chrisk217

In the Glory of Kirov DVD there is a 2 minute excerpt of Olga Moiseyeva dancing a solo for some men at a symposium and 3 minutes of another performance, a scene with Ascold Makarov and Zubkovskaya. Both must have been filmed in the late 60s.

I just want to clarify that it's not just the amount of steps that bothers me. It's the "more is better" kind of logic I sense behind them; most of the time they are not integrally connected to either the music or the drama (to me at least; maybe I'm missing something) There is a frantic quality to the choreography even in scenes that should not be frantic.But as bart and brioche say the DVD and the production are magnificent (as is every POB production; even Coppelia which is a POB school DVD has the most beautiful sets and costumes and beautiful crisp image)

I would get a McMillan R&J first. I like the Fonteyn/Nureyev: dramatic but not excessively lyrical. It's ballet history, but they are both in good shape and they are both very good actors. Fonteyn's initial reserve (like when dancing with Paris (which -strangely- is my favorite part)) enhances the drama later on. Nureyev's acting is electrifying. From the Ferri R&Js I have the Ferri/Corella whole and excerpts of the Ferri/Eagling (I would have bought the Eagling but untill recently it was unavaillable on DVD in Europe). Ferri is another kind of Juliet, more lyrical. Also, the excerpts I have seen with Eagling were better danced than the Fonteyn/Nureyev. If I were you I would avoid the Ferri/Corella. There are many drawbacks (the La Scalla dancers, Ferri is older here etc) but the main drawback is Corella. He dances well but his acting is such that one is tempted to watch the tomb scene as comedy. I was very surprised to read on another thread that he is considered to be "the ultimate poetic dancer". Maybe he is, but you wont find the evidence on this DVD. (To be just, perhaps it's not entirely his fault but the director's, who closes-up on expressions intented to be visible from the 40th row of seats, but still I would not recommend this) The Lavrovsky version with Ulanova is a very good presentation of Ulanova's gift. Feeling and music seem to drive her dancing. I have seen this years ago and still remember it vividly (I can't wait for it to be availlable on DVD in Europe) I would avoid also the Paris Opera Ballet R&J. Some good people from BalletTalk warned me about it but I wouldn't listen. Nureyev's choreography can be summed up as "All steps, not much poetry". Steps, steps, steps and then more steps. It is, of course, fiendishly difficult and perfectly executed and there are people who will appreciate all the running, turning, lifting going on but it's not very touching. There is also a more modern take by Prejlocaj. It is set in a vaguely futuristic fascist state (complete with a wall, guards and a patrolling German sheperd) It's interesting, has a few good moments but ultimately it's also not touching. (Plus, it departs considerably from the play) Avoid if you are a ballet purist. edited to add: About the trilogy you mention: I have come accross the Giselle. It is good (much better than a later recording again with Besmertnova) but the audio is not very good and the video is blurry. Also, if I remember well, there is no peasant pas de deux.

"You are Frederick Ashton! As the greatest English choreographer, your restrained classical style is always appropriate. Unfortunately, the Royal Ballet has ignored you for too long and can no longer dance your style."

I just meant that the effect of pointe on a modern audience cannot be the same. That is true of the Bournonville Sylphide also. I'm not so sure about this but, I remember having heard of a Platel and Legris Sylphide film existing. Has anyone heard of this or is my memory playing tricks?

I see your point, but can we really go back to the time when the audience was "pointe-innocent"? We have seen so much pointe work that we now consider it a quite normal part of ballet language.I have also ordered this. The Thesmar Derard Sylphide is one of my favorite videos and I can't wait to compare the two...

Getting a chance to see once again Maya Plisetchkaya and Irek Muhamedov was the best thing about this broadcast. Maya looked so beautiful!!!! And Irek was very gracious. The dancers who won were the most deserving. Congratulations to all! Bart you write: This is only partly true. Most probably it will be the only dance broadcast my country will get for 2 months or so, so it might as well have been something more worthwhile.As for the actual broadcast, considering it's the "European Broadcasting Union" the video direction and editing should have been better. The director seemed somewhat clueless about what it is we are watching, or maybe was bored, so he tried to spice it up with strange shots that sometimes obscured the dancing, frequent cuts and (especially in the classical variations) angles that hid the technical aspects. What impresses me most is that this is not usually done in other types of competitions (gymnastics, skating etc) Why they think dance deserves such a treatment I cannot guess.

I have grown to like mime but it's a language that one must make an effort to learn and I'm not sure that the casual ballet goer wants to. One should comsider also that dancing transcends boundaries in a way mime does not. Not all the world understands a gesture in the same way. For example, in my part of the world when people swear (as in "I swear to tell the truth and nothing but ...") they have all the fingers extended and palm facing front. When people swear in balletland (as in "I swear I love you") they usually have only the 2nd and 3rd fingers pointing, the others closed. I can't tell you how many times I have watched Swan Lake and Giselle wondering why they're doing this strange gesture. Do they mean "Look up there" or has it something to do with hunting (as in "I was shooting in the forest etc...")? It took me a while to figure it. Even very simple gestures should not be taken for granted: where I live, moving your head upwards means no. I have heard of other cultures where this gesture means yes. I'm sure there are many other examples of non-universal gestures. I wont even go into mime that is difficult to understand because it refers to things or habits of the past (Giselle's spinning for example). That said watching mime done clearly can not only be illuminating but also very enjoyable (like the mime in POB's Paquita, very clear - even for people with no imagination as myself - and funny)

Does Chehov's Aniuta count? It's a short story not a play. It was choreographed by Vasiliev, on music by Gavrilin and there exists a Russian tape of him and Maximova in it. I have been trying to locate the short story for some time now because, curiously, I could not make out very much about Aniuta's character and the drama from the ballet. It's somewhat flat dramatically. You may have seen the very uplifting (pun intended) pdd in the Essential Ballet(?) compilation. Maximova must have been more than 50, but from a distance she looked like a teenager.

Thank you Dale! I forgot about Midsummer Night's Dream!As for Tallchief, her DVD is perpetually out of stock at amazon.co.uk. There are other sellers for the DVD, but they are located in the US, so the DVDs they sell are probably region 1/NTSC. The first that springs to mind: Plisetskaya's Kitri!

This is a list of what I hope one day (SOON ) to find on DVD. Do you think there is hope? What other performances do you think should be issued/reissued on DVD? (some items on the list do exist as region 1/NTSC DVDs but not as region 2/PAL) Here we go: Anything by Bournonville ! I know there was a vhs tape of La Sylphide and one of Napoli. Yet I can't find them anywhere. Are there plans to reissue them as DVDs? Is there any hope of a Bournonville boxed set coming out, with all the ballets we have been reading about in the Bournonville Festival threads? There are a lot of people in the world (dance professionals and balletomanes) interested in Bournonville. With the scarcity of Bournonville on video it would be easy for the RDB to market Bournonville DVDs. I know I would buy the box the moment it came out! Alexandra, is there hope? Sleeping Beauty Sizhova/Kirov (:huepfen024: - isn't this the perfect smilley for Sizova?) Sleeping Beauty Kolpakova/Kirov Sleeping Beauty Assylmuratova/Kirov Bayadere Komleva/Terekhova/Kirov Vasiliev/Maximova Giselle () Raymonda from the Paris Opera Ballet. The Dancers Dream documentary has been selling quite well and it's a documentary!!! So where is the whole performance? Another one of the mysteries of DVD distribution... Swan Lake with Makarova/Dowell (no region 2/PAL) (I hope it's a matter of time for this one) Makarova/Baryshnikov Giselle. Any Swan Lake with the Kirov (there are none in region 2/PAL) I'm not sure Mezentseva will be good in SL and a black swan pdd with Makhalina was not my taste but I still would like to have a Kirov SL. More DVDs from the POB: Almost perfect dancing, amazingly rich productions (costumes/scenery), clear and crisp image, non-intrusive video editing - what more can one ask for? Even, if the dancing may - very rarely - appear technically perfect but soulless, the POB DVDs are the definition of eye-candy. Beautiful!!!!! More Ashton, please! I'd like to see Enigma Variations (isn't there a film of Beriosova and Dowell?), A Month in the Country, Les Patineurs, Symphonic Variations. ( I told someone that I like Ashton the other day and he asked me if I'm British. I thought that was depressing...) And obviously, more Balanchine! (the only DVDs I can find in region2/PAL are the "Choreography by Balanchine", so start by Davids bundlertanze and Balanchine Celebration) After that, wouldn't it be great if someone went through the Balanchine foundation archives and compiled 3-4 DVDs of historic performances? It should be low cost and easy. Are there permission/copyright/other issues? So, what do you think? Is there hope for these items being issued as DVDs? What's your ballet DVD wish list?

This is a bit off topic but I ask here since the thread is bound to attract ballettalk's more experienced and creative ticket hunters :rolleyes: Please move if appropriate. Is there a way to get tickets for performances you are desperate to see (but not so desperate as to pay a small fortune for the last remaining seat - the one next to the primeminister's)? I am frequently away on trips which means that many times I miss the first day of ticket sales. Unfortunately by the second day (if the performance is worth seeing) all the reasonably priced tickets are gone. (That's how I missed the Malakhov Vishneva Swan Lake last Christmass ) Is there a waiting list for returned tickets? Or is there the possibility of buying a ticket for less in the last minutes before a performance? What is the etiquete in such cases? Is there any benefit in befriending the ticket sellers? The ones I know seem forbidding and uncompromising and have never suggested anything other than buying the absurdly priced last ticket. Are the rules different in small venues and big concert halls? Are European ticket customs different? Also how do standing room tickets work? Does the house have to be sold out to give standing tickets or are they availlable for every performance if you ask? Who do you ask? Is this a practice in European concert halls also? I have never seen anyone except the ushers standing. I'm new to aggresive ticket hunting and would appreciate every tip however obvious! Christine

Does Pulcinella count? There are at least 4 or 5 arias and duets in the score.

Terekhova is also Princess Florine in the Bluebird pdd of the 1989 Kirov Sleeping Beauty (Lezhnina/Ruzimatov). This is a video I would recommend for the performances of almost every dancer especially Larissa Lezhnina's Aurora.

My biggest costume problem is with Spectre of the Rose. There is nothing enchanting or beautiful or resembling a rose on that costume. The tank top emphasises the muscles and the head cap most of the times looks like auntie's diving cap from the fifties. I realise that most people must not agree with me, since the costume is reproduced time and again but it almost ruins Spectre for me. Ugliest production: Royal Ballet's Sleeping Beauty Most enchanting costumes: the petal-like fairy costumes in PNB's Midsummer Night's Dream. An off topic question (forgive my curiosity): I'm confused. Was the Royal Ballet Sleeping Beauty supposed to be choreographically accurate? I remember some significant changes (compared to most other productions) For example the final pas de deux had a lot of lifts. Is the RB's SB closer to Petipa than the versions usually done?

Thank you all for your answers. I'm buying Ruslan and Ludmila and I'm quite excited about it. Can't wait to see/hear it. Whenever I search for ballet, Amazon.co.uk suggests the following DVDs: Falstaff Verdi (La Scala Ballet Company, Bernadette Di Nissa, et al. ) Gluck: Iphigenie en Tauride, Zurich Orchestra La Scintilla, William Christie, et al. Macbeth - Verdi [1972], Kostas Paskalis, James Morris, et al. Giulio Cesare - Handel [1994] Australian Opera and Ballet Orch, Yvonne Kenny, et al. Mazeppa - Tchaikovsky [1996] Kirov Opera Orchestra And Choir, The Kirov Ballet, et al. Should I try any of these DVDs? And if so, should I expect an interesting dance interlude or should I buy it only for the music? I feel I could try all (except, maybe, Mazeppa) (If the moderators feel that my question has become too much "Other arts" please move my post to the appropriate forum)

In the summer many companies are touring and you may find great (or interesting) companies performing in cities not traditionally associated with ballet. If your trip takes you to Greece try to plan a night at the Herod Atticus theater. It is an ancient theater, in the shade of the Acropolis and the ambience on summer nights is magical. On some years the visiting companies are very good, on others not so good, but it's worth checking out if you plan to visit Athens. The program is generally anounced around February. You can find it in this site: http://www.hellenicfestival.gr/site/athens...en.asp?pageNo=1 Among the performers this year are the Cloud Gate Dance theater of Taiwan, the Cullberg ballet and the English National Ballet. You can browse through the program of the last couple of years to get an idea.

After watching the Polotsvian dances from the "Kirov celebrates Nijinsky" DVD I'm thinking of extending my limited opera horizons by taking the easy route: starting with operas that contain some kind of dance or ballet piece. So I'd like to ask Ballettalk's opera literate population what operas (aside from Prince Igor and La Gioconda) contain dance interludes. What should the dance oriented viewer know about the choreography/length/context etc. of each piece? Also your personal opinion on these small ballets would be greatly appreciated!

Natalia, thank you! (not only for the reports that made me feel I was there but also for the detailed visitor information that will make it easier for many ballet fans to be there in 2006 )

Natalia, thank you for the Mariinski reports! After reading them I'm now seriously considering of attending the festival next year! Do you know how early the program for each year is announced? Is solo travel (without a group/travel agency) easy in St.Petersburg? Christine

It's on the "Kirov, A Night of Classical Ballet" http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B...8479638-8228428 ...and the landings! Oh... the landings! Look at how she lands! If your taste is "old Kirov" don't be deterred. It's really difficult to explain to someone who does not get her, but Mezentseva is one of the great Giselles. I have noticed that Americans have a great trouble to appreciate her dancing, whereas most people who have grown up watching the Kirov understand her perfectly. It's a matter of different taste, cultivated by different viewing experiences. Also on video there is an old Tv film of Shuraleh by the name of Lesnaja Skaska. I'm not sure it is easy to find in the west (I found a video file from a friend of a friend - PM me for more). It was briefly mentioned here: http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=18794 It is interesting despite the ABYSMAL production values if only because one might not have had the chance to watch this ballet. The role is suited to Terekhova's qualities and she is quite good but, after watching a pdd excerpt with Plisetchkaya I must say that I prefer Plisetchkaya. Terekhova seemed slightly mannered and less involved in the character.

Wasn't there a discussion about a dancer that looks very much like Dame Margot? I can't find the topic, but if this dancer is the right age and speaks english why not cast her? Does anyone remember her name?

Amy, you are right on the "girls are not good at math" con. There was, some years ago, an experiment by a Stanford psychologist. He selected men and women that had equal marks and abilities and separated them in two groups. Both groups took a math exam, but the first group was informed first that the test they were taking had been proved neutral to gender. To the second group no commend was made. Not only did men and women perform equally well in the first group, but also first group women performed better than second group women and first group men performed worse than the second group men. Second group women were held back by their "girls are not good at math" belief and men were boosted. We rarely hear of research like this... all the emphasis (and financing) is on neurobiology research ("hard" science) versus psychological (cognitive) research ("soft" science) I am female and went to an elec.&computer engineering school. On my first year just 10% were girls. 4 years later, with the internet revolution under way, computers had gone through an image make-over and 40% were girls. Once there, they performed on average as well as the men. That is not to say that there are no differences between the sexes. Both sexes can approach successfully any subject, but empirically, I suspect they do so throught very different routes and some subjects come more natural to men, others to women. Art is one such subject. Which brings me to the problem as I see it: the way we live now largely confines us to what comes natural to us (our gender, our upbringing, milieu etc). Exploring new worlds (like art) takes energy and incentive. Who of the young professionals working 10-12 hours a day, plus commute, has the energy? These people want their food and entertainment pre-chewed for them, and who can blame them? They gravitate towards what comes easiest: escapist adventure, video games, graphic novels that can be absorbed in one sitting. In my parents time there was such a thing as an 8 hour work day!!! As for the incentives to appreciate the arts, the combined forces of mass culture and postmodernism have managed to do away with them. If one is beset by vulgarity all around there is no shame in partaking of it and when everything can be art nothing (and whatever you like) is. What we regard as an art boom could have been a secure middle class (reasonable work hours, reasonable income, reasonable job security) stretching its interests and discovering new worlds. As western society becomes more polarised I'm afraid this will happen less and less.

Is all the DVD that way (respectful of the flow of the choreography)?

So there is no widely available book that discusses his ballets?