Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake - Bergen Philharmonic/Neeme Jarvi

Tchaikovsky's great ballet in full, restored to its original version. John Suchet's Album of the Week, 30 September 2013.

Conductor Neeme Jarvi and the Bergen Philharmonic are recording Tchaikovsky's three great ballets in full and now, following their acclaimed version of The Sleeping Beauty, they present the complete version of Swan Lake, with the violinist James Ehnes lending his talents to the solo parts. 

While most ballet companies today base their productions on an 1895 revival, it could be said that the overall cuts and reordering ultimately destroyed Tchaikovsky's original dramatic and musical plan. 

Here everything is restored to his original version of 29 pieces across four acts, along with two supplementary numbers provided not long after the première. It's a crisp and insightful performance restoring a masterpiece to its full glory.