26 replies to this topic

[cubanmiamiboy]

Katalina, on Jul 14 2008, 02:11 PM, said:

I know this scene may seem trivial to many

To WHO?!?!
Oh, Katalina...you are sooo right...the snow scene is indeed very beautiful, and the flakes are as "blanc" as any of the swans, or willis or sylphs.  Confession: Last time i went to New York, and went to see the NYCB production, it was just to see their Snow Scene, which is nicely recreated in Balanchine's version-(although i still prefer the Pavlova/Fokine/Fedorova/Alonso inclusion of the Snow PDD).

[adrika]

I agree with Ceeszi, the Baryshnikov/Kirkland version is beautiful and definetly a must have. I think it´s still available and  has a very interesting Snowflake Waltz in it! ( With a young Cinthya Harvey as soloist, if i'm not mistaken).
There is a  Kirov Nutcracker with Larissa Lehznina and Victor Baranov, filmed in 1994 at the Maryinsky Theater, wich I like a lot! Kirov corps is perfect, the costumes and sets are beautiful and match perfectly, specially the forest in the Snowflake Waltz. It doesn't has a Sugar Plum fairy. Instead, it seems to be about Clara romantic awakening ( wich a very young and extremely good Lezhnina makes believable ). And Victor Baranov, who is not that famous, plays a handsome prince and is a very competent partner.

I'm interested to Know more about Nutcracker Sweeties, with Birmingham Royal Ballet. I might me able to purchase it in near future but I don't know much about it. I'd love to hear from someone who has seen it! :)

[Katalina]

Adrika: Nutcracker Sweetie is a 35-minute performance, jazz-style.  There is hardly any story plot.  Music is rearranged by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn; Choreography by David Bintley.  Although most female dancers are en pointe, I find it a bit strange to watch scenes where dancers are doing some pointe work when they are actually dancing swing or some other non-ballet styles.  From the DVD, the performance consists of the following chapters:

Chapter 1: Suite Wrappers (Overture)
Chapter 2: Candy Kane (Dance of the Reed Pipes)
Chapter 3: The Volga Vouty (Cossack)
Chapter 4: Sugar Rum Cherry (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy)
Chapter 5: Buttons (re-working of the Overture)
Chapter 6: Chinoiserie (Chinese Dance)
Chapter 7: Waltz of the Floreadors
Chapter 8: Arabesque Cookie (Arabian Dance)
Chapter 9: Peanut Brittle Brigade (March)

This DVD also features The Judas Tree - the last ballet choreographed by MacMillan.  The Judas Tree is also a short performance, about half an hour.  It's a story about lust, betrayal and guilt, featuring Irek Mukhamedov and Leanne Benjamin.

[Sacto1654]

adrika, on Jul 14 2008, 05:07 PM, said:

There is a  Kirov Nutcracker with Larissa Lehznina and Victor Baranov, filmed in 1994 at the Maryinsky Theater, wich I like a lot! Kirov corps is perfect, the costumes and sets are beautiful and match perfectly, specially the forest in the Snowflake Waltz. It doesn't has a Sugar Plum fairy. Instead, it seems to be about Clara romantic awakening ( wich a very young and extremely good Lezhnina makes believable ). And Victor Baranov, who is not that famous, plays a handsome prince and is a very competent partner.

I just got that as part of a three-DVD package sold by Decca Classics--it does look really sharp and good (it better be since they used MUSE high-definition cameras to record the show!). That means we could see a Blu-ray HD release somewhere down the road.  

[Katalina]

Thanks for the update, Sacto1654.  

Unfortunately, I wasn't aware of the 3-DVD package when I placed my individual order for the Kirov version (Lezhnina, Baranov) last week.  

The good news is I just received the ABT version (Kirkland, Baryshnikov) and a copy of RB's La Fille Mal Gardee (Nunez, Acosta) today.  This will definitely be a nice change after watching 5 Don Quixotes and 3 Cinderellas.  

[Katalina]

As I watch and re-watch the snow scenes in Act 1 from the Sir Peter Wright's productions, I kind of wonder how the dancers were able to keep themselves safe from any type of slippery accidents when the powdery snow landed onto the stage.  I bet my questions are:

(1) Do dancers treat their shoes with something special to prevent slippage?  
(2) Would anyone know what could be the material being used to create the powdery snow, please?

Since these are questions that I have while watching the DVDs, I thought I'll post them under the same thread.  Kindly inform if I need to start a new topic under a different sub-forum.  Thank you.

[innopac]

Katalina, on Aug 5 2008, 07:20 AM, said:

As I watch and re-watch the snow scenes in Act 1 from the Sir Peter Wright's productions, I kind of wonder how the dancers were able to keep themselves safe from any type of slippery accidents when the powdery snow landed onto the stage.  I bet my questions are:

(1) Do dancers treat their shoes with something special to prevent slippage?  
(2) Would anyone know what could be the material being used to create the powdery snow, please?

I think you will find some of the posts on this thread interesting, Katalina.

[Katalina]

Quote

I think you will find some of the posts on this thread interesting, Katalina.

Great info!  Thanks, innopac!

[volcanohunter]

Katalina, on Jul 4 2008, 06:21 AM, said:

I just did some diggings on the BRB production...  In case there are other nutcracker fans like me, the BRB production mentioned by JMcN is not currently available outside of Europe.  This BRB production was filmed in 1994.  I contacted BRB shop and they said the DVD was designed for Region Code 2 (PAL) and therefore not multi-region friendly.  As well, they told me that since the license had already expired, they now only have limited copies available for this 1994 production.

Kultur will release the Yoshida/Mukhamedov performance for the North American market on October 28.

http://estore.websit...ail.bok?no=1340

[volcanohunter]

Wright's production for the Birmingham Royal Ballet can be pre-ordered at Amazon. Enter product code B001E181WS in the Amazon search box at the top of the page.

[Lidewij]

I own the Kirov's version of the Nutcracker on DVD, and I now wish to buy a traditional version, because I only recently found out that I do not know it at all.    (I did see a 'non-Vainonen' Nutcracker some years ago, but I seem to have forgotten all about it   )
So, to get to know the traditional Nutcracker, I understand the Peter Wright version would be a good choice?  Or which other ones could I consider buying?

Thank you.  

[rg]

it's hard to know what 'traditional' means in this context.
Balanchine's staging owes much, tho' by no means everything, to the staging he knew and danced in Petrograd.
further muddying the waters of this 'choice' as traditional is the fact that the commercially available video is directed for camera and includes details at variance from the stage version - the unfortunate make-up vs. mask in the case of the little Nutcracker's appearances for the battle with the mice, for ex. - but it does include the trepak/hoop-dance which Balanchine himself danced in his youth and which relates directly to the dance first done in the 1892 ivanov/petipa staging as it was arranged by its originator, Aleksandr Shiryaev. Likewise it includes the pantomime for the little prince to relate his 'history' to the Sugarplum Fairy, but this too is compromised by the fact that film's 'little prince' is mcauley culkin, who, tho' he studied somewhat at the School of American Ballet, does not in this phase of his career perform the way an actual ballet student might.
overall this video bears study but no one who has seen only this filmed version of the ballet can be said to know with any confidence Balanchine's actual production.