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A Swan Lake with all of Tchaikovsky's music?


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Does anyone know if any ballet companies around the world at one time or another has danced (at one performance) to all the music that Tchaikovsky wrote for Swan Lake?

That would include the 29 numbers usually found in the complete recordings of Swan Lake, and also:

1) Pas de deux (with Introduction, Variations and Coda) composed for Sobeshchanskaya in 1877;

2) Danse russe, composed for Karpakova in 1877;

3) Danse des cygnes (Valse bluette) (Op. 72/No.11, orchestrated by Drigo);

4) Scene (Un poco di Chopin) (Opus 72/No. 12, orchestrated by Drigo);

5) Black Swan Pas de deux: Variation II: Odile (from Opus 72 for piano - No. 12 L’Espiègle) (orchestrated by Drigo)

Needless to say, if someone did, it would make for a very long evening at the ballet but an interesting concept.

I hope that someone can help with this topic?

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John Neuemier's version "Illusions Like Swan Lake" uses I believe pretty much all of that music in the ballet. Not sure about Dance Russe though, actually perhaps not. But interesting how he uses the Drigo orchestrations normally in Act IV in Act I for variations.

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The Bourmeister production originally set on the ballet company of the Maly Opera uses the whole thing in order according to the 1877 score.

But I think that he uses the oboe variation from Act III Pas de Six as Odile's solo, instead of the original one-(TPDD). (Still...orrect me if I'm wrong)

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The Bourmeister production originally set on the ballet company of the Maly Opera uses the whole thing in order according to the 1877 score.

But I think that he uses the oboe variation from Act III Pas de Six as Odile's solo, instead of the original one-(TPDD). (Still...orrect me if I'm wrong)

You are correct, cubanmiamiboy.

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I think this music was discovered in 1953-(can't remember where did I read it), but also it is interesting to note that not even this PDD was part of the very first score of march '77...it was added a month later, due to the whole Sobeshchanskaya/Petipa/Minkus/Tchaikovsky ordeal.

If anything, I would love to see how the original Minkus music for S.PDD before Tchaikovsky substituted by his own was like, and also how the original Pas de Six looked like, given that this was the original "Grand Pas" before S. commissioned her own. Also, would like to see what happened to that extra variation that T. composed for her to be added to the existing PDD-(would that be a "lost" piece of music?). The two merrymakers-(dropped "Tempo di Valse" included)-PDD is also intriguing...being so grand its Entrance for such secondary characters. It looks as if Act I, in between the Pas de Trois and this PDD was more exciting...

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I think that's what happened. It was just floating around, attached to a score of Gorsky's 1912 staging of Corsair in rehearsal form. I don't know if it were hurryup arranged by Bogatyrev or somebody for the Bourmeister staging, but I've seen photos of the debut of that production and there is definitely an Act III pas de deux for Siegfried and Odile. The Maryinsky Archives have been historically overworked and understaffed, not to mention underpaid, but to their credit, they don't throw things out! At least since about 1990, they've really caught up on the rest of the archival world, and things are easier to find than ever before.

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John Neuemier's version "Illusions Like Swan Lake" uses I believe pretty much all of that music in the ballet. Not sure about Dance Russe though, actually perhaps not. But interesting how he uses the Drigo orchestrations normally in Act IV in Act I for variations.

You have me totally baffled. Since there is no commercial tape of the "Illusions Like Swan Lake", I had to resort to youtube to check it out. Sadly, there were only 3 clips there. Only one of them (the Black Swan Pas de deux - with Odile in a "white" tutu??) used Tchaikovsky's music from Swan Lake. The other two clips used music that is not from Swan Lake. Since you said that: "I believe pretty much all of that music in the ballet" is used, I remain confused.

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The Bourmeister production originally set on the ballet company of the Maly Opera uses the whole thing in order according to the 1877 score.

Since the only Boumeister production of Swan Lake that is available on dvd is the Svetlana Zhakarova version with the Scala Ballet company, I will check it out to see if all of the 1877 score was used in that performance. Unless, you know how to obtain (on dvd) another version of the Bourmeister production?

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John Neuemier's version "Illusions Like Swan Lake" uses I believe pretty much all of that music in the ballet. Not sure about Dance Russe though, actually perhaps not. But interesting how he uses the Drigo orchestrations normally in Act IV in Act I for variations.

You have me totally baffled. Since there is no commercial tape of the "Illusions Like Swan Lake", I had to resort to youtube to check it out. Sadly, there were only 3 clips there. Only one of them (the Black Swan Pas de deux - with Odile in a "white" tutu??) used Tchaikovsky's music from Swan Lake. The other two clips used music that is not from Swan Lake. Since you said that: "I believe pretty much all of that music in the ballet" is used, I remain confused.

Neumeier uses more music from the score than most productions of Swan Lake, but not all of it. And a good thing, too, because some of Tchaikovsky's numbers (like the coda Ashton used for his pas de quatre) barely qualify as music. However, Neumeier doesn't always use it in the original order, and he also uses additional pieces by Tchaikovsky, such as the "Meditation" from Souvenir d'un lieu cher.

Most of the ballet is rechoreographed, except for Act 2, which uses an older version of the choreography than most productions, and the "Black Swan" pas de deux. The ballet is reinterpreted as the story of a king very like Ludwig II of Bavaria (the one who built all those fanciful castles). "Odette" is actually a ballerina in a ballet within a ballet--a private performance of Swan Lake watched by the King. In the third act the pas de deux is danced by the King and his fiancée. Up until that point she had been unable to break through to the him (Ludwig is believed to have been gay), but after seeing him enraptured by "Odette," she decided to wear a similar dress to the third-act costume party. The King is overjoyed by her decision and apparent understanding of what makes him tick, and they dance the usual pas de deux together.

http://www.hamburgballett.de/e/rep/schwanensee.htm

The video is available commerically in Europe, but as far as I know, it's in PAL format. I can't be certain since I own an earlier version of the DVD.

http://www.amazon.de/Illusionen-Wie-Schwan.../dp/B002DU7MEW/

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The Bourmeister production originally set on the ballet company of the Maly Opera uses the whole thing in order according to the 1877 score.

Since the only Boumeister production of Swan Lake that is available on dvd is the Svetlana Zhakarova version with the Scala Ballet company, I will check it out to see if all of the 1877 score was used in that performance. Unless, you know how to obtain (on dvd) another version of the Bourmeister production?

I've viewed the Svetlana Zakharova & Roberto Bolle's version with the Scala di Milano Ballet Company. And yes, you are correct. Bourmeister follows closely Tchaikovsky's 1877 score except:

No. 2. Valse (the middle section is omitted)

No. 5. Pas de deux: II. Andante - Allegro - Molto più mosso (the last section is omitted)

No. 5. Pas de deux: III. Tempo di valse

No. 5. Pas de deux: IV. Coda (Allegro vivace)

No. 9. Finale (Andante)

No. 13. Danses des cygnes: c. Danse des cygnes (Tempo di valse)

No. 19. Pas de six: a. Intrada; b. Moderato assai; c. Variation 1(Allegro); e. Variation 3 (Moderato); f. Variation 4 (Allegro)

Pas de deux: d. Variation 2 (Allegro) e.Coda (Allegro molto vivace)

(*** Numéro supplémentaire: NOTE: Inserted for Sobeshchanskaya - 1877)

Danse russe

(*** Numéro supplémentaire: (NOTE: Written for Karpakova - 1877)

From 1895:

Pas de deux: Variation II: Odile (from Opus 72 for piano - No. 12 L’Espiègle, orchestrated by Drigo)

*** Danse des cygnes (Valse bluette) (Opus 72/No.11, orchestrated by Drigo)

*** Scene (Un poco di Chopin) (Opus 72/No. 15, orchestrated by Drigo)

I thank you for suggesting to view the Bourmeister's version. No comment on his staging, blocking and choreography.

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John Neuemier's version "Illusions Like Swan Lake" uses I believe pretty much all of that music in the ballet. Not sure about Dance Russe though, actually perhaps not. But interesting how he uses the Drigo orchestrations normally in Act IV in Act I for variations.

You have me totally baffled. Since there is no commercial tape of the "Illusions Like Swan Lake", I had to resort to youtube to check it out. Sadly, there were only 3 clips there. Only one of them (the Black Swan Pas de deux - with Odile in a "white" tutu??) used Tchaikovsky's music from Swan Lake. The other two clips used music that is not from Swan Lake. Since you said that: "I believe pretty much all of that music in the ballet" is used, I remain confused.

Neumeier uses more music from the score than most productions of Swan Lake, but not all of it. And a good thing, too, because some of Tchaikovsky's numbers (like the coda Ashton used for his pas de quatre) barely qualify as music. However, Neumeier doesn't always use it in the original order, and he also uses additional pieces by Tchaikovsky, such as the "Meditation" from Souvenir d'un lieu cher.

Most of the ballet is rechoreographed, except for Act 2, which uses an older version of the choreography than most productions, and the "Black Swan" pas de deux. The ballet is reinterpreted as the story of a king very like Ludwig II of Bavaria (the one who built all those fanciful castles). "Odette" is actually a ballerina in a ballet within a ballet--a private performance of Swan Lake watched by the King. In the third act the pas de deux is danced by the King and his fiancée. Up until that point she had been unable to break through to the him (Ludwig is believed to have been gay), but after seeing him enraptured by "Odette," she decided to wear a similar dress to the third-act costume party. The King is overjoyed by her decision and apparent understanding of what makes him tick, and they dance the usual pas de deux together.

http://www.hamburgballett.de/e/rep/schwanensee.htm

Alas, you are correct. "Illusions Like Swan Lake" is available at amazon. com (German) and only offered in the PAl system. That is a shame.

The video is available commerically in Europe, but as far as I know, it's in PAL format. I can't be certain since I own an earlier version of the DVD.

http://www.amazon.de/Illusionen-Wie-Schwan.../dp/B002DU7MEW/

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A while back, I asked this question. Someone gave me an answer that John Neumeier's version entitled "The Illusions of Swan Lake" contained most of the music. I finally found a copy of this version. Here are the music sequences of Tchaikovsky;s music in the order that they were performed by the Hamburg Ballet Company in 2001.

SWAN LAKE (Illusions of “Swan Lake”) Anna Polikarpova & Jirí Bubenicek

Hamburg Ballet / Choreography by John Neumeier / Alexandra Danilova (Act II)

No. 29. Scène finale (Andante - Allegro agitato - Alla breve - Moderato maestoso) (Partial) (Title Music)

Introduction (Moderato assai)

No. 1. Scène (Allegro giusto)

No. 19. Pas de six: c. Variation 1(Allegro)

No. 2. Valse

No. 3. Scène (Allegro moderato)

No. 4. Pas de trois: I. Intrada (Allegro)

No. 4. Pas de trois: III. Allegro simplice - Presto

No. 4. Pas de trois: IV. Moderato

*** Danse des cygnes (Valse bluette) (Opus 72/No.11, orchestrated by Drigo)

No. 4. Pas de trois: VI. Coda (Allegro vivace)

No. 4. Pas de trois: II. Andante sostenuto

*** Scene (Un poco di Chopin) (Opus 72/No. 15, orchestrated by Drigo)

*** Numéro supplémentaire: NOTE: Inserted for Sobeshchanskaya - 1877:

Pas de deux: a. Introduction; b. Moderato - Andante

No. 7. Sujet

No. 8. Danse des coupes (Tempo di polacca)

Souvenir d'un lieu cher No. 1 (Méditation), Op. 42

ACT II:

No. 10. Scène (Moderato)

No. 11. Scène (Allegro moderato - Allegro vivo)

No. 12. Scène (Allegro)

No. 13. Danses des cygnes: a. Tempo di valse

No. 13. Danses des cygnes: e. Pas d’action (Andante - Andante non troppo - Allegro)

No. 13. Danses des cygnes: d. Allegro moderato

No. 13. Danses des cygnes: f. Tempo di valse

No. 13. Danses des cygnes: b. Moderato assai - Molto più mosso

No. 13. Danses des cygnes: g. Coda (Allegro vivo)

No. 14. Scène (Moderato)

ACT III:

No. 15. Allegro giusto

No. 17. Scène (la sortie des invités et la valse) (Minus the Intro)

No. 16. Danses du corps de ballet et des nains

No. 20. Danse hongroise - Czardas

No. 21. Danse espagnole

No. 22. Danse napolitaine

*** Numéro supplémentaire: Danse russe (NOTE: Written for Karpakova - 1877)

No. 5. Pas de deux: I. Tempo di valse

No. 5. Pas de deux: II. Andante - Allegro - Molto più mosso

Pas de deux: Variation II: Odile (from Opus 72 for piano - No. 12 L’Espiègle) (orchestrated by Drigo)

No. 5. Pas de deux: IV. Coda (Allegro vivace)

No. 24. Scène (Allegro - Valse - Allegro vivo)

ACT IV:

No. 25. Entr’acte (Moderato)

Hamlet, Entr'acte (Elégie). Andante non troppo (Op. 67a/No.9)

No. 29. Scène finale (Andante - Allegro agitato - Alla breve - Moderato maestoso)

Musical numbers missing:

No. 4. Pas de trois: V. Allegro

No. 5. Pas de deux: III. Tempo di valse

No. 6. Pas d’action (Andantino quasi moderato - Allegro)

No. 9. Finale (Andante)

No. 13. Danses des cygnes: c. Danse des cygnes (Tempo di valse)

No. 18. Scène (Allegro - Allegro giusto)

No. 19. Pas de six: a. Intrada; b. Moderato assai; d. Variation 2 (Andante con moto); e. Variation 3 (Moderato);

f. Variation 4 (Allegro); g.Variation 5 (Moderato - Allegro simplice); h.Coda (Allegro molto vivace)

No. 23. Mazurka

No. 26. Scène (Allegro non troppo)

No. 27. Danse des petits cygnes

No. 28. Scène (Allegro agitato)

Pas de deux: c. Variation 1 (Allegro moderato); d. Variation 2 (Allegro) e.Coda (Allegro molto vivace)

(*** Numéro supplémentaire: NOTE: Inserted for Sobeshchanskaya - 1877)

Sadly, as you can see, there are quite a few musical numbers not used in this version. I guess that the quest is still on for that illusive version of ALL of Tchaikovsky's music.

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The only recording I know of collectig all of the original score-(1877)-is the Dutoit, which is the only one I own. I never liked Drigo's orchestrations for the 4th Act anyway-("Un poco di Chopin" and "Valse Bluette"). The Fourth Act looks much nicer and comprised in its original '77 musical scheme.

I'm ITA with you that the Dutoit is a very good version and that the music demands the tragic ending that the composer envisioned. The tragic ending is right there in the overture. There are other good recordings such as Andre Previn's London Symphony Orchestra recording from the early 1970s on EMI, and John Lanchbery's Philharmonia Orchestra recording from the early 1980s (1982 - ?), which were both very fine. Lanchbery's tempi was superior to Previn's as he conducted as if her were putting the music under the feet of dancers. I don't think these are available anymore. Ermler's treatment with the Royal Opera House Orchestra is also quite good but doesn't employ every last repeat (as Previn's did). I recall that Previn's Act 3 waltz for the six princesses ran close to 10 minutes, because there were six fanfares plus the main theme's repeats, not just the one in most productions and recordings. There were no cuts in Previn's early 70s recording.

Nureyev's version for the Paris Opera Ballet uses most of the score, as does the Stanislavsky (Bourmeister), the Bolshoi, and the Mikhailovsky (Messerer). For example, at Le Garnier, the Act 1 waltz is totally complete as is the 4th act. They omit the Russian dance in Act 3 except for the Drigo scoring for the Odile pdd, and Odile's variation. The Bolshoi omits the bulk of the Act 3 Pas de Six, but uses the oboe solo for Odile's variation, and as a previous poster has noted the Stan uses it as well. The Stan uses the coda for the pas de six for the Odile pdd coda. At the Paris Opera Ballet and the Bolshoi the variation before that is used for Rothbart's dance at the ball. Tchaikovsky wrote so much music for his first ballet score, (without guidance from the original choreographer), it seems that he wrote it by the yard. As a result this masterpiece remains a treasure trove for Artistic Directors and choreographers to choose from, whether they opt for the traditional staging (Petipa/Ivanov), or non-traditional staging.

The Russian State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dmitri Yablonsky on Naxos is a very good performance, but not as dramatic as Lanchbery's older treatment. Of these two, the Bolshoi's Svetlanov, also with the Russian State Symphony Orchestra IMO is the platinum standard recording if you want the entire score. The Drigo 1895 edition, or "the performance score" on cd has only two interpretations out there; Victor Fedotov and Valery Gergiev's both with the Mariinsky Orchestra. The latter was the soundtrack for the company's most recent "Swan Lake" dvd (2006) and is IMO, inferior to Fedotov's interpretation (on JVC), especially the final pdd ('Un poco di Chopin'). Fedotov's interpretation is the 5 star performance of the 1895 version. It also includes the Russian Dance from Act 3 and the original Dance of the Swans (as a supplement to the Valse Bluette). Unfortunately, Fedotov didn't insert the penultimate final bars from the 1877 score in the finale. Had he done so it would have been the master-stroke on an already superlative performance.

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I suppose I'm reviving a dead thread here, but for me the perfect Swan Lake would be a combination of the traditional Petipa/Ivanov/Drigo and Bourmeister versions. Here's my preferred ordering of the lovely score when I am listening to it on CD. I was able to construct this playlist mixing and matching the Previn (LSO version) CD which follows the original 1877 score to the tee and the Fedotov (Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra) CD which follows P/I/D scoring.

Act 1 - Introduction (overture, Odette turned into swan, etc.)

Act 1 - Scene (entrance of Siegfried)

Act 1 - PDT (I, III, IV, V, VI) following P/I/D ordering with the omitted andante sostenuto, even though I also find III - Variation 1 and V - Variation 3 to be weak. This part of the score I skip over the most when listening.

Act 1 - Scene (entrance of Queen Mother, tells Siegfried he needs to marry, etc.)

Act 1 - "Black Swan pdd" waltz and andante following Bourmeister

Act 1 - Pas d'action, subject, dance of goblets (my favorite part of Act 1)

(Bourmeister is commonly criticized for having Act I being too long and Act IV being too short and for me I like omitting the Act I waltz champêtre when listening -- even the edited version in most productions -- to avoid having two similar waltzes, even though parts of it are lovely. There's definitely a trade-off here though, since vice versa if you put in the waltz champêtre then you lose the Black Swan pdd music, or suffer redundancy. With the dance of goblets there's already an awesome ensemble corps dance so I don't feel so bad).

Act 2 - Scene (Moderato - entr'acte)

Act 2 - Scene (Allegro moderato - allegro vivo, arrival of Siegfried at lake, entrance of Odette, etc.)

Act 2 - Scene (Allegro, entrance of swans)

Act 2 - Grand pas des cygnes (I - Swan Waltz, V - White Adagio with Drigo modified ending, IV - 4 Swans/Cygnets, VI - 3 Swans (A major version up a semitone), II - Odette variation, VII - Coda), this ordering used in Bourmeister and P/I/D

Act 2 - Scene (Moderato, swan exit due to Von Rothbart spell, etc.)

Act 3 - Scene (Back at the court)

Omit dance of guests and dwarfs following P/I/D but not Bourmeister, I don't find this sequence with the jester particularly compelling

Act 3 - Entrance and Waltz of Special Guests (edited version in both P/I/D and Bourmeister, entrance and introduction of brides, etc.)

Act 3 - Scene (Odile's entrance)

Act 3 - Spanish/Neapolitan/Hungarian/Mazurka (the usual order)

Act 3 - Tchaikovsky/Sobeshchenskaya pdd + Variation I (Siegfried Variation), pas de six Variation V (oboe - Odile Variation), pas de six Coda instead of Black Swan Coda following Bourmeister

Act 3 - Scene (Odile deception revealed, Odette image shown to Siegfried, etc.)

Act 4 - Entr'acte

Act 4 - Scene (Allegro ma non troppo, back at the lake, ensemble swan choreography)

Act 4 - Dance of the Little Swans (Moderato, I hate that P/I/D deletes this in favor of the orchestrated Valse Bluette, so Bourmeister wins)

Act 4 - Scene (Allego agitato - Allegro vivace, Odette's re-entrance at lake + despair)

Act 4 - Finale (Andante, Siegfried re-entrance at lake + despair)

Act 4 - pas de six Variation II moved from Act 3 used as Odette/Siegfried reconciliation following Bourmeister (I also prefer this versus the orchestrated un poco di Chopin)

Act 4 - Rest of Finale (struggle with Von Rothbart, apotheosis, etc.)

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