After a period of criticism of Tchaikovsky's music, mostly in the mid-20th century, when most composers were trying to outdo one another in cutting-edge modernity and Tchaikovsky's emotionalism was not the flavor of the times, his popularity is now once again higher than ever.
With the coming of neo-Romanticism in contemporary music Tchaikovsky has been viewed as a striking, skilful and original master.
Synopsis of Swan Lake
Act I
At his castle, Prince Siegfried is celebrating his twenty-first birthday with his friends. His mother arrives and reminds him that he must choose a bride from among the ladies invited to the ball the following day. When Siegfried's mother leaves the party he stands apart overcome by a melancholy. He sees some white swans fly overhead and decides to leave his friends and go hunt them.
Act II
At the banks of a moonlit lake near the castle, a group of swan-maidens appears. The prince has already aimed his bow when the Swan Queen presents herself and tells Siegfried that she is the Princess Odette changed into a swan, like her companions, by the sorcerer Rothbart, a spell from which she can only be freed by one who will swear eternal love to her. Now deeply in love, Siegfried swears he loves Odette and invites her to the ball. Dawn breaks and the swan-maidens are all turned back into swans.
Act III
At the ball the prince dances with six young ladies who are presented to him. Then a stranger arrives, Baron Rothbart and his daughter Odile, the evil double of Odette. After looking at her for a while Siegfried decides that she is Odette, his beloved. He dances with her, and publicly declares her his bride. Rothbart and his daughter leave in triumph. Then Siegfried sees the white spirit of Odette momentarily at the window and rushes to the lake.
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