At almost 3 hours in length, the complete score for The Sleeping Beauty is as much an exercise in stamina as it is a masterpiece. Tchaikovsky’s opus 66, this score contains some of his most recognizable works, including the Waltz which was used by Disney in their movie adaptation of the story.
The orchestration began in the spring of 1889 and was completed later that year. While there were some edits by other composers including Riccardo Drigo during the choreographic and staging processes, they were mainly made up of extensions or transitional phrasing. Because of the length, even the original staging of the ballet cut several sections to maintain a logical, interesting flow. Much of Tchaikovsky’s original score is still used today for the ballet.
While the audience generally loved the music produced by Tchaikovsky, ballet critics did not view it in as favorable a light. Many stated to some extent that, while the composition was beautiful, it did not suit ballet. Nevertheless, it has remained in high favor among ballet patrons.
Sadly, Tchaikovsky died three years after this ballet premiered and did not witness its meteoric rise in popularity and acclaim.