Any other film of Raymonda besides the Bolshoi's?

[Solor]

I have the Bolshoi's "Raymonda", but arent there any other versions on film besides the Paris Opera's documetary version? The Bolshoi's production is BLAH (though Gedaminas Taranda is a great Abderakhman), and lacks any detail that I'm sure exsisted in the original Petipa. Nureyev's version is cool, but the Paris Opera's DVD is a documentary / performance.

Does the Kirov have a film? I doubt it..............

[Mashinka]

There are actually two Bolshoi videos of Raymonda, both with Taranda; which one do you have? The Semenyaka/Mukhamedov or the Bessmertnova/Vasuchenko?

[lisinka1]

Solor if you saw the version with Semenyaka/Mukhamedov I'd have to disagree with you. I thought that it was a beautiful production. I found it to be much more authentic than ABT's. I did not like ABT's production at all. They cut many out many scenes and the story just did not hold together. In the Semenyaka/Mukhamedov production I could actually understand the story and it made sense. Just my opionion though. :blush: I do not know of any other productions on video. Sorry.

[Solor]

I was just wondering if any others were available commercially. Its not all that bad, the Semenyaka film, but at times, its way too "Bolshoi" (something that the Bolshoi doesnt seem to do anymore). The dancers look better from far away, but when you get up close, you see just how sloppy the dancing is.

I have seen the Bessmertnova film, but I do not care much for the dancing of Bessmertnova, save "Spartacus", where not only her own style, but that seemingly extinct "too Bolshoi" style of about 10 years ago or so fits that ballet like a glove.

[Paul Parish]

Slightly off-topic, but re: Bessmertnova, when I saw her live here in Les Sylphides I was not moved at all -- but her performances in the films of Romeo and Juliet and Giselle are. Well, I don't know how to praise them. As Juliet -- in the Lavrovsky version -- she is such a glorious creature. At first, her turned-in line bothered me, and her stylized way of holding her hands -- and then she just swept me away. And her Giselle is just astounding -- not the first act, but the second. The solo adage! She's out there all alone, and it registers as the most magnificent act of defiance with me. A great dramatic dancer.

[MinkusPugni]

I really didn't like the Bolshoi version - it disappointed me as I was very excited to see it and had high expectations. It's not all that bad but the dancers (surprisingly) aren't technically great and the film is quite old but not as old as some that I have seen and isn't very good quality. I have two ballets from the sixties that are much better quality than this. If you've never seen Raymonda before, I suggest you don't buy this as it will give you a bad perception on the masterpiece that is Raymonda.