It was late in 1875 that Tchaikovsky was commissioned to write Swan Lake, his first ballet. He set to work almost immediately, and the score was completed by March of the following year. The speed at which he must have worked to produce a full-length, four-act ballet which consisted of an introduction and 29 numbers in that time seems remarkable at first glance, but less so when one discovers that some of the music was already written. For in 1871, while staying with his sister and her family at Kamenka, Tchaikovsky wrote a short ballet for performance by his nephews and nieces, based on the Teutonic legend Der Schwanensee (The Lake of Swans) and, naturally enough, incorporated much of its music into Swan Lake.

Track Listing
1. Introduction (Moderato assai)
Act I:
2. No. 1: Scene (Allegro giusto)
3. No. 2: Valse
4. No. 8: Danse des coupes (Tempo di polacca)
Act II:
5. No. 10: Scène (Moderato)
6. No.11: Scène (Allegro moderato)
7. No.13d: Danses des cygnes (Allegro moderato)
8. No.13e: Pas d'action (Andante)
Act III:
9. No.20: Dabse hongroise (Czardas: Moderato assai)
10. No.5b: Pas de deux (Tempo di valse - Andante - Tempo di valse - Allegro molto vivace)
11. No.24: Scène (Allegro)
Act IV:
12. No. 27: Danse des petits cygnes (Moderato)
13. No.29: Scène final (Andante - Allegro agitato)