"If this was the only Swan Lake in a collection, it would be justified.”
Swan Lake 1976 - Ballet in 4 acts - Running time: 2:23:14
Music by: P. I. Tchaikovsky Libretto: Vladimir Begichev & Vasily Geltser Choreography: Marius Petipa
& Lev Ivanov Director: Yuri Grigorovich Production designer: Simon Virsaladze Conductor: Algis Zhuraitis
Performers: Odette / Odile Maya Plisetskaya Prince Siegfried Alexander Bogatirev Von Rothbart: Boris Efimov
Jester: Vladimir Abrosimov Brides: Galina Pritvorina, Tatiana Gavrilova, Galina Teselkina, Galina Kozlova
& Irina Vozianova Three Swans: M. Karnauhova, T. Kuzmitcheva & M. Kruchkova
Four Swans: O. Golova, T. Negrebetskaya, T. Popko & E. Popandopulo
Waltz: E. Bobrova, K. Riabinkina, A. Fedorova & E. Cherkasskaya
Members of the Bolshoi Ballet, Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre
Yuri Grigorovich
Director
Russian dancer, choreographer and director who dominated the Russian ballet for 30 years. Grigorovich was born into a family connected with the Imperial Russian Ballet.
Grigorovich was artistic director of the Bolshoi ballet from 1964 - 1995.
Maya Plisetskaya
Prima Ballerina
Born 20 November 1925) is a Russian ballet dancer, choreographer, ballet director, and actress, and is considered one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century. She danced during the Soviet era at the same time as the great Galina Ulanova, and in 1960 took over Ulanova's title as prima ballerina assoluta of the Bolshoi.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Composer
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, was a Russian composer of the romantic period, whose works are among the most popular music in the classical repertoire. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally, bolstered by his appearances as a guest conductor in Europe and the United States.
No ballet has such deathless appeal as Swan Lake, a haunting fable of a young man’s naivety and a beautiful girl’s entrapment in swan’s feathers, all swept up in Tchaikovsky’s emotional music. Prince Siegfried, celebrating his birthday, is told by his mother the Queen that he must marry. He runs to the lake unhappily to hunt swans, but they turn into girls, led by Odette, a wonderful Swan Queen. The Evil Genius, a powerful sorcerer, has trapped them in a spell. Siegfried swears to release Odette by his love.
Back at court, princesses are paraded for an unwilling Siegfried to choose from. Suddenly the Evil Genius arrives with a captivating princess, Odile, whose resemblance to Odette completely fools the prince. By the lake, Odette grieves over her betrayal.
Siegfried runs to her begging forgiveness, but the Evil Genius summons an apocalyptic storm around them, and Odette slips out of the remorseful Siegfried’s grasp.
The Bolshoi prima ballerina Maya Plisetskaya became a world legend in the iconic dual role of Odette/Odile, and her unique strength and dramatic charisma are captured in this digitally restored and remastered 1976 film recording of a historic Bolshoi performance marking the centenary of the first ballet made on Tchaikovsky’s score. With Alexander Bogatyrev as Siegfried and Algis Zhyuraytis conducting the unforgettable score, this is an atmospheric record of Yuri Grigorovich’s intense production.
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