Swan Lake was the first of Tchaikovsky’s three great ballets. In 1875, Tchaikovsky received a commission for a full-length ballet from Vladimir Petrovich Begichev, Director of the Imperial Moscow Theatres. The choreography would be by Julius Reisinger, ballet-master at the Bolshoi Theatre, and the subject was to be Swan Lake, a story with its origins in German folk-tales although it has many Russian characteristics. Tchaikovsky had expressed his admiration for Adam’s ballet Giselle and knew the work of ballet composers such as Delibes, Minkus and Drigo. He found the prospect of writing a ballet score intriguing, and quickly began work and he completed the huge score within a year. Swan Lake received its first performance at the Bolshoi Theatre on 4th March, 1877.

CD 1

1. Introduction (Moderato assai)
Act One, No.1: Scene (Allegro giusto)

2. No.2: Valse

3. No.4:Pas de trios
(a) Intrada (Allegro)
(b) Allegro semplice
(c) Moderato
(d) Allegro
(e) Coda (Allegro vivace)

4. No.7: Sujet
No.8: Danse des Coupes (Tempo di polacca)

5. Act Two, No.10:Scene (Moderato)

6. No.11: Scene (Allegro moderato)
No.12: Scene (Allegro)

7. Danses des Cygnes
No.13a: Tempo di Valse
No.13e: Andante non troppo

CD 2

1. Act Two: No.13d: Allegro moderato

2. No.13f: Tempo di Valse

3. No.13b: Moderato assai

4. No.13g: Coda (Allegro vivace)

5. Act Three:No.15: Allegro giusto

No.17: Scene et Valse

6. No.18: Scene (Allegro)
No.21: Danse Espagnole

7. No.22:Danse Napolitaine

8. No.23: Mazurka

9. No.20: Danse Hongroise

10. No.5: Pas de deux
(a) Intrada (Tempo di Valse)
(b) Andante
(c) Tempo di Valse
11. (d) Coda (Allegro molto vivace)

12. Act Four:No.28:Scene (Allegro agitato)
No.29:Scene finale (Andante-Allegro agitato)