show category: ballet

Ballet in four acts on a libretto by Vladimir Beghicev and Vasili Geltzer

Despite his contemporaries’ fears that Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s (1840 – 1893) penchant for ballet would considerably affect his symphony-writer reputation, it was precisely his symphonic talent that mainly helped the composer promote the genre, once music was upgraded from mere support of choreography to an expressive component of the utmost importance in conveying the artistic message.

People say some encounters were written in the stars – such is believed to have been the meeting of composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa – world-known French dancer and choreographer who led for several decades the ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre – and Lev Ivanov – his assistant. The historical moment when the three paths crossed resulted in the magic of three masterpieces that would become legendary: Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker.

Tchaikovsky composed the first ballet, Swan Lake, during 1875 – 1876, based on a libretto by Vladimir Beghicev and Vasili Geltzer, conveying the topic of the good and the true love that defeats evil, centered around the “swan-girl”, a symbol of purity and feminity, and her lover Siegfried, whose honest love succeeds in breaking the spell that has been holding her captive.

Since the works’ first opening at the Bolshoi Theatre in 1877 was met with skepticism by the public, Tchaikovsky spent his last years of life without guessing the amount of success Swan Lake would enjoy after the composer’s death, on its absolute premiere from 15 January 1895, in Marius Petipa’s (acts I and III) and Lev Ivanov’s (acts II and IV) choreography.

The premiere of the current production, directed by Vasile Solomon, and faithful to the original classical character, took place on the stage of the Romanian National Opera of Cluj-Napoca on 10 February 2016, just a few months after the success of the performance on the territory of China, during the tour of the Ballet Ensemble of the Romanian National Opera (September-October 2015). The same choreographic production was presented by the artists of the Cluj Opera, in the national premiere, during an exceptional event that took place on a stage specially arranged on the Chios Lake from the Central Park of Cluj-Napoca, where the swans’ slide took a unique shape.

Recommended age: 5+

The show has three intermissions and ends around 2.00 pm.