On December 14, 2024 Swan Lake returns to the stage of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. This ballet classic par excellence uses the means of classical dance to tell the story of Prince Siegfried and his love for the enchanted Princess Odette, who is trapped in swan form. Patrice Bart’s celebrated version retains the large-scale swan imagery and adds a psychological interpretation of the characters.
Image above: Polina Semionova in Schwanensee, photo: Carlos Quezada.
Swan Lake, one of the most famous works of classical ballet, tells the tragic love story between Prince Siegfried and Princess Odette, who has been transformed into a swan. The piece shows Odette as a creature between human and animal, who is both a figure of longing for the prince and a symbol of his inner struggles. In Patrice Bart’s version, a darker component takes centre stage: Siegfried’s mother is a manipulative figure who uses her influence to control the lives of her son and those around him. Supported by Prime Minister Rotbart and influenced by Benno, Siegfried’s friend, a story full of betrayal and intrigue unfolds.
Patrice Bart anchors the plot in an atmosphere reminiscent of the Russian tsarist empire at the time of the Romanovs. This interpretation is characterised by a mixture of cool emotionality and a decadent lifestyle, creating an oppressive mood of imminent decline. For the prince, the world of swans becomes a place of refuge and consolation. The swans embody not only elegance and grace, but also an unearthly beauty, which is impressively portrayed in the ballet’s large-scale swan scenes. The choreography of these images is inspired by the birds’ natural flight formations and emphasises their simultaneously archaic and unreal presence.
Another centrepiece of Swan Lake is the music by Peter I. Tchaikovsky, which musically underlines the dramatic contrasts of the plot. Tchaikovsky’s composition expresses the longing between Siegfried and Odette just as vividly as the deceptive splendour of the ball scenes. Odile, Odette’s deceptive doppelganger, comes to the fore here and leads the prince into a tragic trap with her art of seduction.
The current production will be performed on the stage of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and accompanied by the Staatskapelle Berlin. This return to the Berlin stage continues the tradition of a work that has become famous worldwide as the epitome of classical ballet.
Iana Salenko will dance as Odette/Odile, with Kalle Wigle making his debut as Prince Siegfried, and Haruka Sassa making her debut as the Queen on December 14, 26, and 28.
On December 19 and 30, Polina Semionova will perform as Odette/Odile, accompanied by Martin ten Kortenaar making his debut as Prince Siegfried and Weronika Frodyma making her debut as the Queen.
WHEN?
Swan Lake
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Thursday, December 26, 2024
Saturday, December 28, 2024
Monday, December 30, 2024
WHERE?
Staatsoper Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden 7
10117 Berlin
