Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20a Cover Image

Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20a: Full Orchestra, Ensemble Works Solo Part

$19.95 USD
$19.95 USD
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Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20a Cover Image
Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20a: Full Orchestra, Ensemble Works Solo Part

Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20a: Full Orchestra, Ensemble Works Solo Part

By Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky / arr. Carl Simpson

Item: 36-S007601
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While the original ballet, the story of Prince Siegfried's love for the Swan Queen, enchanted by the evil magician Rotbart 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 edition offered by Carl Simpson pulls from multiple sources and restores the final movement to its rightful place at the end while retaining three wonderful dance movements that were added to a later Soviet score, bringing the number of movements to nine, though it may performed as the original suite of six movements merely by omitting the additional three movements from performance. Movements: 1. Scene, 2. Valse, 3. Danse de Cygnes, 4. Pas d'Action, 5. Czardas - Danse Hongroise, 6. Danse Espagnole, 7. Danse Napolitaine, 8. Mazurka, 9. Scene et Finale. Instrumentation: 2+Picc.2.2.2: 4.2+2Crnt.3.1: Timp.Perc (3): Hp: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).

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Additional Details
Series: Kalmus Study Score Series
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
ISBN10: 1-63-887702-5
ISBN13: 978-1-63-887702-8
UPC: 735816328504
SKU: 36-S007601
Instrumentation: 2+Picc.2.2.2: 4.2+2Crnt.3.1: Timp.Perc (3): Hp: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set)

More about this title

About the Composer: Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky stands as one of the 19th century's most prolific and emotionally direct symphonic voices. His willingness to blend Russian folk idioms with Western European forms created music that connected immediately with audiences, yet he remained deeply concerned with craft and lasting artistic value.

Swan Lake represents a turning point in his career. Though initially skeptical of ballet as a serious compositional medium, Tchaikovsky invested the score with genuine symphonic development and memorable melodic invention. His decision to create a concert suite from the ballet's music demonstrated his understanding that great theatrical music could live independently in the concert hall.

Why we love this

This Carl Simpson edition offers orchestrators a rare gift: a Swan Lake arrangement that respects both historical evidence and practical performance needs. The flexibility to perform either the original six movements or the expanded nine-movement version means you can shape the work to fit your concert and rehearsal calendar without sacrificing any musical integrity.

What to expect

Swan Lake moves through contrasting emotional landscapes without losing its underlying lyricism. The opening darkness gives way to courtly elegance, fiery folk passion, and Mediterranean warmth before returning to the tragic finale. Each movement speaks in Tchaikovsky's voice while maintaining distinct character.

Who it's for

Advanced community orchestras, regional orchestras, and university ensembles ready to program a substantial work with immediate audience appeal. Directors seeking a flexible full-length suite that offers both pedagogical depth and performance reward will find this edition invaluable.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the harp part carefully in the opening Scene. It often functions as a harmonic anchor rather than a featured voice, so resist the urge to bring it forward during purely orchestral passages.
  • The Valse gains grace when the string section maintains a light, almost detached articulation in the accompaniment figures; this prevents the dancers' characteristic lilt from becoming heavy.
  • Establish a clear pulse during the Czardas before the tempo shifts. The Hungarian character depends on rhythmic confidence from your woodwind and brass sections, especially through the meter changes.
  • In the final Scene et Finale, let the full orchestra support rather than overwhelm the principal melodic voices. Tchaikovsky layers his themes generously, and transparency matters more than volume.

How to use it

Place this suite as the centerpiece of a concert devoted to 19th-century ballet excerpts, pairing it with Delibes or Adam for a historical survey. Alternatively, use the six-movement original version for a concert program that needs a substantial standard-repertoire work that doesn't duplicate what every orchestra programs each season.

Skills your students will build

  • Maintaining independence in sectional roles while supporting overall ensemble balance
  • Reading complex metric patterns and tempo relationships characteristic of Russian Romantic scoring
  • Color control across diverse orchestration textures, from chamber-like accompaniments to full tutti passages
  • Phrasing across traditional song forms and dance rhythms
  • Executing clear articulation in waltz and folk-influenced material

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