Peter Illych Tchaikovsky and the Swan Lake Ballet - Coursework Example

Peter Illych Tchaikovsky and the Swan Lake Ballet Biography and Introduction Piotr Illyitch Tchaikovsky was born May 7, 1840 and died on November 8, 1893. He was born in Kamsko-Votkinsk, Russia (Classical Net). He is probably best known for his ballets, especially Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. He was a composer who created his music during the Romantic period. Tchaikovsky’s music is distinctive because it uses rich harmonies and Russian expressions that stir one’s emotions. He used both “nationalistic folk melodies and international elements” (“Pyotr”, Red Balloon Technology, par. 1). Tchaikovsky’s father was a Ukranian mining engineer and his mother was French. Tchaikovsky loved music and began piano lessons at the age of five (“Pyotr”, Red Balloon Technology). His early education, along with his brothers and sisters, was done by a French governess. His parents took him to concerts which made his love of music grow stronger (Encyclopedia of World Biography). At age four, he and his sister composed a song for their mother. Though Tchaikovsky was very devoted to his mother, she died when he was 14; he was devastated by her death (Encyclopedia of World Biography). After his mother died, Tchaikovsky was sent to a military boarding school. This was a cruel experience for him, so he withdrew into his music (DiSilvio, par. 2). While listening to music, he heard Don Giovanni, a work by Mozart and he decided to devote himself to music (DiSilvio, par. 2). On the practical side, Tchaikovsky went to St. Petersburg, Russia to study law and continue his music lessons. He also began to compose music. He graduated at age 19 and took his first job as a bureau clerk (Encyclopedia of World Biography). He did not like this job because he was more interested in music. While working at this job, he was introduced to Anton and Nikolai Rubenstein, who were composers. Anton was a famous pianist and in 1862, he opened Russia’s first conservatory and Tchaikovsky was their first composition student (Encyclopedia of World Biography). 1. Early Work and Personal Life Tchaikovsky began composing at the conservatory and supported himself on the money he earned from his work. Anton was a very harsh task master and this was difficult for Tchaikovsky, but he was able to graduate within two years. After graduation, he moved to Moscow and became the composition professor at the Moscow Conservatory. The conservatory was started by Nikolai Rubenstein (Encyclopedia of World Biography). During this time, Tchaikovsky composed his musical poems, Fatum and Romeo and Juliet. In the early 1870’s he worked as an “all-around” musician, which meant that he taught, conducted, wrote compositions and wrote critical essays (Encyclopedia of World Biography, par. 4). He also met many composers who would become famous. Tchaikovsky married a student that was attending the conservatory, Antonina Miliukova, but the marriage was a disaster. Tchaikovsky was a misogynist and a homosexual, which created many problems in his very short marriage (DiSilvio, par. 4). He was married for nine weeks and attempted suicide after leaving his wife (DiSilvio, par. 4). Tchaikovsky also had a nervous breakdown after he left his wife, presumably because he was attempting to hide his homosexuality from the public (DiSilvio, par.5). He also shied away from people because they made him feel depressed and insecure (DiSilvio, par. 4). After being rejected by her husband, Antonina eventually suffered from a mental illness and died (Encyclopedia of World Biography). For a time, Tchaikovsky’s feelings of gloom would show in his music. Soon after his nervous breakdown, Tchaikovsky met another woman, Nadezhda von Meck, who became his benefactor for the next 14 years. This was an ideal relationship for Tchaikovsky because they only met and talked through correspondence (Encyclopedia of World Biography; DiSilvio). In his later years, Tchaikovsky made many public appearances in America and Europe and he was very well received. He bought a retreat in Klin, near Moscow, to rest from public appearances. Though not a hermit by any means, he became known as the “Hermit of Klin” (Encyclopedia of World Biography, “Later Years”). By 1890, Tchaikovsky no longer needed von Meck’s stipend and she withdrew her support without prior notice. This felt like rejection to Tchaikovsky, which made him depressed and no one around him could understand why he took this news so hard (Encyclopedia of World Biography). Pathẻtique was his last composition during that time and it was received poorly. Many critics believed that it was not received well because he conducted his own composition (Encyclopedia of World Biography). Eventually, the symphony would be better received, but Tchaikovsky died from cholera in 1893, before he would know of its fame (Encyclopedia of World Biography). 2 Swan Lake Synopsis Swan Lake is perhaps one of the best loved ballets that Tchaikovsky wrote. The story is a love story similar to Romeo and Juliet. The story revolves around Prince Siegfried, who must choose a bride on his 21st birthday. He receives a crossbow for his birthday and his mother tells him that he must choose a bride, which she has already arranged (Green, “A Synopsis”). However, he does not want to marry, so he leaves his birthday celebration and goes to the woods to hunt with his friends. This concludes Act 1 (Green, “A Synopsis”). In Act 2, the Prince finds a quiet spot near an enchanted lake. Across the lake, he sees a swan that wears a crown. The Prince finds out that the swan is actually a beautiful woman, Odette. She is the Swan Queen and has been turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer. The evil sorcerer is Von Rothbart (also the Prince’s mentor) and he cast this spell on Odette and her friends. The spell can only be broken if a man, pure of heart, pledges his love to her (Green, “A Synopsis”). The lake was created from the tears of the parents. Unfortunately, von Rothbart interrupts the Prince as he attempts to make the pledge and commands all of the swans to dance on the lake so that the Prince cannot catch them, which leaves the Prince alone on the shore. In Act 3 and 4 the story is resolved. At first, von Rothbart tries to make the Prince marry his daughter Odile by enchanting her to look like Odette. The plan almost works but Odette looks through the window, sees what is happening and runs away; she thinks that the Prince does not love her (Green, “A Synopsis). The Prince runs after Odette and explains what happened. Von Rothbart tries to make the Prince marry his daughter anyway, but the Prince would rather die. He takes Odette’s hand and they jump into the lake. Finally, the spell is broken and the remaining swans turn back into women. The women force the evil sorcerer and his daughter into the lake to drown. The spirits of the Prince and Odette are together as they ascend into heaven (Green, “A Synopsis”). This story is a classic story and is based on many folk stories. 2.1 The History of Swan Lake Tchaikovsky composed Swan Lake in 1875, as a commission for Vladimir Petrovich Begicher, who at the time was the intendant at the Russian Imperial Theatres in Moscow (Green, “Swan Lake”). The original Swan Lake was not well received because people believed that it was nothing new. Also, conductors and dancers felt the ballet was too complicated to dance. The ballet was not performed again until after Tchaikovsky’s death in 1893. At that time, it was revised from the original by Petipa and Ivanov, who were famous choreographers. Other than these facts, there is nothing more known about its history. 2.2 The Choreography Swan Lake is a very complicated ballet to dance and it demands very strong technical skill (Green, “Swan Lake”). The ballerina who made Swan Lake famous, Pierina Legnani, set high standards for the dancer who would portray Odette/Odile (Green, “Swan Lake”).Lognani performed a total of 32 fouettes in a row and this created a challenge for other ballerinas to do the same (Green, “Swan Lake”). 2.3 The Music of Swan Lake The music of Swan Lake compliments the story and helps move the story along. The orchestra performs with full instrumentation as follows: Strings – violins 1 and 2, viola, cellos, double base. Woodwinds – piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B-flat, A, C), 2 bassoons. Brass – 4 horns in F, 2 cornets in A and B-flat, 2 trumpets (F,D,E), 3 trombones (2 tenor, 1 bass), a tuba. Percussion – timpani, snare drum, cymbals, bass drum, triangle, tambourine, castanets, tam-tam, glockenspiel. A harp is also used (“Swan Lake Suite”). Full instrumentation provides richness to the music in such a way that the listener can feel each segment of the ballet, whether they are watching it or only listening to the music. The various scenes of the ballet were supported by the music through the orchestration of the suite. 2.4 The Roles The following roles are listed in the ballet: The Sovereign Princess Prince Siegfried (The Sovereign Princesses’ son) Wolfgang, Siegfried’s tutor Bennovon Sommerstern , Siegfried’s friend Odette, the Swan Queen Von Rothbart , an evil genius and guest Odile, von Rothbart’s daughter who resembles Odette Master of Ceremonies Baron von Stein and his wife Freiherr von Schwartzfels, his wife, a herald and a footman Court gentlemen and ladies, friends of the prince, heralds, guests, pages, villagers, servants, swans and cygnets (“Swan Lake Suite”) There have been a few changes in the ballet since its original. Bennovon Sommerstern has become “Benno,” Baron von Stein and his family have disappeared from a mention in the program and Rothbart became Redbeard (“Swan Lake Suite”). 2.5 Musical Style and Form Swan Lake’s music is classical ballet music and it is dramatic ballet. It was Tchaikovsky’s first ballet and he used his musical talent to transform the genre into something more beautiful. The music is “almost symphonic” (Sebastian, par. 16). The ballet uses orchestral color and beautiful, sweeping passages that use all the instruments well. The music is lighter than some of the darker music Tchaikovsky usually does. He used a combination of folk music, dance tunes and small parts of other pieces that he had previously composed (Sebastian). The ballet is composed of a musical introduction, followed by 29 dance numbers which are performed in four acts (Cummings, par. 2). Some of the music has become famous, because it is used in movies. A good example of this music’s fame is the “Flight of the Swans”. In this particular passage, the oboe begins to paint the story of the swans and the harp accompanies the oboe. The theme creates a fantasy theme and provides the listener the opportunity to be enmeshed in the fantasy from beginning to end (Cummings, par. 2). Swan Lake is both a romantic and a dramatic style of ballet. This style was brought to light by the Russian choreographer, Marius Petipa. Petipa would become the head choreography of the Imperial Russian Ballet. It was Petipa who would perfect the ballet that would last an entire evening and include stories and mimed scenes (“History of Ballet”). 2.6 Parts / Movements The parts and movements of Swan Lake are important to gain a sense of how the ballet flows. This list provides the sense of flow: Introduction Scene (No. 1) (Allegro giusto) Waltz in A flat major (No. 2) Scene (No. 3) Entrance of the Pages (Allegro moderato) Pas de trois: Intrada - 1 (Andante sostenuto) - 2 (Allegro semplice - Presto) - 3 Prince - 4 (Allegro) - Coda Pas de deux: Waltz in D major - 1 (Andante/Adagio) - 2 (Waltz in B flat major) Pas daction (Andantino quasi moderato - Allegro) Scene (No. 8) Dusk falls Goblet Dance (Tempo di polacca) Finale: Swan theme (Andante) Scene (No. 10) Swan theme (Moderato) Scene (No. 11) Bennos Entry Scene (No. 12) Dance of the Swans (No. 13): 1 Waltz in A major - 2 31st Dance of the Queen - 3 Danse générale - 4 Danses des petites cygnes - Scene (No. 14) (Moderato) Scene (No. 15) Danse de fançailles (Allegro giusto) Dances of the Corps de Ballet & Dwarves (No. 16) Scene: Arrival of the Guests & Waltz (No. 17) Scene (No. 18) (Allegro - Allegro giusto) Pas de Six: Intrada - Var. 1 (Allegro) - Var. 2 (Andante con moto) - Var. 3 (Moderato) - Var. 4 (Allegro) - Var. 5 (Moderato - Pas de Deux Hungarian Dance (Csárdás) Russian Dance Spanish Dance Neapolitan Dance Mazurka Scene (No. 24) (Allegro - Valse - Allegro vivo) Entracte (No. 25) Scene (No. 26) (Allegro ma non troppo) Dances of the Little Swans (No. 27) (Moderato) Scene (No. 28) (Allegro agitato) Final Scene (Andante - Allegro agitato - Alla breve) Conclusion: Opinions, Feelings and Emotions (Cummings, par. 5) 3 Conclusion: Opinions, Feelings and Emotions From the beginning of the ballet, I was swept away by the beauty of the scenery and the music. I felt that I was in for a treat. I must say that I do not enjoy ballet and I was ready not to enjoy this one. Instead, I found that I was immediately brought into the fantasy of the moment. I did some research on Swan Lake prior to seeing it, so I knew the general story line. The story was not a new one but the way it was expressed was what made the difference. The overture set the mood for the ballet to begin. It was light and airy and the music set the stage for a celebration. I realized that the music was familiar and that I would have heard aspects of this music in movies, but I did not know that what I was hearing in these movies was from Swan Lake. The music for the ball was wonderful. The mixture of strings, horn and percussion made me want to join the ball. One could distinctly hear the differences between the Allegro giusto of the first scene and the waltz of the second, but the dancers and the musicians gave these scenes seamless changes. The costumes were beautiful and the dancing superb. This made the story very easy to follow. The costumes also made it very easy to tell which character was which, since there was no dialogue to follow. As an example, there was no mixing the characters of the court jester or the queen, because their costumes identified each character and their role. The majesty of the dancing provided the audience with constant information. I felt many emotions while watching the ballet. I felt the jubilance of the celebration, the sadness of the Prince (especially when he decides to commit suicide in the end), the love between the Prince and the Swan Princess. The music made it more poignant because it helped the audience feel the experience. I mentioned scenery earlier, but there was very little scenery. The lack of scenery and sets allowed the audience to rely on the dancers to tell the story. The dancers and the music completed a strong understanding of the story and the sequences. In other words, the audience was never lost. Swan Lake is a very interesting tale with phenomenal dancing and beautiful music. There are no surprises in it, because it was a story that has been told many times. Understanding the history of the ballet and gaining insight into the mind of Tchaikovsky added a deeper level to watching the ballet. Although I do not like ballet, I found this one to be intriguing. The various ways that the music was used provided a richer understanding of the story line. Works Cited Cummings, Robert. Swan Lake, Ballet, Op. 20. Description. Allmusic.com, 2012. Web. 24 September 2012.< http://www.allmusic.com/composition/the-swan-lake-ballet-op-20-mc0002371487> DiSilvio, Rich. “Peter Tchaikovsky”. n.d. Web. 22 September 2012. Encyclopedia of World Biography. “Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky Biography”. 2003. Web. 24 September 2012.< http://www.notablebiographies.com/St-Tr/Tchaikovsky-Peter-Ilyich.html> Green, Aaron. “A Synopsis of Swan Lake Acts I and II. About.com, 2012. Web. 22 September 2012. Green, Aaron. “Swan Lake – The History of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.” About.com. 2012. Web. 22 September 2012. “History of Ballet.” Dancing Online, History of Ballet. n.d. Web. 23 September 2012. “Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)”. Classical Net. 2012. Web. 24 September 2012. “Piotr Illyich Tchaikovsky”. Red Balloon Technology, 8Notes. 2012. Web. 24 September 2012. Sebastian. “Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake: The Beautiful Ballet & Suite”. Favorite Classical Composers, 2012. Web. 22 September 2012. “Swan Lake Suite”. Classical Cat. 2011. Web. 24 September 2012. Read More