swan lake research
The Secret meanings of Swan Lake - a short documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e8hjQeBC-8
The acts are broken up into the ethereal plane and the material plane
- The colourful first act represents earthly plane, mixture of ppl n characters, setting up of story
- The colourful first act represents earthly plane, mixture of ppl n characters, setting up of story
- act 2. change of mood opens up on lake and opens in monochrome.
degree of detachment. stepping into world of fantasy
Vairagya - yoga term
meaning disinterestedness or detachment. to live ones life without getting caught up in ones thoughts or actions. literal translation is 'without colour'
meaning disinterestedness or detachment. to live ones life without getting caught up in ones thoughts or actions. literal translation is 'without colour'
ACT 3 - back to earthly existence, back in the material plane again.
ACT 4 - return to monochrome of the lake. release self from her enchantment. the spell is BROKEN , she jumps into the lake.
act 1 - material plane
act 2 - ethereal plane , white act
act 3 - material plane - back in the court
Act 4 - ethereal plane - back at the lake
act 2 - ethereal plane , white act
act 3 - material plane - back in the court
Act 4 - ethereal plane - back at the lake
What is the meaning of the lake??
water, energy in motion. bodies of water made of tears appears in myths n legends.
Arising out the lake arises the godess embodying feminie qualities such as passion n creativity.
water, energy in motion. bodies of water made of tears appears in myths n legends.
Arising out the lake arises the godess embodying feminie qualities such as passion n creativity.
lake is made of her mother's tears..
CAn also be seen as a mirror - reflection, mysterious unknown depths/
CAn also be seen as a mirror - reflection, mysterious unknown depths/
Act2 lake is calm n moon is reflected.
Act 4 the lake is disturbed. impending doooooom
Act 4 the lake is disturbed. impending doooooom
THE MOON in the lake --
illuminates the scene. cold white light. full moon. transformation, cycles.
illuminates the scene. cold white light. full moon. transformation, cycles.
infinity n eternity.
the straight lines of dancers moving together into the shadows. giving a vanishing perspective.
Siegfried. first appears in act one. goes hunting swans at the beginning. isnt rlly loking for swans hes looking for himself, about to shoot a swan, the swan turns into odette.
journey of the hero.
white swan vs black swan
odette is soulamte and the soul. white swan.
the black swan represetns sensuality, power, illusion of the material world and all its temptations n pleasures.
odette is soulamte and the soul. white swan.
the black swan represetns sensuality, power, illusion of the material world and all its temptations n pleasures.
in act 4 monochrome of the lake, odette sacrifices herself n jumps into lake.
The music of swan lake
thoughts: music as a dance vs as a soundtrack??
Like theyre dancing, but theres a lot of exaggerated movements. Line between dance n movement??? performance art?
Thinking about music used to fill space too???? Eg: music for mall playlists? and music for silent films.... Music made to fill a 'gap'.
commercial music, royalty free music?
commercial music, royalty free music?
swan theme -- tension builds its rumble-y , deeper notes add gradiosity. higher pitch ones are lighter.
pensive, wonderous.
"The stirring Tchaikovsky score. Swan Lake was Tchaikovsky’s first ballet. By creating a score that was more like a symphonic work, he radically raised the bar for ballet music. But, at the time of its 1877 premiere, Tchaikovsky didn’t realize he’d written a masterpiece. Among the score’s stirring sections is the famous Swan Theme, which begins with quiet string tremolos and harp arpeggios announcing the lyrical oboe solo. The theme builds a sense of romance, wistfulness and mystery, hinting at the aura of tragedy that surrounds Odette. As the music crescendos, and the brass take up Odette’s theme with drama and intensity, it never fails to give us goosebumps."
ballet music was written to a brief.
todays parallel being film music or advertising jingles - they need to be a certain length, mood, rhythmic pattern.
choregrapher/ballet masters would write a scenario and dance lengths/solos etc. every detail was laid out n composers had to write to that detail.
choregrapher/ballet masters would write a scenario and dance lengths/solos etc. every detail was laid out n composers had to write to that detail.
music had to be coherent and flexible and join together.
Tchaikovsky---
had never written a ballet before up to swan lake. thru his understanding of symphonic music and orchestras and colour brought to ballet.
incidental music
used every musical device possible.
the keys, harmonies, composition devices possible to show emotion n psycology of character.
Tchaikovsky---
had never written a ballet before up to swan lake. thru his understanding of symphonic music and orchestras and colour brought to ballet.
incidental music
used every musical device possible.
the keys, harmonies, composition devices possible to show emotion n psycology of character.
"before setting to work, Tchaikovsky studied the music of ‘specialist’ ballet composers like Cesare Pugni (1802-70) and Ludwig Minkus (1826-1917) whose light, rhythmic, melodious but vapid works were in great demand. The two composers whose ballet music he most admired were French: Adolphe Adam and Leo Delibes. Adam’s 1844 Giselle, still one of the most celebrated in the repertoire, was Tchaikovsky’s favourite ballet. Adam uses leitmotifs – the technique that associates certain musical themes with particular characters and emotions, a device that Tchaikovsky adopted for Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty. As for Delibes, Tchaikovsky later wrote to his protégé the composer Sergei Taneyev that he “listened to the Delibes ballet Sylvia… what charm, what elegance, what wealth of melody, rhythm and harmony. I was ashamed, for if I had known of this music then, I would not have written Swan Lake.”
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