30 replies to this topic

[cubanmiamiboy]

Maybe this has been discussed before, so if this is the case, please redirect me to the correct thread.  Otherwise, I would like to get some clarification regarding the "Dancing in America: Choreography by Balanchine" DVD.  I've been considering purchasing it, but when looking at the reviews, I found the next comment:

"Unfortunately, this long awaited DVD was transferred badly and the sound in part one is out of synch by several counts..."  

The comment seems to be shared by other reviewers also. I'm very anal about this kind of stuff, so I was wondering if someone could shred some light on the subject.  If the mentioned statement is true, then I would choose to buy the VHS set.

Thanks!

[volcanohunter]

Take the VHS set. The lack of synchonization on the DVDs is likely to drive you crazy. It drives me crazy. The sound on The Four Temperaments makes me particularly batty. The dancers do appear to be dancing on the beat. They're just dancing on the wrong beat.

[cubanmiamiboy]

I figured...
Thanks, volcanohunter!

[Jack Reed]

The sound on the VHS set, if you can get it, is more agreeable, too.   Clear that there are two DVDs with that same title, but different repertory; thus four corresponding tapes?  (And, while you're looking, a fifth tape with "only" 40 minutes or so on it, Robert Schumann's Davidsbuendlertaenze; never on DVD as far as I know, though I think it was on "LD", or LaserDisc.)

Edited by Jack Reed, 11 August 2010 - 02:39 PM.

[Helene]

As an FYI, "Davidsbuendlertaenze" is a separate Nonesuch recording and is only available in VHS format.  I wish they're release it to DVD.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Thank you Helene and Jack.  Now I'm a little confused, as the sound complain seems to refer only to the DVD that contains Tzigane, Four T's etc...I wonder if the same happened to the other one-(Chaconne, Ballo...etc).  If not, then I would get the VHS set of the first group of ballets and the DVD of the second one.  
Thanks also for the info on Davidsbuendlertaenze.  See...I'm building my own Balanchine collection   .

[volcanohunter]

Jack Reed, on 11 August 2010 - 02:27 PM, said:

Clear that there are two DVDs with that same title, but different repertory; thus four corresponding tapes?

Yes.

Tzigane, Andante from Divertimento no. 15, The Four Temperaments
Ballo della Regina, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, Elégie from Tchaikovsky Suite no. 3, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux
selections from Jewels, Stravinsky Violin Concerto
Chaconne, Prodigal Son

I'd like to have the Balanchine Celebration gala on DVD, too, while we're at it. Assuming, of course, the sound is synchronized properly. And everything else sitting in the "Dance in America" vaults.

[Helene]

cubanmiamiboy, on 11 August 2010 - 04:21 PM, said:

Thanks also for the info on Davidsbuendlertaenze.  See...I'm building my own Balanchine collection   .

The greatest thing about it is that almost the entire original cast is in it:  the only substitute was Sara Leland substituting for Kay Mazzo, who had retired by the time the recording was made.  (Stephanie Saland was wonderful in that role after Leland was no longer dancing it.)

The couples are:

Karin von Aroldingen/Adam Luders (the Schumannesque couple)
Suzanne Farrell/Jacques d'Amboise (the Farrell and Balanchine couple)
Heather Watts/Peter Martins
Sara Leland/Ib Andersen

volcanohunter, on 11 August 2010 - 04:22 PM, said:

I'd like to have the Balanchine Celebration gala on DVD, too, while we're at it. Assuming, of course, the sound is synchronized properly. And everything else sitting in the "Dance in America" vaults.

Do you mean the one they did in 2003?  I had that on Tivo, but then the Tivo died   I loved the "Liebeslieder Walzer" excerpts from that.

I would love, love, love to see a commercial release of the Farrell/Andersen/Castelli "Mozartiana", the "Vienna Waltzes" with Nichols/Lavery, Watts/Tomasson, Elyse Borne/Cook, von Arolding/Martins, and Farrell/Luders, and "Who Cares?" with Lavery, McBride, Lopez, and Watts, but rights, etc. get in the way.  That had an amazing array of dancers, some of whom have rarely been recorded commercially.

There was another program with "Serenade" (Kistler, Nichols, Calegari, Luders, Kozlov) and "Western Symphony" (Melinda Roy/Soto, Saland/La Fosse, Alexopoulos/Boal -- I had forgotten and assumed it was Woetzel!

Beyond Balanchine, I would love to see commercial releases of the Martins' Ballerinas program, with Ashley and David Parsons and Luders and Kate Johnson in "Barber Violin Concerto" with Elmar Oliveira's beautiful playing, McBride and Anderson in "Valse Triste", Nichols and Luder's in "Beethoven Romance", Watts and Soto in the slow movement from "Ecstatic Orange", and Farrell/Martins in "Sophisticated Lady".  And the Robbins program, with "Antique Epigraphs" and "Fancy Free".

Add in the kinoscope and complete footage of the ballets in the Balanchine biography plus all of the work that CBC recorded.  Not going to happen, but it's fun to dream.

If only Netflix could add in streaming on demand from NYPL for the Performance Arts archives in its $1 billion deal to stream on demand...

[EvilNinjaX]

Helene, on 11 August 2010 - 02:38 PM, said:

As an FYI, "Davidsbuendlertaenze" is a separate Nonesuch recording and is only available in VHS format.  I wish they're release it to DVD.

enjoy it while it's there....

-goro-

[dirac]

Davidsbundlertanze was also released on laserdisc back in the day.

[cubanmiamiboy]

So to make sure...would it then be safe to buy the 2nd DVD-(Chaconne, Ballo...etc...)-without the risk of having the sound problems of the first one...?

[cubanmiamiboy]

BTW...the three clips posted by Goro have been "removed by the user"...         

[Jack Reed]

Thanks for that brief glimpse of heaven, goro!   We don't see much dancing like that these days.

[EvilNinjaX]

Jack Reed, on 16 August 2010 - 06:45 AM, said:

Thanks for that brief glimpse of heaven, goro!   We don't see much dancing like that these days.

http://www.dailymoti...d-20-1_creation
http://www.dailymoti...d-20-2_creation
http://www.dailymoti...d-20-3_creation

http://www.dailymoti...ynight_creation

-goro-

[Jack Reed]

Awesome, goro, thank you again!