The Sleeping Beauty (ballet) quality. "The Sleeping Beauty" is Tchaikovsky's longest ballet, lasting nearly four hours at full length (counting the intermissions). The complete score runs practically 3 hours. It is nearly always cut. At the premiere, Tsar Alexander III summoned Tchaikovsky to the imperial box. The Tsar made the simple remark 'Very nice,' which seemed to have irritated Tchaikovsky, who had likely expected a more favorable response. "The Royal Court": "The Fairies": Carabosse, the evil fairy "The Four Suitors": "The Prince's Hunting Party": "Fairy-Tale Characters": Setting Prologue (The Christening)<br>King Florestan XXIV and his Queen have welcomed their first child, Princess Aurora, and declare
Sleeping Beauty a hunting expedition. His attendants tell him differing stories regarding the castle until an old man recounts his father's words: within the castle lies a beautiful princess who is doomed to sleep for a hundred years until a king's son comes and awakens her. The prince then braves the tall trees, brambles and thorns which part at his approach, and enters the castle. He passes the sleeping castle folk and comes across the chamber where the Princess lies asleep on the bed. Struck by the radiant beauty before him, he falls on his knees before her. The enchantment comes to