5 replies to this topic

[chrisk217]

An acquaintance has promised to lend me a film of an old performance of Swan Lake. It is by the Kirov, the year is 1968 and Odette/Odile is Elena Evteyeva.

It will be weeks till I get the tape so if anyone has seen this performance I'd like to know how it rates compared to other stagings (mainly to adjust my expectations)  

I am philosophical with things like dated sets, costumes etc but really care about the dancing. Should I have great expectations? Was Evteyeva considered a fine O/O? She must have been quite young when the film was made. What about the rest of the cast? (Markovsky and Panov, I believe)

Edited by chrisk217, 13 February 2005 - 06:58 PM.

[BalletNut]

I saw a couple of excerpts of this on Classic Arts Showcase, and I remember not recognizing Evteyeva at all; in all the other videos I've seen of her, she always appeared incredibly tiny, but not this time for some reason. I'm not sure whether she shrank (doubtful) or was filmed with taller partners, or if the rest of the company became taller over the years. For what it's worth, she was born in 1947, so yes, she was very young when this performance was filmed. Anyway, I believe the prince in the video is Markovsky, and the sets and costumes are a little dated, but not too bad.  which has the Soviet happy ending instead of the usual suicide. But Evteyeva dances very well, although for my money I actually prefer the Makarova/Dowell video for a variety of reasons, for example the designs are gorgeous and the filming is not obtrusive at all. But again, I'm basing the comparison on a couple of clips from Classic Arts Showcase which comes on at odd times on public access cable TV.   All the same, I'm curious what you think of this one when you get it.

[Mashinka]

I love this video.  Although the production is Sergeyev's it resembles the Bourmeister version with a prologue showing Odette being transformed into a swan. Evteyeva is good without being outstanding and Johnny Markovsky makes an exceptionally handsome prince.  For me though, it's worth having just for Valery Panov's jester which he plays like one of Shakespeare's sad fools and he  dances like a dream.

I have to agree with Ballet Nut that the Markarova/Dowell version is probably the best around, but I have quite a number of Swan Lakes on video and have found this version more rewarding than most.

[Thalictum]

The production was originally supposed to star Makarova and Vikulov, but reportedly they could not come to $ terms.  Evteyeva was indeed much too young to do this, and Osipenko was Markovsky's near-exclusive partner already, but she was too much of an apostate in Soviet society to be featured in something so prominent.  I'm sure ten years later Evteyeva would have been much more distinctive. She certainly is outstanding in the Pas de Quatre live from the Kirov.

[richard53dog]

Thalictum, on Feb 17 2005, 05:10 AM, said:

The production was originally supposed to star Makarova and Vikulov, but reportedly they could not come to $ terms.  Evteyeva was indeed much too young to do this, and Osipenko was Markovsky's near-exclusive partner already, but she was too much of an apostate in Soviet society to be featured in something so prominent.  I'm sure ten years later Evteyeva would have been much more distinctive. She certainly is outstanding in the Pas de Quatre live from the Kirov.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thalictum,

According to Makarova's A Dance Autobiography, it wasn't money but concept.
She felt the director was a non-entity with no taste.

I'm not sure what the copyright rules are on this list but usually, a brief quote is ok
"He(director) undertook to teach me(Makarova) how to dance Odile. ""Dance as if you wanted to seduce me"" At this point I (Makarova) lost patience.""I haven't the least desire to do that to you"" I said , and walked off the set"

She makes other comments on other aspects of the director's concept that she found.....ah....lacking

This is a bit of a coincidence, I was just reading this passage last night, I just got the book a week or so ago.

Richard

[Thalictum]

[snip]

I find her "Autobiography" very unreliable and not very honest, but
perhaps she really did not like the concept.

Edited by hockeyfan228, 17 February 2005 - 05:08 PM.