innopac Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 VAI have put excerpts from these ballets on youtube. I haven't been able to find a review of the dvd and am trying to find out more about the ballets and in particular these productions. Has anyone seen these ballets? Link to comment
Natalia Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 The Moscow Classical Ballet's 'Baiser,' with choreography by Kasatkina & Vasiliov, is a GEM of a ballet, not just because it stars Vladimir Malakhov as the bridegroom; the then-prima of the troupe, the adorable Lyudmila Vasilieva, as the fiancee; and the tall/glamorous soloist Tatyana Yatsenko as the fairy. It's a chance to see the full ballet in realistic sets/costumes and hear the complete Stravinsky score from which the shorter NYCB-Balanchine 'Divertimento' is derived. 'Kije,' a totally made-for-TV production starring the Bolshoi's Raisa Struchkova, did nothing for me but is of archival worth. On the other hand, the bonus Sleeping B. and DQ pas de deux starring Struchkova & Boris Khoklov, more than make up for the cheesiness of the Kije TV production, IMO. Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted October 14, 2007 Share Posted October 14, 2007 I saw publicity stills for "Kije" when it first came out in the early 60s, but I couldn't tell much from them, except that it starred Struchkova, and had choreography by Alexander Lapauri and Olga Tarasova. The story has always appealed to me, about a man who is created by the slip of a pen in an edict signed by the Tsar. Since the Tsar can never make a mistake, regular reports have to be sent to him about this fictitious man's exploits. The story even got recycled as an episode of the TV series M*A*S*H. Link to comment
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