A feather in their cap
Classic fairy tale takes flight with Boston Ballet’s ‘Swan Lake’
Focus in on a small sliver of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake,” say Act II, No. 14 Scene, and you can hear the composer’s influence on a hundred years of Hollywood scores.
In this three-minute excerpt from Tchaikovsky’s second most popular ballet, it seems John Williams alone drew inspiration for his work on “Star Wars,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and the Harry Potter films.
“John Williams is one of the people that borrowed very heavily from Tchaikovsky’s orchestration techniques,” Boston Ballet music director Mischa Santora told the Herald. Then he added with a laugh: “If Hollywood had been around in the 19th century I think Tchaikovsky probably would have been hired (by film studios).”
As Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart readies his musicians for a season that celebrates the 90th birthday of Williams, Santora is working with the Boston Ballet Orchestra on what some consider to be Tchaikovsky’s true triumph — Boston Ballet artistic director Mikko Nissinen’s “Swan Lake” runs May 26 — June 5 at the Citizens Bank Opera House.
Most American’s casually familiar with ballet know the “The Nutcracker,” and typically only “The Nutcracker.” For those looking to fall further into the art form, “Swan Lake” offers visceral joys (and tears), thematic heft and music to rival any orchestral opus.
“‘The Nutcracker’ is a brilliant masterpiece in its own way,” Santora said. “It’s short, it’s light, it’s lighthearted. It’s a perfect holiday treat and gateway ballet, but if you want to take the next step, that’s ‘Swan Lake.’”
“The musical language is significantly more complex than other 19th century ballets, including those by Tchaikovsky,” he added. “There’s a foreshadowing of the end at the very beginning so a lot of the numbers that in a more usual composition would be lighthearted … here they have a sense that something more serious is happening.”
The story follows a young prince who falls in love with a princess cursed by sorcerer to take the form of a swan between daybreak and midnight. It’s a fairy tale touched with a darkness not found in “The Nutcracker.”
Unlike many other pieces of music paired with narrative art forms — like say, “West Side Story,” “Les Misérables” or “Raiders of the Lost Ark” — the score of “Swan Lake” stands tall even when the story is stripped away. Maybe this is because Tchaikovsky’s music seems to carry the listener along, it has the kind of movement that’s hard to find in art without a traditional plot.
“Each of these waltzes or scenes, in and of themselves, feel like a pretty big journey, and they are just a slice of a longer story,” Santora said. “The musical storytelling is what makes this special.”
This will be Santora’s first time leading an ensemble through the entire score, the first time the Boston Ballet mounts the ballet since he was appointed music director in 2018. Spending so much time with the whole sweep of “Swan Lake” reinforced his love for his job. As a conductor, Santora has logged time leading orchestras around the world. But he has found a home at the Boston Ballet because of his passion for pairing music, performance and story on stage.
“I’m very attracted to anything theatrical,” he said. “Any medium that has a dark house and a curtain, and before that curtain goes up there’s that sense of magic and anticipation. I’ve always been really drawn to that experience.”
For tickets and details, go to bostonballet.org.