Musicology Annotation << Back Interpretation of The Little Mermaid by G. H. Andersen in the ballet by L. Auerbach and J. Neumeier: new sound and eternal meanings of the old plot Verba Natalia I. Mythological and folklore plots make up the golden fund of culture – they are an inspiration to creators and are the basis for works of various genres. While preserving the main motifs, the eternal plots are transformed depending on the aesthetic, stylistic, and philosophical features of a particular period. A vivid example of such modifi cations is the story of the Little Mermaid. The ancient legend of the dramatic contact of the sea maiden with man is embodied in a variety of literary and musical compositions, demonstrating an amazing ability to be in tune with important ideological constants of different eras. In this article, from the standpoint of the problem of archetypal images, the embodiment of the fairy tale about the Little Mermaid by H.H. Andersen in the ballet by Lera Auerbach and John Neumeier is considered. The goal is to identify, on the one hand, the new accents that the authors have made in the interpretation of this legendary story, on the other – to emphasize its universal meanings, which remain even in the most daring interpretations. The article focuses on the peculiar-ities of the drama of ballet, the analysis of the expressive means by which the archetypal image of the sea maiden is realized in the ballet, as well as the comparison of the ways of its representation in the music of the romantic age and, in particular, in the ballet of Auerbach and Neumeier. Keywords: interpretation, "eternal" plots, archetypal image in music, plots about the sea maiden in musical art, ballet "The Little Mermaid", composer Lera Auerbach, John Neumeier. DOI: 10.25791/musicology.6.2021.1197 Pp. 24-32.