When the music for a Ballet is being written does the music writer choreograph the dance into their music?

Using Tchaikovsky's 'Swan Lake' as an example: The libretto (story-line) was written by Vladimir Begichev, who commissioned Tchaikovsky to set it to music. When the music was completed, Tchaikovsky needed a choreographer. The first was Julius Reisinger. The ballet wasn't very successful, so another choreographer, Marius Petipa, took over and re-choreographed it. This is the version we see today.

Incidentally, Tchaikovsky died before Petipa came along, so he never got to see Swan Lake in all its glory.

Edit: @Raymond: You're right, of course (as usual!), and I apologise for my poorly worded answer.

I don't want to give to fob you off with feeble excuses; but you have the advantage of writing in your mother tongue. Until there is a Yahoo! Answers Nederland, I'll have to do the best I can with this one. Most times (alright, sometimes) I can make my point clearly. This time, I didn't :(

Add. Dank je, Meneer Raymond. I know you speak fluent French, but I didn't realise it was your first language, so I, too, offer my apology.

I haven't seen Yahoo! France, but I used to visit Yahoo! Germany. I gave up, because 'de Moffen' have no sense of humour (miserable b*st*rds!).. this one is much more fun.

Now you can go back to bed!

Slaaps -:)

It's *usually* either of TWO things:

*Original works*

- First is the libretto, then the choreographer's instructions and finally the composer's musical setting.

E.g.: ***Swan Lake*** (@ Jefke: Tchaikovsky obviously had some instructions by some choreographer [which remains unknown to this day] prior to composing the musical score - NO composer in the 19th century would ever have ventured into writing a ballet without instructions as to the actual choreography :-) ), The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, The Rite of Spring, Rodeo, etc.

*Ballets choregraphed on already existing musical works*

- First - obviously - is the music, then the libretto and finally the choreographer's instructions (author of the libretto and the choreography is more often than not one and the same person)

E.g.: Lots of 20th century ballets - by Balanchine, Béjart, Martha Graham, etc.

Best,

Raymond

Edit Add: ''Although this would be ***very unusual and probably very difficult to do***, I would guess it would be possible to have a ballet and story, and then write the music. This could have its benefits, since the composer would know exactly how long each individual phrase would need to be before writing it.''

Sir, you obviously have NO CLUE what you're talking about.

Edit Add 2 @ Jefke: Upon reading your Answer over again, I realize that it never suggested that Tchaikovsky actually composed the music right off the libretto. My bad - and my apologies, Sir. Now, my excuse is that I wrote this one past bedtime... :-) I'll be more careful in the future!

And oh, my mother tongue is French and there IS a Yahoo!Classical France - but it's so awfully bad that it makes this English forum look like the site of the American Musicological Society!

(''Most times...'' - I'd say so and would dare to say that's kind of an understatement as far as you're concerned :-) )

Usually the composer writes the music, and the composer or another person writes the story - either one of these steps could come first.

Next, someone choreographs the ballet to the music. This could be the composer or the librettist, if either one of them are also dancers or choreographers, but more often than not you would have a different choreographer creating a ballet from the music and the story provided.

Although this would be very unusual and probably very difficult to do, I would guess it would be possible to have a ballet and story, and then write the music. This could have its benefits, since the composer would know exactly how long each individual phrase would need to be before writing it.

Usually the composer just writes the music. Then a choreographer becomes inspired with the music and writes in the choreography or the steps to the ballet. Balenchine was one of the most well known choreographers.

Nancy