Swan Lake is a ballet composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in the 1870s, first performed in 1877, and its main theme has become one of the most recognisable pieces of classical music in the world. The melody is widely used in film, television, adverts and online edits to signal grace, beauty or high drama in seconds. This louder version spread on soundboards because the boosted volume makes the familiar swell funnier and more dramatic, which is why creators still reach for it for entrances and reveals.