeo and Juliet"
P.I. Tchaikovsky is rightly considered a reformer of the ballet genre. In order to understand this, one must imagine at least a little what ballet was like before him.
In the 19th century, before Tchaikovsky, there were three directions in ballet art: Italian, French and Russian schools.
Although the first mention of Russian ballet is found as early as the 17th century, its development begins later, while its heyday falls at the beginning of the 19th century, when “Didlot was crowned with glory,” as Pushkin wrote, and the “divine” Istomin reigned. Pushkin's lines reflected reality: for a long time the first people in the ballet of the 19th century were not composers at all, but ballerinas and choreographers. "Second" in relation to the primacy of the dance was the music, which often performs only rhythmic functions. Although the choreographers tried to bring dance and music together, music was still assigned a secondary role. That is why major composers rarely took up ballet, considering it a “low” and applied genre.Of greater artistic importance at that time were not Russian ballets, but French ones, primarily A. Adam and L. Delibes. One of the first romantic ballets "Giselle" by A. Adam revealed the content of the lyrical love drama not only in choreography, but also in music. It was he who became the immediate predecessor of Swan Lake.
If Russian composers did not favor ballet with their attention, then they often inserted dance episodes into opera, in which music played a significant role. So, brilliant dance performances were in two of Glinka's operas. However, in them the ballet scenes embodied the images of enemies (“Life for the Tsar” by the Poles), fantastic, magical images (“Ruslan and Lyudmila” dances in the gardens of Chernomor) and were only part of the action. Nevertheless, it was the operas, and first of all the operas of Glinka, that most of all prepared the ballet reform of Tchaikovsky.
Tchaikovsky's innovation manifested itself in the symphonization of the ballet. The composer saturates the score with intense thematic development and unity, previously only inherent in instrumental and operatic music. At the same time, he left all the specific features of the dance itself and the dance action, i.e. did not turn ballet into a symphony with elements of dance, did not liken it to opera, but retained dance suites, dances of traditional classical ballet.
The content of all three of Tchaikovsky's ballets Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker is connected with the fantasy world. Tchaikovsky preferred fabulousness in ballet, and in opera the image of true life. But nevertheless, the real and fabulous-fantastic world in all the composer's ballets are intertwined in the same way as they are connected for each listener in a fairy tale. Enchanting, magical ballet action does not contradict the mysterious, beautiful, airy weightless, but simple and very human images created by the genius of Tchaikovsky.
And now I would like to analyze in more detail the three ballets of P.I. Tchaikovsky.
§ 1 “On the ballets of P.I. Tchaikovsky"
Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich, Russian composer. In 1865 he graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory (student of A. G. Rubinshtein). He was a professor at the Moscow Conservatory (1866-1878).
The work of Tchaikovsky belongs to the heights of world musical culture. He wrote 11 operas, 6 symphonies, symphonic poems, chamber ensembles, concertos for violin and piano, op. for choir, voice, piano, etc. Tchaikovsky's music is distinguished by the depth of ideas and images, the richness of emotions and captivating emotionality, sincerity and truthfulness of expression, vivid melody and complex forms of symphonic development. Tchaikovsky carried out a reform of ballet music, deepened its ideological and figurative concepts and raised it to the level of contemporary opera and symphony.
Tchaikovsky began to write ballets as a mature composer, although he showed a penchant for composing dance music from the first steps of his creative work. Dance rhythms and genres rooted in everyday music were used by Tchaikovsky not only in small instrumental pieces, but also in opera and symphonic works. Before Tchaikovsky, music in a ballet performance had a predominantly applied meaning: while providing a rhythmic basis for the dance, it did not, however, contain deep ideas and figurative characteristics. It was dominated by routine and cliches, the same type of dance forms were adapted to embody a variety of subjects. The reform of Tchaikovsky was prepared by the experience of implementing dance genres and forms in world classical opera and symphony music, including in his own work, by the developed dance scenes in the operas of M. I. Glinka and other Russian composers, by the desire of leading choreographers to increase the value music in a ballet performance. The essence of Tchaikovsky's reform is a radical change in the role of music in ballet. From an auxiliary element, it turned into a defining one, enriching the plot and giving the content of the choreography. Tchaikovsky's ballet music is "dansant", i.e., created with regard to its dance purpose, implements all the achievements accumulated in this area, it is theatrical, since it contains a description of the main images, situations and events of the action, defining and expressing its development. At the same time, in terms of their dramaturgy, principles and stylistic features, Tchaikovsky's ballets are close to symphonic and operatic music, rising to the same level with the heights of world musical art. Without rejecting traditions, without destroying the historically established genres and forms of ballet music, Tchaikovsky at the same time filled them with new content and meaning. His ballets retain a number structure, but each number is a major musical form, subject to the laws of symphonic development and giving wide scope for dance. Of great importance for Tchaikovsky are lyrical and dramatic episodes that embody the key moments in the development of the action (adagio, pas d "action, etc.), waltzes that create a lyrical atmosphere of the action, suites of national characteristic dances, action-pantomime scenes that depict the course of events and subtle changes in the emotional states of the characters.Tchaikovsky's ballet music is permeated with a single line of dynamic development within a single number, stage, act, the entire performance as a whole.
Ch.'s first ballet, Swan Lake, (op. 1876); 1892, Mariinsky Theatre, choreographer Ivanov).
The reform of ballet music carried out by Tchaikovsky had a profound impact on the subsequent development of ballet art.
§ 2 Ballet "Swan Lake"
"Swan Lake". Of all the ballets created in the world, he is perhaps the most famous and popular. With Swan Lake, the world ballet theater began a new stage in its development, characterized by a close union of choreo, graphics and music, the two main components of ballet art.
"Swan Lake" - as a masterpiece of world ballet - is not a specific performance by Petipa, Vaganova or Grigorovich. We are talking about the creation of a work given by Tchaikovsky, which was addressed by various choreo, graphs and which has already a century-old stage history. "Swan Lake" is, first of all, the score of Tchaikovsky, on the basis of which the performances were created to some extent successful.
While working on Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky must have been well aware of the creative possibilities of the Bolshoi Ballet Company. After all, the composer, as you know, was a very sophisticated ballet spectator. “From frequent visits (ballet performances. - A.D.),- writes M. I. Tchaikovsky, - he acquired. understanding in the technique of dance art and the value of “balloon”, “elevation”, “sock hardness”, etc. wisdom." one
". On the eve of "Faust" I watched, or rather, "listened to" P. Tchaikovsky's ballet "Swan Lake" in the same theater. Having read that I "listened" to the ballet, the reader will consider me, perhaps, for an exaggerated conscientious reviewer, for a specialist obsessed with such painful honesty that even in ballet he does not for a minute forget the deed to which he is assigned, rigorously follows every seventh chord and turns a blind eye to everything else. Alas!
The reader gives me the honor not & shy, well-deserved. If a serious person should not be interested in ballet, then with contrition of heart I must renounce the title of a serious person and the rights and advantages associated with that title. As for anyone, but for me, "Russian Terpsichore's soul, flight performed" has an inexpressible charm, and I never ceased to regret that more gifted musicians do not share my weakness and do not turn their composer's strengths to this field , where, it would seem, such a luxurious space for whimsical imagination. With very few exceptions, serious, right-wing composers keep themselves far from ballet: whether the stiffness that makes them look down on ballet as a "low kind of music" is to blame, or some other reason - I can't presume decide. Be that as it may, P. I. Tchaikovsky is free from this stiffness, or at least once in his life he was free from it. And for this we thank him very much: perhaps his example will find imitators in his circle, in the higher spheres of the compositional world. But with all my love for spectacles of this kind, at the performance of the ballet by P. I. Tchaikovsky, I listened much more than I watched. The musical side decisively prevails over the choreographic side. Musically, Swan Lake is the best ballet I have ever heard, meaning, of course, the whole ballet, and not divertissement in such operas as A Life for the Tsar or Ruslan and Lyudmila. 2
The ballet "Swan Lake" was started by Tchaikovsky in May 1875 and finished in Glebov on April 10, 1876. This date was set by the composer himself on the final manuscript of the score: “The end. Glebovo. April 10, 1876." At this time, separate numbers of the first acts were already being rehearsed at the Bolshoi Theater. And on February 20, 1877, Moscow heard a new work by the composer Tchaikovsky, his first ballet - Swan Lake. Thus began the stage life of this masterpiece of Russian and world classics.
