Jump to content
This Site Uses Cookies. If You Want to Disable Cookies, Please See Your Browser Documentation. ×

Recommended Posts

I have before me a booklet from the BBC opus arte, there are several ballets on dvd I want to buy. Need some guidance in this! First Mendelsohn " A midsummer night dream" choreographed by George Balanchine, performed by the Pacific northwest ballet. Secondly The Firebird choreographed by Nijinska performed by the Royal ballet. Thirdly, Tchaikovsky The Sleeping Beauty, choreographed by Peter Wright performed by the Dutch National Ballet. Of all the ballets I have different versions but I always love to expand my horizon. Tell me what you think of the above selection, and add to it by all means!

Health and Happiness

Walboi

:rolleyes:

Link to comment
As I recall all three productions have been amply discussed on BTalk, and you should be able to find those discussions with the search engine.

Here, for instance, is the Amsterdam Sleeping Beauty.

MND

Anyway, I'd recommend getting each and every one, and I'd at least add the Bolshoi's Raymonda (Bessmertnova) and the RB's Coppélia.

:lightbulb: Thanks Herman for the link and advice, and by the way Raymonda lies next to me waiting to be put in the dvd machine.

Health and happiness

Walboi

Link to comment
I have before me a booklet from the BBC opus arte, there are several ballets on dvd I want to buy. Need some guidance in this! First Mendelsohn " A midsummer night dream" choreographed by George Balanchine, performed by the Pacific northwest ballet. Secondly The Firebird choreographed by Nijinska performed by the Royal ballet. Thirdly, Tchaikovsky The Sleeping Beauty, choreographed by Peter Wright performed by the Dutch National Ballet. Of all the ballets I have different versions but I always love to expand my horizon. Tell me what you think of the above selection, and add to it by all means!

Health and Happiness

Walboi

:rolleyes:

The MND with the Northwest Ballet is a must.

The Firebird is dicier. I don't think Leanne Benjamin is necessarily the best Firebird. I prefer Diana Vishneva (on Kirov Celebrates Nijinsky) or Nina Ananiashvilli in a dvd called "Return of the Firebird." OTOH, the RB probably has the best *production.* I mention the two other Firebird videos because I also think they have better programs in general. Les Noces is a real acquired taste, but Scheherazade, Spectre a la Rose, and Polovtsian Dances on Kirov Celebrates Nijinsky are all great fun to watch. Return of the Firebird has Scheherazade and Petruskha.

I'd definitely get Peter Wright's Sleeping Beauty. Overall I think it's the best on the market. A second runner up would be the Royal Ballet version with Durante as Aurora, but that production has truly horrifying sets, as well as a Lilac Fairy (Benazir Hussein) who's very, very weak. If you really like Sleeping Beauty, VAI has a telecast with Fonteyn/Somes that's very abridged, but wonderful nevertheless.

Link to comment

Walboi, my opinion is different from the other responses. I hope I wont confuse you. All the disks you mention are good and what you should buy first is a matter of taste.

If you like Balanchine go for the Midsummer Night's Dream. It's a beautiful production. I have not seen the unavaillable recording with Farrel so I enjoyed this very much. If you have seen the Farrel recording perhaps you'll find this pale by comparison.

If you like Stravinsky's music go for Firebird/Noces. The choreography in this particular Firebird is the traditional choreography by Fokine. Benjamin is a wild/afraid Firebird like Fonteyn (only not so earthbound). This is the way Karsavina taught it to Fonteyn, and, for me, this is the only way it makes sense musicallly and choreographically. Diana Vishneva is a divine dancer, but IMHO, the idea she has of Firebird does not work. The slower tempi, required to give Vishneva the time to unfold all that lushness, strip the music of the half the magic and the exciting edginess.

Nijinska's Les Noces is powerful, uncompromisingly austere & still startling, both in concept and in the choreographical devices used. But (warning) it's not light entertainment and not everyone likes it.

The Sleeping Beauty is an interesting performance but I would not buy it as a first or second Sleeping Beauty dvd.

Link to comment
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...