MakarovaFan

I'm thinking about purchasing a video of the Kirov's 1977 production of La Bayadere starring Gabriella Komleva. Any opinions? Thanks!

rg, you have made my day!

Mashinka & rg, Thanks for your feedback. I just bought a used hardcover of the book on Amazon. I'm especially looking forward to the photos of Vasiliev.

I'm thinking of buying Judy Cameron's book on The Bolshoi. Is it good and what is the quality of the photographs? Thanks!

I recently watched a 1980 video of Natalia Makarova's production of LA BAYADERE at Lincoln Center Library. Makarova danced Nikiya and Anthony Dowell danced Solor. I hadn't seen this staging since watching it on Live From Lincoln Center 24 years ago and it brought back many happy memories. I'd forgotten how stunning the production looked, but I was really wowed by Makarova's gorgeously danced Nikiya. In my opinion, her Bayadere is up there with her portrayals of Giselle and Odette. Who are some other memorable Nikiyas? Melissa

silvy, The Richard Chamberlain film about Tchaikovsky is THE MUSIC LOVERS. Vanessa Redgrave isn't in it, but Glenda Jackson is playing his disturbed wife, Antonina.

I just heard from a friend that the Bolshoi will be appearing in Boston this Fall. They will dance RAYMONDA on October 6-7 at 7:30 PM, and DON QUIXOTE on October 8-9 at 7:30 PM and October 10 at 3:00 PM. Does anyone know the venue they'll be using and when tickets will go on sale? Thanks!

I really missed Suzanne Farrell. For me her absence was almost painful given such an important occasion. Just imagine what she would have said about Balanchine instead of the hackneyed stuff spoken by SJP, Kline and Wasserstein. The still of Farrell dancing Don Q with Balanchine was like rubbing salt in a open wound.

Liebeslieder Walzer Vienna Waltzes Jewels La Valse The Dream Manon

Edith Wharton: The Age of Innocence, The House of Mirth (Edith Wharton and I are cousins) F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby Emily Bronte: Wuthering Heights Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre Jane Austen: Persuasion

Can anyone name a few?

I recommend the Bolshoi's SPARTACUS dvd starring Vladimir Vasiliev. The disc features one of the most astonishing performances ever captured on film (Vasiliev as Spartacus) and contains a wonderful extra of a 21-year-old Vasiliev dancing a solo from The Little Humpbacked Horse which also features Maya Plisetskaya as the Queen-Maiden.

I loved 'The Dream'. How wonderful it was to see ballet on PBS again. It's been such a long, agonizing drought! ABT has staged a beautiful production and Ashton's choreography is glorious. Cornejo's Puck was pitch perfect and brilliantly danced. I hope the company brings 'The Dream' to New York in the next couple of seasons.

My parents saw Haydee, Cragun and the Stuttgart Ballet dance Cranko's R&J in the '70's at an outdoor theatre in New Jersey. My Mom recalls it was stunning.

Last Sunday I saw a very good play called 'Match' starring Frank Langella and Ray Liotta. Langella -- in a superb performance -- plays a retired ballet dancer who is now a teacher. I don't want to provide any details of the plot, but let's just say the play is full of twists and turns and is both hilarious and poignant. For all our members who can make it to Broadway, I highly recommend that you see 'Match' at the Plymouth Theatre located on 45th Street. The show opens tonight.

Hi Silvy, I recently bought a Daewoo multi-region dvd player and it's great. It cost $115 including tax and features a slow motion function that doesn't distort the picture at all. Good luck in finding a machine.

Fonteyn, Plisetskaya and Makarova

coda, Thanks for the information on Vladimirov -- very interesting.

Hi Cygnet! I have the Suite recording of Previn's 1972 NUTCRACKER and it is nice. But my hands down favorite recording of this ballet is the soundtrack to Baryshnikov's 1977 tv film co-starring Gelsey Kirkland. I bought the 2 LP set right after watching the original broadcast and it's a magnificent recording. All the tempi are easily danceable, the National Philharmonic -- which sounds weak in the Bonynge/SLEEPING BEAUTY cd -- sounds rich, and all the playing is expert. And, above all, conductor Kenneth Schermerhorn brings out the magic and drama of the score superbly. The interpretation of the Act II PDD is a masterpiece all by itself: intensely romantic and Schermerhorn's buildup to the climaxes are gorgeous. Unfortunately, the recording is out of print and never made it to the cd format. So my LPs are precious indeed.

I loved Shen & Zhao's free skate. Their choreography and rapport beautifully matched the Nutcracker PDD music and they deserved those great scores.

'For me, Previn's recording with the LSO (1974) was the IT recording until I bought Pletnev's. IMHO Pletnev's performance surpasses Previn's (something I never thought could happen). Previn's was great in that the specifics were clearly delineated. For example, the fairies first appearance and variations, as well as Act II were so magical they seemed supernatural in sound. Previn's tempi was fast here - not danceable, but they sounded like magical beings.' [/b] My favorite recording remains Previn's. The LSO sounds great and Previn has a marvelous feel for the drama and magic of the story -- you hear it immediately in the Prelude with the contrast of the fury of Carabosse's theme to the radiant lyricism of the Lilac Fairy's theme. In fact, the entire Prologue sounds glorious, despite the fast tempi of the fairy variations. But Previn and the LSO outdo themselves in 'The Vision' scene. It's absolutely ravishing! This is by far his best Tchaikovsky ballet recording.

Featured on Kultur's video of Plisetskaya in Carmen is a work called Prelude featuring her dancing with Vasiliev. How would you rate their performances in it?

BTW Marguerite Porter looked sooo much like Margot it was eerie. Cygnet, Tell me about it! Porter's resemblance to Margot was spooky.

Marc is right about the sub-par quality of the National Philharmonic. The string and brass sections sound very thin.

Silvy, I have a recording of the complete SLEEPING BEAUTY with the National Philharmonic conducted by Richard Bonynge (see link below). Though I'm not a dancer, Bonynge's tempi are slower than Previn's and sound comfortably danceable to my ears. I'm sure someone else can chime in with another, perhaps better recommendation, but I would go with the Bonynge. There are 8 other complete SLEEPING BEAUTY recordings on the Tower Records site, just for your information. http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=1710897