Gina Johnson
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet 'Sleeping Beauty' premiered in 1890 at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg. It was his second ballet and is his longest, lasting nearly three hours without intervals. The music for the ballet was composed by Tchaikovsky, who worked closely with the choreographer Marius Petipa. The ballet is based on Charles Perrault's 'La Belle au bois dormant' via a version by the Brothers Grimm. Tchaikovsky's score for 'Sleeping Beauty' revolutionised ballet music, and the composer himself considered it to be among his best works.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ballet Score Composer | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky |
| Ballet Score Number | Second of three |
| Ballet Name | The Sleeping Beauty |
| Ballet Type | Fairy Tale Ballet |
| Ballet Basis | Charles Perrault's fairy tale |
| Ballet Basis (Other) | Brothers Grimm's version of Perrault's 'Dornröschen' |
| Ballet Premiere | 15 January 1890 |
| Theatre | Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg |
| Conductor | Riccardo Drigo |
| Ballet Acts | 3 |
| Ballet Length | 160 minutes (nearly 3 hours without intervals) |
| Orchestra Composition | Piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets (in A, B-flat), 2 bassoons + 4 horns (in F), 2 cornets (in A, B-flat), 2 trumpets (in A, B-flat), 3 trombones, tuba + 4 timpani, triangle, tambourine, military drum, cymbals, bass drum, tam tam, glockenspiel + piano + harp, violins I, violins II, violas, cellos, and double basses |
| Choreography | Marius Petipa |
| Set Designers | Henrich Levogt (Prologue), Ivan Andreyev (Act 1), Mikhail Bocharov (Acts 1 & 2), Matvey Shishkov (Act 3) |
| Director of Imperial Theatres | Ivan Vsevolozhsky |
| Original Cast | Feliks Krzesiński (King Florestan), Giuseppina Cecchetti (Queen), Carlotta Brianza (Princess Aurora), Marie Petipa (Lilac Fairy), Enrico Cecchetti (Carabosse, Bluebird), Pavel Gerdt (Prince Désiré), Varvara Nikitina |
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What You'll Learn
The ballet's premiere and reception
The Sleeping Beauty premiered on 16 January 1890 at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. It was Tchaikovsky's second ballet and his longest, lasting nearly four hours at full length, including intermissions. The ballet was based on Charles Perrault's La Belle au bois dormant, via a version by the Brothers Grimm.
The premiere was well-received by the press, who gave it more favourable reviews than Tchaikovsky's first ballet, Swan Lake. At the premiere, Tsar Alexander III summoned Tchaikovsky to the imperial box and remarked, "Very nice". The composer was likely expecting a more enthusiastic response and felt irritated. However, the Tsar immediately paid Tchaikovsky a substantial bonus.
Despite the initial positive reception in Russia, Tchaikovsky did not live to see his work become a success outside his home country. He died in 1893, and by 1903, The Sleeping Beauty had become the second most popular ballet in the repertory of the Imperial Ballet. It finally gained wide acclaim in 1921 when it was performed in London.
The ballet has had a lasting impact, with its score continuing to be heard annually at ballet performances worldwide. It revolutionised ballet music, and after its success, composers began to take ballet more seriously. The Sleeping Beauty has inspired subsequent productions and reconstructions, including the 1999 reconstruction of the original 1890 production by the Mariinsky Ballet, which included reproductions of the original sets and costumes.
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Tchaikovsky's composing process
The idea for a ballet based on Charles Perrault's fairy tale was proposed to Tchaikovsky by Ivan Vsevolozhsky, the Director of the Imperial Theatres in St. Petersburg, in May 1888. Tchaikovsky began working on the music around October 1888 and completed the score by August 1889, with minor revisions during stage rehearsals in the last three months of that year. He composed the music for a large orchestra, including piccolo, flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, trombones, tuba, timpani, piano, harp, and a range of string instruments.
Tchaikovsky worked closely with the choreographer Marius Petipa, the ballet master of the Imperial Ballet. Petipa provided Tchaikovsky with detailed instructions and requirements for the music, which Tchaikovsky mostly followed. The composer was inspired by Petipa's suggestions and found that they sparked his imagination. He wrote that the subject of the ballet was "so poetical, it is so suited for music, that in composing it I was utterly absorbed, and wrote with a fervour and passion which always result in work of merit."
Tchaikovsky regarded Sleeping Beauty as one of his finest compositions, and it is considered to have revolutionized ballet music. The ballet received favourable reviews at its premiere in January 1890 and has since become one of the most famous and popular ballets of all time.
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The ballet's characters and their choreography
The Sleeping Beauty is Tchaikovsky's longest ballet, with the full score lasting nearly four hours, including intermissions. The ballet premiered in 1890 at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and was conducted by Riccardo Drigo and choreographed by Marius Petipa, the ballet master of the Imperial Ballet.
The ballet's central characters are the two main conflicting forces of good and evil, represented by the Lilac Fairy and Carabosse, respectively. Each character has their own leitmotif, which runs through the entire ballet, serving as an important thread to the underlying plot. Act III, however, takes a break from these two motifs and instead focuses on the individual characters and their various court dances.
The ballet is based on Charles Perrault's La Belle au bois dormant, via a version by the Brothers Grimm. The story follows Princess Aurora, who, after being cursed by Carabosse, falls into a deep sleep. The Lilac Fairy counteracts the curse, allowing Aurora to be awakened by a prince after 100 years.
The original cast included Feliks Krzesiński as King Florestan, Giuseppina Cecchetti as the Queen, Carlotta Brianza as Princess Aurora, Marie Petipa as the Lilac Fairy, Enrico Cecchetti as Carabosse, and Pavel Gerdt as Prince Désiré.
The choreography by Marius Petipa was carefully crafted to complement Tchaikovsky's score. Petipa provided detailed instructions to Tchaikovsky regarding the musical requirements, and the two worked closely together to ensure the dance events unfolded in harmony with the music.
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The score's legacy and influence
The Sleeping Beauty is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's longest ballet, lasting nearly four hours at full length, including intermissions. The complete score runs for almost three hours and is usually cut. The ballet premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on 15 January 1890. It was Tchaikovsky's second ballet score, based on the fairy tale by Charles Perrault, and it remains one of the most famous ballets of all time.
Tchaikovsky himself considered The Sleeping Beauty to be one of his best works, writing:
> "The music from this ballet will be amongst my best works. The subject is so poetical, it is so suited for music, that in composing it I was utterly absorbed, and wrote with a fervour and passion which always result in work of merit."
Tchaikovsky's opinion of his work was shared by the young artist Léon Bakst, who attended the dress rehearsal of the original production. Bakst would go on to become a set designer for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in Paris.
The ballet's premiere received more favourable reviews than Tchaikovsky's previous ballet, Swan Lake. However, the composer died in 1893, just three years after The Sleeping Beauty's debut, and he never witnessed its success outside of Russia. By 1903, The Sleeping Beauty was the second most popular ballet in the repertory of the Imperial Ballet, having been performed 200 times in ten years.
The Sleeping Beauty was reconstructed in 1999 by the Mariinsky Ballet, including reproductions of the original sets and costumes. This "authentic" version was never commercially released, but it helped to solidify the ballet's place in the classical repertoire.
Tchaikovsky's score for The Sleeping Beauty brought new life, complexity, and rhythmic vitality to the clichés of ballet music, reimagining them with his boundless gift for melody and symphonic techniques. His work on the ballet inspired composers in the early 20th century, such as Stravinsky, Ravel, Prokofiev, and Bartók, to take ballet more seriously and create their own ballet scores.
Today, the score of The Sleeping Beauty is still performed annually at ballets worldwide, and it remains one of the most beloved and influential works in the ballet repertoire.
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The ballet's narrative and inspiration
The Sleeping Beauty is based on Charles Perrault's La Belle au bois dormant, via a version by the Brothers Grimm. The idea for the ballet originated with Ivan Vsevolozhsky, the Director of Imperial Theatres in St. Petersburg, who proposed a ballet based on the story of the mythological water nymph Undine. This idea was eventually abandoned in favour of Perrault's fairy tale.
Vsevolozhsky was eager to produce a ballet that would "live and stay in the repertory to enchant our grandchildren as it enchanted us". He envisioned a production that would bring together Russia's best talent, including the Mariinsky's French balletmaster, Marius Petipa.
Tchaikovsky enthusiastically accepted the commission to compose the music for the ballet, despite the lukewarm reception of his previous ballet, Swan Lake. He wrote that the music for The Sleeping Beauty would be among his best works, and he relished the close collaboration with Petipa. The composer and choreographer worked closely together, with Petipa providing detailed instructions on the musical requirements, and Tchaikovsky bringing new life, complexity, and rhythmic vitality to the clichés of ballet music.
The ballet's narrative centres on the two main conflicting forces of good and evil, represented by the Lilac Fairy and Carabosse, respectively. Each character has their own leitmotif that runs through the entire work, providing an important thread to the underlying plot. Act III takes a break from these two motifs, instead focusing on the individual characters at the various court dances.
The world premiere of The Sleeping Beauty took place on 15 January 1890 at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, conducted by Riccardo Drigo and choreographed by Marius Petipa. The initial reaction was favourable, and the ballet received more accolades than Swan Lake. However, Tchaikovsky did not live long enough to see it established as a popular favourite.
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Frequently asked questions
The ballet is based on Charles Perrault's La Belle au bois dormant, via a version by the Brothers Grimm.
Tchaikovsky finished composing the music in around 40 days.
The ballet is Tchaikovsky's longest, lasting nearly four hours at full length (including intermissions). The complete score runs for nearly three hours.
The ballet received a favourable reaction from the press, with Tsar Alexander III remarking to Tchaikovsky that it was "very nice". However, Tchaikovsky was likely expecting a more enthusiastic response.
Sleeping Beauty revolutionised ballet music, with composers beginning to take ballet more seriously. It also became a popular animated Disney film in 1959, featuring songs based on Tchaikovsky's music.
