Vello Pähn

In this narrative ballet, John Neumeier links the myth of the swan prince Siegfried with the tragic life story of Ludwig II, King of Bavaria, who fell into madness, and contrasts his own creations with the old original choreography by Ivanov and Petipa from 1895. Recorded at the Hamburg State Opera in May 2001.

During his birthday’s celebration, Prince Siegfried must choose a bride. Trying to escape reality, he dreams of a perfect love. His tutor tries to bring him down to Earth and reminds him of his duties. On a dreamlike getaway, the prince meets Odette, a princess who has been transformed into a swan by the powerful sorcerer Rothbart. Only true love can break the spell. Captivated, Siegfried promises Odette to save her and invites her to his party. To trap the prince, the sorcerer sends his daughter Odile, disguised as Odette, to seduce him.

At her christening, Princess Aurora is granted all perfections and qualities by her godmothers. The old Fairy Carabosse, who was forgotten as guest to the festivities, casts a terrible spell: Aurore will prick her finger with a spindle and die. Fortunately, the Lilac Fairy lessens the curse. Instead of dying, the Princess will fall into a long, deep sleep that will last a hundred years.

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Swan Lake returns to the stage of the Opéra national de Paris with Prima Ballerina Amandine Albisson in the role of Odette/Odile. Prince Siegfried and Rothbart are gracefully brought to life by Mathieu Ganio and François Alu. A ballet in four acts based on the libretto by Vladimir Begichev and Vassili Gueltzer.

No description available.

Prince Siegfried is celebrating his coming of age. The Queen Mother informs him that, the following day, during the grand ball held to mark his birthday, he must choose a future wife. Displeased at not being able to choose her out of love, he goes into the forest during the night. It is then that he spots a flock of swans. He raises his crossbow, prepares to shoot, but stops immediately: before him stands a beautiful woman dressed in white swan feathers, followed by twelve other women dressed in the same way, four of whom are nicknamed ‘little swans’. ‘Swan Lake’ is a ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, comprising four acts and four scenes, or three acts and four scenes. The staging is based on a libretto by Vladimir Begichev and Vasili Geltser. The story is an ancient German legend recounting the tale of the beautiful Princess Odette, transformed into a swan by the curse of the evil sorcerer Rothbart. Recorded live at the Palais Garnier, Paris, on 17 December 2005.

King Florestan XIV invites all the fairies in the kingdom to the christening of his daughter Aurora. As they bestow beauty, generosity, and grace upon the princess, they are interrupted by the arrival of the horrible fairy Carabosse, who, furious at not having been invited to the festivities, casts a curse on Princess Aurora: on her 16th birthday, she will prick her finger and die. Recorded on April 7 and 10, 2025, at the Opéra Bastille in Paris's 12th arrondissement.