Tchaikovsky
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TH 219

Swan Lake

Лебединое озеро

Projected suite from the ballet [Op. 20a] (1882).

1. Scena [Act II, No. 10]
2. Waltz [Act I, No. 2]
3. Dance of the Little Swans [Act III, No. 13, Var. I]
4. Scena [Act II, No. 13, Var. V]
5. Hungarian Dance [Act III, No. 20]
6. Concluding Scena [Act IV, Nos. 28–29]

• Planned September 1882 (unrealized)
• The above suite of six numbers was published after the composer's death as "Op. 20a".
• Scored for Piccolo; 2 Flutes; 2 Oboes; 2 Clarinets (C, B♭, A); 2 Bassoons; 4 Horns (F); 2 Cornets (A, B♭); 2 Trumpets (F, D, E); 3 Trombones; Tuba; Timpani; Triangle; Military Drum; Cymbals; Bass Drum; Tam-tam; Harp; Violins I; Violins II; Violas; Violoncellos; Double Basses.

History

In 1882, with reference with an idea of Tchaikovsky's to make a suite from the ballet Swan Lake, the composer wrote to Petr Jurgenson on 20 September/2 October: "You know that the French composer Delibes has written ballets. Since ballet is a thing without firm foundations, he made a concert suite from it. The other day I thought about my own Swan Lake, and I wanted very much to save this music from oblivion, since it contains some fine things. And so I decided to make a suite from it, like Delibes. In order to do this I need the whole piano score of the ballet as well as the full score. I don’t know whether you yourself have the full score; if not, and if it proves difficult to extract it from the theatre, just send me the arrangement for the time being, and afterwards I shall indicate to you which numbers and in which order they will be listed. And then, if you wish, this suite could be published in the form of a full score and arrangement for piano duet. Write and tell me what you think about this" [1]. In a letter of 26 September/8 October, Petr Jurgenson agreed to publish the suite, and sent Tchaikovsky the full score and piano score of the ballet [2].

No subsequent references to a suite from the ballet have survived in the composer's correspondence. However, a suite from Swan Lake for large symphony orchestra was published by Petr Jurgenson in November 1900, as "Op. 20a". This suite also appeared in January the following year in an arrangement for solo piano by Eduard Langer. The suite comprised: Scena (opening of Act II, No. 10); Valse in A major (Act I, No. 2); Dance of the Little Swans (Act II, No. 13, Var. I); Scena (Act II, No. 13, Var. V); Hungarian Dance (Act III, No. 20); Concluding Scena (Act IV, Nos. 28 & 29). It is not known who selected these numbers for the suite.

From: Музыкальное наследие Чайковского (1958), p. 160
English text copyright © 2006 Brett Langston

References:

1. Letter 2113 to Petr Jurgenson, 20 September/2 October 1882 [back]
2. Letter from Petr Jurgenson to Tchaikovsky, 26 September/8 October 1882 — Klin House-Museum Archive [back]