Ballet in four acts by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Libretto by Vladimir Begichev and Vasily Geltzer

Choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov

First performance - 1877, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow
First performance in Bulgaria - 5 February 1937, Sofia Opera and Ballet

First performance in Ruse - 19 January 1961 with original choreography by Assen Manolov, Conductor - Hristo Stanishev, Artists - Ion Ipser and Lidia Jovanescu. In this production, the role of Odette is performed by Irina Stoyanova and that of Odilia by Emilia Andonova.

Main characters

Odette / Odile
Prince Siegfried
Von Rothbart
Queen
Jester
Pas-de-trois
Small swans
Big swans

Short synopsis

First act
In the Royal Palace
In the royal palace, preparations are underway for the celebrations marking the coming of age of the heir to the throne, Prince Siegfried. He and his entourage of friends enjoy a carefree dance with cheerful village girls. The lively dances of the Jester alternate with the graceful dances of the girls and their gentlemen. The Queen gifts her son a crossbow. She disapproves of his carefree life and has already organized a ball for the next day, where he must choose a wife. The young men disperse. Siegfried sees in his dreams the image of a girl he could fall in love with. The Jester pulls him out of his daydream by showing him a flock of flying swans. Siegfried sets off to hunt.

Second act
Lake in the forest
On the shore of a deep lake, the dark ruins of an ancient castle rise. At midnight, when everything around is still in a deep sleep, white swans glide across the lake. Siegfried appears, drawn by the sight of a beautiful swan bathed in moonlight. He takes aim, but hesitates before releasing his arrow, struck by the sudden transformation of the swan into Princess Odette. The swan maidens surround Siegfried. Odette tells him the sad story of their swan flock. She and her companions were transformed into swans by the evil sorcerer Rothbart. They can regain their human form only at night by the lake, which is filled with the sorrowful tears of their parents. Only the power of true love can break the spell. This will happen when someone who has never loved and never given a vow swears eternal fidelity to Odette. The evil sorcerer, who lives in the castle ruins, overhears Odette and Siegfried’s conversation. Rothbart suddenly appears, and the prince attempts to kill him. Odette stops him, as the sorcerer's death would make his magic eternal. Rothbart escapes, and Siegfried remains in an intoxicating dance with Odette until the end of the night. The lovestruck prince swears his eternal loyalty to her and promises to announce their engagement the next day during the palace ball. As dawn breaks, the maidens transform back into swans. Confident in the strength of his feelings, Siegfried returns to the castle.

Third act
Ballroom in the palace
In the hall, filled with guests, the ball begins, where Prince Siegfried must choose his bride. Six princesses are ceremoniously introduced. Festive fanfares announce the appearance of the evil sorcerer Rothbart. He presents his daughter, Odilia, who strikingly resembles Odette. Siegfried decides that this is his chosen bride, Odette, the swan maiden. The princesses dance, and the lovestruck Siegfried cannot take his eyes off Odilia. The evil sorcerer has ordered Odilia to charm Siegfried and extract a love confession from him. Captivated by Odilia, the prince does not notice the swans flying past. He informs his mother that he has decided to marry Rothbart’s daughter. The vow is broken, and Odette and her companions will perish. Unexpectedly, Odette herself appears at the window and tries to warn her beloved about the deceptive illusion he has fallen into. Her efforts are in vain. Odette is heartbroken, and Rothbart rejoices. The prince realizes his mistake, but it is too late – the magic can no longer be undone, and Odette will remain a swan forever. Grief-stricken, Siegfried leaves the ballroom and rushes to the lake, desperately searching for his beloved.

Fourth act
By the swan lake
A dark night on the shore of the Swan Lake. Odette mourns the involuntary betrayal by Siegfried. Her friends try to comfort her. She is ready to accept her fate. Siegfried approaches and asks for her forgiveness. Odette forgives him, and together they reaffirm their love for each other. The angry Rothbart appears and demands that the prince fulfill his promise and marry Odilia. The evil sorcerer fiercely calls upon the forces of nature to strike down the lovers. But nothing can break their love or separate them. Feeling his power slipping away, Rothbart destroys his castle to block the lovers' path. In a duel with Siegfried, the sorcerer perishes. Odette and Siegfried, surrounded by the swan maidens, face the first rays of the rising sun.

History of creation

The ballet "Swan Lake" was performed for the first time on February 20, 1877, at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. The choreographer was Vaclav Reisinger (1828-1892).
In Bulgaria, the ballet "Swan Lake" was first performed on February 5, 1937, at the Sofia Opera.
The first performance of "Swan Lake" in Ruse was on January 19, 1961, with the original choreography by Asen Manolov and conductor Hristo Stanishev. The artists were Ion Ipser and Lidia Jovanescu. In this production, the role of Odette was performed by Irina Stoyanova, and the role of Odilia by Emiliya Andonova.
The next production on the Ruse stage was by Kalina Bogeva, based on the choreography of Marius Petipa, with its premiere on December 7, 2008. The set designer for this production was Boris Stoynov, and the costume designer was Tsvetanka Petkova-Stoynova.
The production by Rumen Rashev is the third consecutive performance of "Swan Lake" on the stage of the Ruse Opera. Its premiere took place on April 13, 2018. In both productions, the roles of Odette and Odilia were portrayed by the prima ballerina of the Ruse Opera, Vesela Vasileva.

It is generally accepted that the authors of the libretto for "Swan Lake" are the playwright Vladimir Begichev (1828-1891) – director of the Imperial Theatres of Russia between 1864 and 1881, and the premier soloist Vasily Gelzer (1841-1909), although their names are absent from the first poster of the ballet. Gelzer continued to have a creative connection with Tchaikovsky. He was the choreographer for the premiere production of "Eugene Onegin" in 1879.

"Swan Lake" is the first ballet composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893). The composer viewed the work as a creative experiment. In a letter dated September 10, 1875, Tchaikovsky shared with composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: "I agreed to write the music for the ballet 'Swan Lake' partly for the money, which I need, and partly because I have long wanted to try my hand at this musical form." The composer worked on this idea for three years – from 1875 to 1876 – and the ballet premiered under the title "Swan Lake." The main character of the fairy-tale story is Odette, a princess turned into a swan.

Tchaikovsky had earlier experience in creating a ballet titled "Cendrillon" (Cinderella), which remained unfinished. Later, the composer completed another one-act ballet titled "Swan Lake," based on the Russian fairy tale "The Swan Maiden," which was presented as a private performance in 1871. The choice of plot was inspired by the mystical and eerie fairy tales from Russian folklore about beautiful girls enchanted and turned into birds. However, the basis of the plot of "Swan Lake" is not only rooted in ancient Russian legends but also incorporates elements from Western European myths and legends.

The first performance of "Swan Lake" in 1877 was a failure due to the choreographic choices of Václav Reisinger, the ballet's first choreographer, which were considered outside the aesthetics of classical ballet. The creative ideas of Tchaikovsky, who passionately sought unity between choreography and music, were also undermined. Today, it seems incredible that this failure at the time convinced both the audience and critics that Tchaikovsky could not be a ballet composer. The symphonic unity characteristic of his compositional style was not perceived as suitable for the ballet art form. As a result, Tchaikovsky's work only found recognition after his death.

Almost two decades after the first performance, the management of the Mariinsky Theatre decided to stage "Swan Lake" once again, this time under the direction of the theatre's chief choreographer Marius Petipa (1818-1910) in collaboration with his second choreographer Lev Ivanov (1834-1901). The premiere took place on January 15, 1895. In this production, Petipa choreographed the First and Third Acts, while Ivanov choreographed the Second Act. The Fourth Act was jointly choreographed by both. Several changes to the ballet's plot were made by Modest Tchaikovsky, the composer’s brother. It is in this joint production of Petipa and Ivanov that the classical version of the "Swan Lake" choreography was born. Through this version, it became the model for classical ballet works in the world of ballet art that we know today.

The ballet "Swan Lake," with the powerful artistic means of music and dance, paints the picture of an eternal love story. It incorporates elements of the fairy tale that captivates and enchants every person from childhood onward. It contains magic, tragic drama, romance, and the triumph of love, virtues, and beauty.