Swan Lake 7+ Theatre Written by Jiří Zahrádka & Illustrated by Alexandra Hetmerová Inside Get to Know the History and the Present of Ballet

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Age i want to understand ballet 3D Swan Lake 7+ theatre Written by Jiří Zahrádka & Illustrated by Alexandra Hetmerová inside Get to know the history and the present of ballet

Would you like to go to see a ballet but you’re afraid that you won’t understand the story? Or are you a big fan of ballet who wants to learn more about your favourite ballets? Then this book is just what you’re looking for. Swan Lake is a wonderfully i want to understand ballet illustrated folding book. On one side you can read a fairy tale; on the other, you can learn Swan Lake a lot of interesting things about the history Written by Jiří Zahrádka & Illustrated by Alexandra Hetmerová and the present of ballet. Written by Jiří by Written Alexandra Zahrádka & Illustrated by Hetmerová

Both-sided concertina Let yourself book be impressed by the 3D theatre

Read a fairy tale and discover the rich world of ballet’s backstage

WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD www.b4upublishing.com – Small parts. Not suitable for children under 36 months. © Designed by B4U Publishing / Albatros Media Group, 2015.

b4u publishing Swan Lake

note: When you come across the opera glasses symbol, turn to contents 00 for the scene in which the action described takes place.

Once upon a time there was at its height, the queen took Siegfried to one side. “My dear a wise queen who had one son, Siegfried. It was her wish son,” she said to him. “My time is drawing near, and I wish that one day he would succeed to her throne and be a just to hand my kingdom to you. But how can I do so? You ruler. However, Siegfried had no thoughts of kingship, think only of amusement. You have no wish to learn or any as he preferred to spend his time at parties, taking rides interest in royal duties! I have decided to hold a ball into the forest and hunting game. Why should he bother tomorrow, to which I will invite princesses from near and far. with learning and preparing for his duties as monarch? You will choose one of these and marry her!” When the prince turned eighteen, a magnificent birthday party was held in the grounds of the castle. The tables The queen’s words ruined the prince’s mood. The party buckled under the weight of all the choice delicacies, and came to an end and the guests dispersed, leaving the prince the best wines overflowed from the goblets. Everyone alone in the grounds, wondering sorrowfully how he could danced and made merry. When the entertainment was get out of this wedding pickle.

1 As the sun set, the prince looked towards the horizon and saw a flock of white swans flying into the deep forest beyond the royal palace. The prince hurried to summon his faithful friend, who accompanied him on most of his hunting trips. “Quickly, Benno! Come and look at this!” “The night is young and perfect for the hunt!” exclaimed Benno. “Let’s go after them!” Prince Siegfried, Benno and the master of the royal hunt grabbed their crossbows, mounted their horses and disappeared into the forest. Evening fell.

2 Soon Siegfried was so wrapped splendid creatures! They had elegant bodies, sleek white up in the chase that he found he had left his companions feathers, long, slender necks and eyes that were at once far behind. He climbed down from his horse and beautiful and filled with sorrow... The most beautiful swan struggled through the dense woodland until he reached had a golden crown on its head and swam surrounded the shore of a mysterious, moonlit lake. “How can by its companions. The prince was entranced. “The most it be that I have never been here before?” he wondered. beautiful swan with the crown – I must catch it!” He lifted Then he saw that the flock of swans had settled on the his crossbow and aimed... surface of the lake. Never in his life had he seen such

3 APOTHEOSIS SUCCESS AT LAST – elevation, acceptance among the gods

In 1895 a new production of Swan that protects her against the evil sorcerer von Rothbart. Lake was staged at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg. The sorcerer unleashes a storm which causes the prince Unfortunately Tchaikovsky did not live to see its success: to drown in the lake; Odette dies and the swans – Odette’s he had died unexpectedly in 1893. Three years before the companions – remain swans forever. The revised ending composer’s death the director of the St Petersburg theatre of 1895 is not exactly cheerful either: although Siegfried had discussed with him the possibility of his reworking defeats von Rothbart, Odette plunges to the depths of the the entire ballet, but this had not come to pass; the score lake and the prince leaps after her. In the apotheosis, was revised by conductor Riccardo Drigo. The ballet was however, the pair ascend to heaven, von Rothbart’s spell rechoreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, some is broken and the swan maidens are saved. of whose dance passages have been preserved and are still performed in most productions. Changes were also made The 1895 version was premiered on 27 January, and it was to the storyline, which was revised by the composer’s brother a huge success. This was also due to the prima ballerina, Modest Tchaikovsky. In the original version of 1877, at the who, in the role of Odile, performed an unprecedented end of the story Odette does not forgive the prince for his 32 fouettés (spins on one foot). betrayal and he snatches from her head the golden crown

12 WHOM THE DANCERS PLAY

Odile Odette – daughter of the sorcerer – princess turned into a swan von Rothbart, enchanted by the evil sorcerer von by von Rothbart so as to Rothbart; at night she takes look like Odette. Usually on her human form. Odette the roles of Odette and is one of the most significant Odile are taken by the dancer’s roles in classical same ballerina. While ballet. The prima ballerina innocent Odette wears playing Odette typically white, Odile has a black wears a beautiful white costume, which is why she costume including a tutu, is sometimes known as the a feather headdress and Black Swan. Yet Odile has a crown. been wearing black only since the 1940s.

Von Rothbart – sorcerer who is the instigator of all evil in Swan Lake. Odette’s mother rejected his love, for which he took his revenge Siegfried by kidnapping and casting – young prince who at the an evil spell on her daughter. beginning of the story He transforms himself into thinks only of hunting and a terrifying giant owl. amusement; this changes when he falls in love with Odette. Siegfried is the main male role in Swan Lake.

16 Age i want to understand ballet 3D Swan Lake 7+ theatre Written by Jiří Zahrádka & Illustrated by Alexandra Hetmerová inside Get to know the history and the present of ballet

Both-sided concertina Let yourself book be impressed by the 3D theatre

Read a fairy tale and discover the rich world of ballet’s backstage

WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD www.b4upublishing.com – Small parts. Not suitable for children under 36 months. © Designed by B4U Publishing / Albatros Media Group, 2015.

b4u publishing