Swan Lake, Act 2 (reduced orch) Cover Image

Swan Lake, Act 2 (reduced orch): Conductor Score

$80.00 USD

Swan Lake, Act 2 (reduced orch): Conductor Score

Name: Swan Lake, Act 2 (reduced orch): Conductor Score
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 36-A890201
Price: 80.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky / arr. William McDermott

Item: 36-A890201

$80.00

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While the original SWAN LAKE ballet, the story of Prince Siegfried’s love for the Swan Queen, enchanted by the evil magician Rothbart to turn into a swan everyday, more or less succeeded at its 1877, Moscow premiere, Tchaikovsky was very concerned that the music be saved from the oblivion common to ballet scores. Inspired by the French composer Delibes, he thought to create a concert suite of the music. No further correspondence on the idea exists, but a Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20a was published seven years after Tchaikovsky’s death in 1900, containing six numbers from the ballet, though it remains uncertain whether they were selected by the composer or someone else, leaving the exact authorship of the suite unknown. This reduced orchestration by William McDermott of Act 2 gives ballet companies and orchestras more programming flexibility. Instrumentation: 1.1.2.1: 2.2.2.0: Timp.Perc(2-3): Hp: Str(4-4-3-3-3 in set).

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Series: Kalmus Ballet Library

Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.

ISBN10: 1-63-887789-0

ISBN13: 978-1-63-887789-9

UPC: 660355013829

SKU: 36-A890201

Instrumentation: 1.1.2.1: 2.2.2.0: Timp.Perc(2-3): Hp: Str(4-4-3-3-3 in set)

More about this title

About the Composer: Peter Tchaikovsky

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840, 1893) was a Russian Romantic composer whose gift for melody and emotional directness made his work instantly accessible to audiences across Europe and America. Though he wrote symphonies, concertos, and operas that reveal deep structural sophistication, his ballet scores remain his most performed works, and Swan Lake stands as perhaps the most beloved ballet ever composed. Tchaikovsky's instinct to preserve Swan Lake's music through a concert suite shows how acutely he understood that great melodies transcend their original context.

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Why we love this

William McDermott's reduction opens Act 2 to orchestras and ballet companies that lack resources for the full orchestration but refuse to compromise on this masterwork. The arrangement maintains Tchaikovsky's orchestral voice while making logistics genuinely manageable. Conductors find real interpretive challenges in shaping such iconic material for a leaner ensemble without sacrificing the romantic grandeur the music demands.

What to expect

Swan Lake Act 2 unfolds as an extended dramatic meditation on longing and enchantment. The music moves between moments of tender lyricism and passages of darker mystery, evoking the tension between Siegfried's human world and Odette's curse. Tchaikovsky's gift for sustained melodic beauty and his command of orchestral color create an atmosphere that is simultaneously intimate and expansive.

Who it's for

Conductors and ballet companies seeking to perform Swan Lake Act 2 without the full orchestral apparatus, as well as chamber orchestras building repertoire that bridges the symphonic and ballet genres. This score serves orchestras of intermediate to advanced capability that want to present recognizable, substantial repertoire with realistic doubling.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the string writing carefully; with a reduced section count, uneven bow distribution or vibrato intensity will expose gaps in the ensemble sound. Rehearse string parts separately to establish unified voice leading across the sections.
The harp figurations require clarity and rhythmic precision, particularly in passages where it provides harmonic foundation rather than pure coloration. Coordinate closely with the timpani and percussion to anchor those moments.
Shape the principal melodies with long-term phrasing rather than local gesture. Act 2 relies on sustained emotional arcs, and conductors often feel pressure to inflate dynamics at cadences. Resist this; let the melody breathe across phrases instead.
Pay close attention to the reduced woodwind palette. Solos that might disappear in the full score now stand exposed; ensure your principals understand they are carrying narrative weight alongside the violins.

How to use it

This reduction works well as the anchor of a concert pairing classical ballet excerpts with 19th-century symphonic works, or as a standalone concert event where your orchestra collaborates with local dance companies. It also functions effectively as a substantial concert finale, offering audiences the dramatic and musical payoff they expect from Tchaikovsky without requiring intermission or staging.