<\/p>
Swan Lake<\/em> began life as a short ballet to entertain his nieces, called\u00a0The Lake of Swans<\/em>, but was later developed into the full-length ballet we know today. First performed at Moscow\u2019s Bolshoi Theatre in 1877 with weak choreography, the music was instantly a hit and stood out from the usual crowd of ballet scores. The director of Imperial Theatres, Ivan Vsevolozhsky, supported the composer and inspired him to compose two subsequent ballets:\u00a0Sleeping Beauty\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0The Nutcracker.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n the story of\u00a0Swan Lake<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Unsurprisingly, we named\u00a0Swan Lake\u00a0<\/em>as one of the best pieces of music inspired by swans<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Tchaikovsky\u2019s\u00a0The Nutcracker<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Is there a sound more festive than the celesta in the celebrated \u2018Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy\u2019? Its sound is reminiscent of the music boxes of the time \u2013 just one of the many sounds of toys heard throughout Tchaikovsky\u2019s colourful score. You can also hear toy trumpets, toy drums, cuckoos, quails and cymbals, designed to be played on-stage by the child dancers.<\/p>\n Unlike many other ballets,\u00a0The Nutcracker\u00a0<\/em>really is one for the whole family. With children forming a key part of the plot itself, there\u2019s another crucial aspect of the ballet to mention to parents and would-be audiences. Despite being a \u2018full-length\u2019 ballet,\u00a0The Nutcracker\u00a0<\/em>is barely more than half the length of either of Tchaikovsky\u2019s ballets that came before it:\u00a0Swan Lake\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Sleeping Beauty<\/em>. In other words, you can get the kids home and in bed before midnight. Bonus.<\/p>\n The ballet crops up in various guises in popular culture<\/strong><\/a>, from the Barbie film adaptation and\u00a0The Simpsons\u00a0<\/em>to a Joan Collins film and a Cadbury advert from the 1970s.<\/p>\n The story of Cinderella has been transformed into a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Another collaboration between Tchaikovsky and Ivan Vsevolozhsky,\u00a0Sleeping Beauty\u00a0<\/em>brought on board the legendary choreographer Marius Petipa, who subsequently rejoined the team for the sequel ballet,\u00a0The Nutcracker.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Shakespeare\u2019s story of\u00a0Romeo and Juliet\u00a0<\/em>has been adapted for many works of classical music. We name some of the best uses of Shakespeare\u2019s\u00a0Romeo and Juliet<\/em> here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Here, we name the best recordings of Tchaikovsky\u2019s\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>Romeo and Juliet<\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n based on the story of\u00a0The Red Shoes\u00a0<\/em>by Hans Christian Andersen<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n We named\u00a0The Snowman\u00a0<\/em>as one of the best festive film scores<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n In 1943,\u00a0Humperdinck\u2019s opera\u00a0Hansel and Gretel\u00a0<\/em>became the first opera to be shown on television<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Another adaptation of a story by Hans Christian Andersen<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nThe Nutcracker<\/a><\/h3>\n
Cinderella<\/h3>\n
The Sleeping Beauty<\/h3>\n
Romeo and Juliet<\/h3>\n
The Red Shoes<\/h3>\n
The Little Match Girl<\/h3>\n
The Snowman<\/h3>\n
Hansel and Gretel<\/h3>\n
The Snow Queen<\/h3>\n