ACT I

Scene one
The park in front of the palace

In a beautiful park in front of a castle, Wolfgang, servants and courtiers are preparing to celebrate Prince Siegfried’s coming of age. Benno announces the arrival of the Princes. Siegfried appears and all dance in his honor. The maids herald the approach of the Princess Regent, Siegfried’s mother. Siegfried welcomes her respectfully. The Princess gives her son across bow as a birthday present and reminds him that he must choose a bride at the ball the next day. The Princess leaves, and the festivity continues. As twilight falls, a flock of swans fly high in the sky. The Prince invites his young friends to finish the day with hunting.


Scene two
The lake next to the old castle ruins

By the ruins of the old fortress, a lake glistens in the distance in the moonlit night. Here reigns Rothbart, the evil magician. Appears a flock of swans, they land on the lake, then swim to shore. As they touch the ground, the swans turn into young girls.

Siegfried and Benno rush in with the hunters. The prince sends Benno and the courtiers forward, so he is left alone. Suddenly appears the queen of the swans, Odette and begs him not to kill them. Struck by her beauty, Siegfried puts aside the crossbow and Odette then tells her sad story: she and her companion girl-swans are unfortunate victims of an evil magician, Rothbart who bewitched them. They are condemned to take the image of swans by day,and at night by the ruins are transformed into girls again. The terriblespell will continue until someone falls in love with Odette and swears to love her forever.
Siegfried is enchanted as he listens to Odette and commits himself to love her.


ACT 2

Scene three
The ball in the palace

At the ball in the castle, the Regent Princess welcomes the guests. Siegfried appears. None of the girls present touch his heart. Pipes announce the arrival of new guests – includingRothbart and his daughter, Odile. Siegfried is struck by the similarity between Odette and Odile, and enthusiastically welcomes her. The Prince, fascinated by Odile, utters an oath of eternal love. At this point, Siegfried sees Odette from a window and realizes that he became a victim of deceit, but it is too late – the oath had been uttered. Rothbart and Odile disappear. The unfortunate Prince escapes to the lake in despair.


Scene four
Again, night at the lake

The night has fallen again at the lake by the ruins of the fortress. Swans in the image of girls anxiously await Odette. Odette rushes. She desperately tells them of Siegfried’s betrayal. Her friends try to comfort her. Siegfried appears. He begs Odette to forgive his involuntary betrayal, as he saw Odette in Odile, and that was the only reason for his fatal oath. Rothbart appears. He realizes the true love between Odette and Siegfried and intends to destroy it, so they are fighting to the end. Rothbart is defeated. Swans fly across the sky, but Odette does not turn into a swan again and remains a beautiful girl. The evil spell is broken. Love triumphs.