19 min
To The Pointe: Swan Lake San Francisco Ballet - To The Pointe
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- Performing Arts
Swan Lake may be the most iconic ballet in history. But despite its success today, the creation of Swan Lake in 19th-century Russia was far from smooth-sailing. For one, Tchaikovsky bristled at the idea of being labeled a “ballet specialist” like Ludwig Minkus, who would compose bars of music to spec: 8 bars of “happy” music for an entrance, or 16 bars of “dramatic” music for a finale, depending on the choreographer’s needs. Plus, the premiere of the ballet in Moscow was deemed a critical failure. Among all the challenges associated with its debut, how did this ballet find its wings and soar to success?
Swan Lake may be the most iconic ballet in history. But despite its success today, the creation of Swan Lake in 19th-century Russia was far from smooth-sailing. For one, Tchaikovsky bristled at the idea of being labeled a “ballet specialist” like Ludwig Minkus, who would compose bars of music to spec: 8 bars of “happy” music for an entrance, or 16 bars of “dramatic” music for a finale, depending on the choreographer’s needs. Plus, the premiere of the ballet in Moscow was deemed a critical failure. Among all the challenges associated with its debut, how did this ballet find its wings and soar to success?
19 min