Family workshop
To prepare the visit to the opera, participants are introduced to the plot as well as important characters, and they also rehearse short dance scenes. Valid only in combination with a visit to a family performance.
Registration required
Tel: 030 34 384-166
E-mail: contact@tanz-ist-klasse.de
Family workshop
To prepare the visit to the opera, participants are introduced to the plot as well as important characters, and they also rehearse short dance scenes. Valid only in combination with a visit to a family performance.
Registration required
Tel: 030 34 384-166
E-mail: contact@tanz-ist-klasse.de
Plot
Act One
Scene 1 – By the Lakeshore
Prince Siegfried grows up under the protective care of his mother, the young, widowed queen of the realm.
Scene 2 – On the Palace Terrace
The 21st birthday of Prince Siegfried is being celebrated. With the coming of age, the prince wishes to free himself from his mother’s overwhelming control. Benno von Sommerstein, Siegfried’s closest friend, also eagerly anticipates this new chapter, as his feelings for the prince go beyond the bond of close friendship.
In the midst of the cheerful festivities, the queen appears accompanied by her prime minister, von Rothbart. She presents Prince Siegfried with a rifle as a gift and awards him a decoration to mark his coming of age.
After the queen ends the celebration, Benno von Sommerstein enthusiastically calls for a hunt. However, Prince Siegfried, in a melancholic mood, stays behind on the terrace. The festivities have once again reminded him of how little control he has over his life. He yearns for self-fulfillment and independence.
Scene 3 – By the Lakeshore
Benno von Sommerstein brings Siegfried the rifle he seemingly left behind. However, the prince wishes to be alone and asks Benno to hunt without him. Benno withdraws but keeps an eye on Siegfried.
At the lakeshore, Siegfried encounters Odette, the Swan Princess, who tells him about the evil spell that traps her in her swan form. For Siegfried, she represents a different world—a true paradise. He feels that she is the one who can free him from his restrictive bond with his mother. He swears eternal loyalty to her, the only way to break the spell. For the first time, Siegfried takes responsibility for his life. Lost in his emotions and longing, he gives himself over to his feelings.
Act Two
Benno von Sommerstein, who witnessed the encounter between Prince Siegfried and the Swan Princess Odette, reports the events at the lake to the queen out of jealousy. Deeply disturbed by the fear of losing her son, the queen devises a swift and effective plan to turn Siegfried away from Odette. She hatches an intrigue, involving the prime minister in her schemes, and organizes a ball. Alongside princesses from various nations who are potential brides for her son, Odile, the prime minister's daughter, is also invited.
Scene 4 – In the Ballroom
Shortly before the ball begins, the queen pauses in front of her son’s unfinished portrait, reflecting on what she is about to do to him.
Scene 5 – In the Ballroom
The courtly ceremony proceeds, and the queen opens the ball with a dance alongside the prime minister, intended to provoke Siegfried's jealousy. After the dance, the princesses from various nations are introduced to the prince. Despite their attempts to win him over, Siegfried remains indifferent until Odile appears. Believing her to be Odette, he is drawn to her. The queen and von Rothbart press him to swear eternal loyalty to the deceptive image. At that moment, the vision of the white swan appears, and Siegfried realizes his tragic mistake—he has sworn loyalty to the black swan. Humiliated and publicly disgraced, Siegfried follows his true love, Odette, back to the lake.
Scene 6 – By the Lake
The swans await the return of their companion Odette, who tells them what has happened. The evil spell remains unbroken. Prince Siegfried arrives at the lake and begs Odette for forgiveness. The prime minister von Rothbart also appears at the lakeshore. Siegfried realizes that von Rothbart, as an accomplice of his mother, has kept the curse on Odette alive for his own gain. A fight ensues, during which Siegfried kills the prime minister. He becomes aware of the hopelessness of his situation. Through his actions, he has lost his true love and become a murderer. The only solution left is death in the lake. The queen is left alone.
