Classical Ballet Music: A Curated Guide to the Best Pieces

Classical ballet, also known as classical dance, is the oldest form of stage art, originating in Italy back in the 16th century. It later moved to France, where it continued to develop and spread. It was created to entertain the upper classes.

The main distinguishing feature of ballet is its precision and technicality. This is achieved through a specific set of movements that require exact execution, principles of turnout, and a particular character of performance. From its very inception, ballet has striven for perfection and clarity of form and line.

Over the centuries, ballet has become a symbol of timeless classicism that never goes out of style. Naturally, such dance requires appropriate music, and what could be more fitting for ballet than classical music?

This pairing is exactly what comes to mind when we think of dance as a high art form. Perfect forms, delicate and precise lines, sensual execution expressed in the ideal movements of a dancer, and of course, the captivating and majestic music that transports us back centuries. This is the only way to describe true enjoyment of ballet!

But it wasn't always this way. Until roughly the second half of the 19th century, music during a performance was a secondary element—the main focus was on the movements, and the musical accompaniment simply set a certain mood.

This attitude toward such an important element as accompaniment was changed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. He was the first composer to write a complete and cohesive ballet score that could be enjoyed as much as the dance itself. Previously, music for productions was written not by masters of their craft, but by ordinary "artisans" in the field.

Tchaikovsky managed to revolutionize this sphere. He was the one who saw the need for depth not only in the dance and its movements but also in the music, giving it form and profound meaning. Thanks to this, his ballet "Swan Lake" remains hugely popular to this day, both among those who love the dance production and those who simply want to listen to sublime music.

Later, musical accompaniment for classical dance became almost unrecognizable to modern ears. Compositions began to lean heavily toward expressionism—the melody was unclear, varied, constantly changing, and overall far removed from its original form. This marked the birth of modern dance, done to break away from strict dance norms and give more freedom to dancers and composers.