Grade 4.0

 

'The Garland Waltz' comes from 'The Sleeping Beauty', the second of three ballets by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.  Sleeping Beauty’s theme is simplistic and focuses on the conflicting forces of good and evil through the characters the Lilac Fairy (good) and Carabosse (evil).

 

The ballet's premiere in 1890 received more favorable accolades than 'Swan Lake' but Tchaikovsky never witnessed the works true success outside of Russia as he died in 1893.  By 1903, 'The Sleeping Beauty' was the second most popular ballet in the repertoire of the Imperial Ballet, having been performed 200 times in only 10 years. 

 

The waltz and other music from the ballet has been used extensively on film and television, most notably on Disneys animated version of 'Sleeping Beauty' and the recently released 'Maleficent'.