The Royal Opera House Muscat is pleased to present one of the most famous and best-loved ballets of all time – Swan Lake. The work combines a timeless story with an incomparably beautiful score composed in 1865-66 by the great master, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The lake on which a white swan swims was formed by the tears of the sorrowful mother of Odette, a lovely young woman changed into a swan by an evil sorcerer.
A golden crown on her head, Odette swims at the head of a flock of swan-maidens under the spell of the Sorcerer. It is only at night that they can emerge in human form. The spell will be broken if a prince swears eternal fidelity to Odette. During a hunting expedition, Prince Seigfried and his entourage happen upon the lake at dusk when the swans are swimming to shore. The Prince raises his crossbow and is about to shoot the leading swan, but stops when, to his amazement, the most beautiful woman he has ever seen appears as the swan vanishes. Mutually enraptured, Odette and the Prince fall in love and it seems there will be happy ending until the Sorcerer intervenes and a Black Swan appears…
This is a ballet in which the grace, beauty and elegance of the swan is given human form in flowing movement and ethereal costume. In mesmerising choreography, the swan-ballerinas seem to glide on silvery streams of airy water. The ballet is impeccably performed by Kazakhstan’s prestigious Astana Opera Ballet Company which was founded in 2013 and has rapidly risen to a high rank on the international stage. Tchaikovsky’s music is performed by the world-class Orchestra of Teatro Carlo Felice of Genoa. In this exceptional production, staging is by the acclaimed Kazakh director and choreographer, Tursynbek Nurkaliyev. A beautiful classical style emerges in brilliant choreography by the masterful Altynai Asylmuratova, with atmospheric sets by the distinguished Italian designer, Ezio Frigerio and costumes by the Academy-Award-winning and Tony-nominated costume designer, Franca Squarciapino. In all respects, this is a very fine world-class production, as wonderful as can be seen on any stage today.
The Royal Opera House Muscat presents this magnificent version of Swan Lake on Thursday the 28th and Friday the 29th of September at 7:00 pm; and in a special Matinée on Saturday the 30th of September at 4:00 pm. For further information and booking consult the ROHM website: www.rohmuscat.org.om
