Tchaikovsky
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TH 209

Cinderella

Сандрильона

Projected ballet in 4 acts (1870).

• An unrealised project dating from autumn 1870.
• Libretto by Karl Valts (?), based on a traditional fairy tale.

History

The idea for the ballet Cinderella dates from the autumn of 1870. "Just imagine", the composer wrote to Modest Tchaikovsky on 5/17 October 1870, "that I've undeertaken to write the music for a ballet Cinderella, and that this vast four-act score must be ready by the middle of December!" [O.S.] [1]. The same information was conveyed in a letter to Anatolii Tchaikovsky, in which the compser added: "... since I have concluded an agreement, I can't go back on my word, although there are only two months remaining, and I've only just started" [2].

Whether the composer failed to carry out the work because of the extremely limited time period allowed, or because of a change of heart, we cannot be sure. It is only known that a year later, on 4/16 October 1871, the Board of the Imperial Theatres in Moscow planned to stage the ballet The Magic Shoe, or Cinderella, and approached the Lepizig ballet-master Julius Reisinger to do the choreography, "composed to music for this new ballet commissioned from Mr Gerber" [3]. However, Iurii Gerber did not write the music. The music for the ballet in 5 acts and 13 scenes was providd by the German composer Wilhelm Carl Mühldorfer. The author of the libretto was Karl Val'ts. The first production took place on 14/26 December 1871.

Tchaikovsky did not make any further reference to the ballet. No sketches for the ballet have survived.

From: Музыкальное наследие Чайковского (1958), p. 185
English text copyright © 2007 Brett Langston

References:

1. Letter 209 to Modest Tchaikovsky, 5/17 October 1870 [back]
2. Letter 210 to Anatolii Tchaikovsky, (?)5/17 October 1870.[back]
3. State Central Archive for Literature and the Arts (ref. 659, 3, 3065) [back]