Tune of the Day: Theme from Swan Lake
According to Tchaikovsky's nephew, Tchaikovsky originally created the famous Swan's Theme for a little ballet called The Lake of the Swans he had written for the amusement of his relatives. The theme later made its way into the full-fledged Swan Lake score, and soon became the most famous music in the ballet. It is first heard near the close of the first act in the “Flight of the Swans”. The oboe introduces the enchanting theme with harp accompaniment, the whole creating a fantasy-like atmosphere of wonder and expectation.
The scenario of the ballet, which can be presented in either three or four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales as well as an ancient German legend. It tells the story of Prince Siegfried and the beautiful maiden Odette, who was turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse.