Two worlds co-existing within each other – A man and a woman united by 
their love, doomed by a spell of fate – Tchaikovsky’s immaculate music. 

The ballet of ballets – A timeless classic "Swan Lake"

It is hard to believe that "Swan Lake" was the greatest disappointment in the career of composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: the 1877 premiere in Moscow was a total disaster unanimously criticized by both the press and the public. Critics considered Tchaikovsky’s music "too noisy, too "Wagnerian"" and too symphonic. The fame of the composer was over shadowed by the choreographer of this first Swan Lake, Wenzel Reisinger, who blamed the artistic failure of the production on the fact that he could not find any resonance whatsoever with Tchaikovsky’s music and declared it simply not possible to dance to.  Tchaikovsky was not able to enjoy the fairytale-like resurrection of his music while he was still alive. Eighteen years after the unfortunate premiere, two visionaries from St. Petersburg guaranteed the immortality of ballet and music: Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. The premiere of the revival of Swan Lake on January 27^th 1895 at the Mariinsky Theatre was well received with the majority of the reviews in the local newspapers being positive. The secret of this ballet’s new found success was certainly credited to the fact that two choreographers used their strengths together to collaborate on one production. Petipa remained true to the strategy that had worked for him in many ballets, with a clear separation between pantomimic and danced passages, while Ivanov emphasized the lyric element. Petipa created the images of society while Ivanov thought up the images of the swans. The first are dominated by grandeur and virtuosity, while lyric, elegiac expression stands in the foreground in the latter. Both elements manifest themselves in the two main female characters: Odette, the white swan, is a poetically exaggerated expression of introverted female tenderness and vulnerability and Odile, the black swan, an embodiment of a powerful, tempting, extroverted woman. Between them, the love of a man who fails at the decisive moment and loses everything!

ACT 1SCENE 1 – Prince Siegfried’s Coming of Age celebration
(In the courtyard of a Saxon castle)

Prince Siegfried is celebrating his 21^st birthday with his close friend Benno von Sommerstein and the young court. Siegfried’s tutor, Wolfgang, enters and announces the imminent arrival of the Prince’s mother, the Dowager Queen. She tells her son that since he has now come of age, it is time he must marry and so be crowned as king. To this end she has arranged a magnificent royal ball in his honour for the following night. Four eligible princesses from the most influential European courts have been invited from which he must choose one to be his bride. The news of his forthcoming marriage is put aside for one last evening of amusement. As night falls, a flock of swans appears on the horizon and Benno persuades the prince to go hunting. Siegfried and Benno set off in the direction of the flight of swans. 

SCENE 2 – Odette’s story
(An enchanted lakeside)

Siegfried and Benno follow the flock of swans deep into the forest and find them at an enchanted lake. As they draw their crossbows and take aim, a single swan lands. They are spellbound as the swan transforms into a beautiful maiden before their very eyes. She hastens to them and asks why they pursue her and her friends. Siegfried assures her that they mean them no harm as it is only swans that they are hunting. She replies that the swans they sought to slay are in fact herself and her friends and explains by telling her story:

"Shortly after my birth, my father died. My mother fell in love with a noble Baron and married him. My Stepfather Baron von Rothbart, (Red Beard), was an as an evil sorcerer and eventually killed my mother. My grandmother, a good fairy, wept so many bitter tears at her daughter’s fate, that they formed this lake. Baron von Rothbart bound my friends and I to him with a terrible curse by turning us into swans. My Grandmother’s powers were only strong enough to soften the curse. Hence we live on this lake as swans by day and only by night can we transform back into our human form as swan maidens. Grandmother also gave us magical crowns that protect us from any further harm by Rothbart as long as we wear them. Moreover, the day I find a man’s true love, I will place my crown at his feet, and the curse will be broken. But if this love is not true, I will be doomed to live the rest of my days as a swan."

Prince Siegfried and Benno are deeply moved and swear never to hunt swans again. Odette invites them to spend the evening together with her and her swan maidens. As they dance the night away the Prince becomes utterly besotted with Odette and gradually she reciprocates. Benno, wary of this situation, tries to convince Siegfried to leave back to the castle with him, but Siegfried swears his eternal love to Odette. Remembering her fate she beseeches Siegfried to be true to his promise, only then will she be able to place her crown at his feet and break the curse. As the sun rises, Odette and her swan maidens transform back into swans and fly away.  

ACT 2SCENE 1 – Prince Siegfried’s Deception by Rothbart and his Promise Broken
(A magnificent hall in the castle)

The nobility assemble for the royal ball. Fanfares announce the four princesses from the royal houses of Aragon, Hungary, Naples and Russia. The Queen Mother presses Siegfried to make his choice of a bride. Suddenly an unexpected guest arrives. Baron von Rothbart is accompanied by an entourage of women in black swan masquerade, among them his daughter Odile who is an exact replica of Odette. Siegfried delights in dancing with her and completely falls under Odile’s captivating spell, spontaneously kisses her hand.This shocking break of etiquette infuriates the Queen Mother who immediately rebukes her son for his actions. This is the moment Baron von Rothbart was waiting for and quickly demands that Siegfried swears his eternal love for Odile in front of the court by asking her hand in marriage. Suddenly Odette appears outside the window of the hall frantically trying to warn Siegfried that he is being deceived but she is too late. Siegfried, intoxicated with Odile, pledges his oath to marry her. He instantly realizes he has been tricked and broken his promise to Odette.  Grief-stricken he hurries back to the lake.

SCENE 2 – Love’s triumph
(The enchanted lakeside)

Odette is distraught at Siegfried’s betrayal and her swan maidens try to comfort her. Rothbart arrives with his entourage of black swans to inform Odette that as Siegfried has broken his promise, with the break of dawn tomorrow morning she will be transformed into a swan forever. Siegfried arrives and tries to rescue Odette, but the vengeful Rothbart insists that he must fulfill his pledge to marry his daughter Odile and Siegfried is taken away by the black swans. The swan maidens urge Odette to forget Siegfried and to save herself, but she wants to see him one last time. Grandmother uses her powers to free Siegfried from Rothbart’s wrath and return him to Odette for one last meeting. A storm begins. Siegfried enters and begs Odette for forgiveness saying that he was tricked. Odette forgives him and resigns herself to death rather than accept her fate. She removes her protective crown, places it at his feet and declares her love to him. Rothbart seizes the moment to do away with the now vulnerable Odette once and for all, but Siegfried jumps to her protection. Rothbart stands back appeased knowing Odette is doomed and takes his leave.  Siegfried reconfirms his undying love for Odette and chooses to die alongside her.  Siegfried takes Odette into his arms and as the storm reaches its climax, Grandmother invites them into her lake, no longer a place of tears and sadness but a sanctuary of happiness and freedom. The lake bursts its banks consuming Odette and Siegfried who are united in love for eternity.

Swan Lake is generally presented in either four acts, four scenes (primarily outside Russia and Eastern Europe) or three acts, four scenes (primarily in Russia and Eastern Europe). The biggest difference of productions all over the world is that the ending, originally tragic, is now sometimes altered to a happy ending.

Prologue
Some productions include a prologue that shows how Odette first meets Rothbart, who turns Odette into a swan.

Act 1

A magnificent park before a palace

[Scène: Allegro giusto] Prince Siegfried is celebrating his birthday with his tutor, friends and peasants [Waltz]. The revelries are interrupted by Siegfried's mother, the Queen [Scène: Allegro moderato], who is concerned about her son's carefree lifestyle. She tells him that he must choose a bride at the royal ball the following evening (some productions include the presentation of some possible candidates). Siegfried is upset that he cannot marry for love. His friend Benno and the tutor try to lift his troubled mood. As evening falls [Sujet], Benno sees a flock of swans flying overhead and suggests they go on a hunt [Finale I]. Siegfried and his friends take their crossbows and set off in pursuit of the swans.

Act 2

A lakeside clearing in a forest by the ruins of a chapel. A moonlit night.

The "Valse des cygnes" from act 2 of the Ivanov/Petipa edition of Swan Lake
Siegfried has become separated from his friends. He arrives at the lakeside clearing, just as a flock of swans land [Scène. Moderato]. He aims his crossbow [Scène. Allegro moderato], but freezes when one of them transforms into a beautiful maiden, Odette [Scène. Moderato]. At first, she is terrified of Siegfried. When he promises not to harm her, she explains she and her companions are victims of a spell cast by the evil owl-like sorcerer Rothbart. By day they are turned into swans and only at night, by the side of the enchanted lake – created from the tears of Odette's mother – do they return to human form. The spell can only be broken if one who has never loved before swears to love Odette forever. Rothbart suddenly appears [Scène. Allegro vivo]. Siegfried threatens to kill him but Odette intercedes – if Rothbart dies before the spell is broken, it can never be undone.

As Rothbart disappears, the swan maidens fill the clearing [Scène: Allegro, Moderato assai quasi andante]. Siegfried breaks his crossbow, and sets about winning Odette's trust as the two fall in love. But as dawn arrives, the evil spell draws Odette and her companions back to the lake and they are turned into swans again.

Act 3

An opulent hall in the palace

Guests arrive at the palace for a costume ball. Six princesses are presented to the prince [Entrance of the Guests and Waltz], as candidates for marriage. Rothbart arrives in disguise [Scène: Allegro, Allegro giusto] with his daughter, Odile, who is transformed to look like Odette. Though the princesses try to attract the prince with their dances [Pas de six], Siegfried has eyes only for Odile. [Scène: Allegro, Tempo di valse, Allegro vivo] Odette appears (usually at the castle window) and attempts to warn Siegfried, but he does not see her. He then proclaims to the court that he will marry "Odette" (Odile) before Rothbart shows him a magical vision of Odette. Grief-stricken and realizing his mistake, Siegfried hurries back to the lake.

Act 4

By the lakeside

Odette is distraught. The swan-maidens try to comfort her. Siegfried returns to the lake and makes a passionate apology. She forgives him, but his betrayal cannot be undone. Rather than remain a swan forever, Odette chooses to die. Siegfried chooses to die with her and they leap into the lake. This breaks Rothbart's spell over the swan maidens, causing him to lose his power over them and he dies. In an apotheosis, the swan maidens watch as Siegfried and Odette ascend into the Heavens together, forever united in love.