Natalia Bessmertnova's Legacy

[Natalia]

While mourning the passing of this great ballerina, we can find a bit of comfort in knowing that her artistry will live on in film. Practically all of her greatest roles have been captured on celluloid, some more than once. These include:

Giselle - (1) 1971 L. Lavrovsky staging w/ M. Lavrovsky; (2) ca 1990 Grigorovich staging w/ Vasyuchenko ... the first of these extraordinary, IMO

Romeo & Juliet, Lavrovsky version, 1975 w/ M. Lavrovsky

Romeo & Juliet, Grigorovich version ca 1989 w/ Mukhamedov

Spartacus (Phrygia) - (1) 1976 w/ Vasiliev, (2) ca 1982 w/ Mukhamedov, (3) 1985 Act 2 also w/Mukhamedov

Chopiniana (Prelude and pdd) - in same 1985 concert from London that includes Spartacus A2

Swan Lake (Odette/Odile) 1975 w/ Akimov

Ivan the Terrible (Anastasia) - (1) ca 1976 original cast film w/ Vladimirov (2) ca 1989 w/ Mukhamedov

Golden Age (Rita) 1987 w/ Mukhamedov

Raymonda - ca 1989 w/ Vasyuchenko

Then we have the shorter segments & clips of ballets seen on doucmentaries that have been released either in USA/UK or Russia:

The Secret of Success ca 1963 - Bessmertnova dances Lavrovsky's "Ravel's Waltzes"

Yuri Grigorovich: Master of the Bolshoi ca 1990 (various clips, backstage footage, having tea at home, etc.)

Stars of the Bolshoi Ballet compendium - incl Goleizovsky's "Dvorak Melody" miniature danced with Lavrenchuk

Kazyan Goleizovsky Remembered (Russian TV film) w/ Bessmertnova & Vasiliev in parts of "Leili i Mejdun"

...and ad-hoc clips shown recently on Russian TV: "Angara pdd" w/ Akimov, "Legend of Love pdd" w/ Bogatyrev and "Vocalise" solo

Others?

[rg]

Melody (col.) / recorded in 1971 ; choreography, Kasian Goleizovski ; music, Antonín Dvorák ; danced by Natalia Bessmertnova and Aleksandr Lavreniuk. on Russian ballet, the glorious tradition. Volume two / Telecompany Ostankino [and] Val G. Productions, Ltd.

+

Romeo and Juliet [excerpts] / Cushion dance, Act I, ca. 1970 ; duet of Juliet and Paris, Act I, danced by Natalia Bessmertnova and Vladimir Romanenko, ca. 1970 ; bedroom pas de deux, Act III, danced by Natalia Bessmertnova and Mikhail Lavrovski, ca. 1970. on The magic of the Bolshoi Ballet: Past and present / produced by Gostelradio Soviet TV for The Entertainment Video Co., London ; conceived for video by Christopher Peers.

in the SWAN LAKE released as THE ULTIMATE SWAN LAKE in '84 after an earlier telecast, her prince is Bogatyrev(to Akimov's Rothbart) as follows:

Swan lake/ produced by Five Star International ; [presented by] the Bolshoi Ballet ; production directed and choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich ; music by Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky.1984.

Danced by Natalia Bessmertnova (Odette/Odile), Alexander Bogatyrev (Siegfried), Boris Akimov, and members of the Bolshoi Ballet. Conducted by Algis Zhuraitis.

[canbelto]

Bessmertnova was IMO best in the roles Gennady Smakov described as "weeping spirits." Giselle, Phrygia and Odette were maybe the best. As Juliet I thought she lacked a little of the playfulness required for the part. But still in a company known for fireworks she was a lovely lyrical dancer. And 66 is really so young May she rest in peace.

[FauxPas]

I posted an inquiry about this before but never got a response. I picked up a DVD of the Bessmertnova/Lavrovsky "Romeo and Juliet" (Lavrovsky choreography) as part of a Bolshoi Ballet Collection set. Adding to Canbelto's comment about the lack of playfulness in Bessmertnova's Juliet, this filming is missing the scene where Juliet bounds on hitting the Nurse with a pillow and jumping on her lap. Even the almost 50 year-old Ulanova pulls off this scene in the 1950's Lenfilm movie.

In the DVD I have, Bessmertnova makes her entrance in the Capulet ball scene serenely seated and receiving admirers in a very ladylike and mature manner. She gets what seems to be entrance applause so my guess is that it is in fact her first appearance and the earlier scene of Juliet and her Nurse (with Lady Capulet entering later with Paris) was in fact cut. My guess is that Bessmertnova was in fact too mature, tall and elegant a presence to pull of the "playful child" scene and Grigorovich simply cut the scene. Can anyone from Russia (Marga, Natalia?) confirm that NB did cut this scene? Did she ever do it?

BTW: VAI is slated to put out another filming of the Bolshoi "Romeo and Juliet" with Maximova and Vasiliev! I don't know when it was filmed but I bet Maximova still today has the playfulness and exuberance to pull off that first scene with the Nurse!

[Natalia]

The video of Bessmertnova/M. Lavrovsky in the L. Lavrovsky version is missing many, many scenes, not just the Juliet-and-Nurse playful segment, e.g., scene of Juliet's Friends and Troubadours, the scene in which Romeo gets the note about Juliet's "death," etc. Had we attended the live performances at the Bolshoi Theater, we would have seen it all.

[Rosa]

There are many youtube clips featuring the late Natalia, including her entire Raymonda and Giselle (with Lavrovsky).

[Mashinka]

I posted an inquiry about this before but never got a response. I picked up a DVD of the Bessmertnova/Lavrovsky "Romeo and Juliet" (Lavrovsky choreography) as part of a Bolshoi Ballet Collection set. Adding to Canbelto's comment about the lack of playfulness in Bessmertnova's Juliet, this filming is missing the scene where Juliet bounds on hitting the Nurse with a pillow and jumping on her lap. Even the almost 50 year-old Ulanova pulls off this scene in the 1950's Lenfilm movie.

In the DVD I have, Bessmertnova makes her entrance in the Capulet ball scene serenely seated and receiving admirers in a very ladylike and mature manner. She gets what seems to be entrance applause so my guess is that it is in fact her first appearance and the earlier scene of Juliet and her Nurse (with Lady Capulet entering later with Paris) was in fact cut. My guess is that Bessmertnova was in fact too mature, tall and elegant a presence to pull of the "playful child" scene and Grigorovich simply cut the scene. Can anyone from Russia (Marga, Natalia?) confirm that NB did cut this scene? Did she ever do it?

You don't give the date this recording was made. In Natalia's comprehensive list she just gives one filmed performance of the Lavrovsky version from 1975 and I believe that is the recording I have, bought in a PAL video version in Moscow in the early 90's. There is a disclaimer in English before the start of the ballet that there are technical deficiencies on the tape that shouldn't prevent overall enjoyment and these take the form of strange little jumps within scenes, but as far as I can tell, at a running time of approximately two and a half hours the ballet is complete. That includes the scene with the nurse where Juliet jumps into her lap.

I don't see how at 34 Bessmertnova could be considered 'too mature' for the role, she doesn't look thirteen that's for sure, but then who does? Could the copy you have have been made at a later date? I can't help out with the casting of the other main roles as only Bessmertnova and Lavrovsky's names appear on the case and as I had seen the Bolshoi for the first time only the year before, I have difficulty naming the other dancers not helped by lack of close ups and less than perfect picture quality. I remember that this performance was broadcast (possibly live) in the UK by the BBC amidst a fair bit of publicity and when the camera pans into the audience you can see Beryl Grey sitting in the front row of the stalls. I really think on reflection that you must have a much later version.

[Natalia]

Mashinka, we are talking about the very same performance. In the USA, the film was distributed by KULTUR, in a 108 minutes edited version that omits about 40 minutes of stage action. I have the DVD cover right here with me, as I type.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if, some day, another US distribution-firm would reissue the DVD in its complete, uncut, version?

[Jane Simpson]

The catalogue of the BBC's dance collection includes a Bessmertnova/Lavrovsky Romeo and Juliet, shown on television in March 1976, in a performance filmed at the Bolshoi and shown, with an introduction by Beryl Grey, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Bolshoi Theatre. Total running time 150 mins.

Would this be the same one? If so, the cast was:

Juliet - Natalia Bessmertnova

Romeo - Mikhail Lavrovsky

Mercutio - Yuri Papko

Tybalt - Vladimir Levashev

Paris - Vladimir Romanenko

Benvolio - Alexei Zakalinsky

Lord Capulet - Vladimir Golubin

Lady Capulet - Irina Krasvina

Nurse - Tatiana Stepanova

Friar Laurence - Valery Zholtikov

Duke of Verona - Yuri Medvedev

Lord Montague - Ivan Smolzov

Juliet's Friend - Tatiana Galikova

Troubadour - Valery Lagunov

Solo Jester - Shamil Jagudin

Conductor - Algis Shuraitis

[Natalia]

Yes, that is it, Jane. So 150 minutes of this uncut version minus the 108 minutes of the KULTUR edition issued iin the USA = 42 minutes that were cut from the USA version.

So American fans should not go by the US video/DVD, which is missing a whole lot of the ballet.

[Jane Simpson]

Looking further through the BBC catalogue, I see they also have/had Bessmertnova and Lavrovsky in a Romeo and Juliet choreographed by Victor Smirnov-Kolovanov and Natalia Ryzkenko, set to Tchaikowsky's R&J Overture and shown in 1970 - did anyone see that?

And Bessmertnova is also listed as a Rose Maiden in Gayane, in Margaret Dale's Stars of the Bolshoi Ballet programme from 1963.

[Mashinka]

Jane, thank you so much for that cast list, I thought I recognized Golikova as Juliet's friend but thought she was too young to be in that early a recording.

Natalia, commiserations that you have such a duff version, let’s hope a pristine version in DVD appears before too long.

[Mashinka]

Looking further through the BBC catalogue, I see they also have/had Bessmertnova and Lavrovsky in a Romeo and Juliet choreographed by Victor Smirnov-Kolovanov and Natalia Ryzkenko, set to Tchaikowsky's R&J Overture and shown in 1970 - did anyone see that?

Yes! If it was made in 1970 then it was a studio performance I think, it must have been the very first sight I ever had of Bessmertnova so no wonder I remember it.

What treasures the Beeb must have stored away, do you know if they still have tapes of the old 'Gala Performance' programmes in the back catalogue?

[Natalia]

....

Natalia, commiserations that you have such a duff version, let’s hope a pristine version in DVD appears before too long.

There may be hope. I see that Kultur's DVD catalogue no longer includes this "Romeo & Juliet Lite." Perhaps we will see the performance in full the next time that it is marketed in the USA? Let's hope.

Topic for another discussion but I find it fascinating how distributors around the globe treat the "same" DVD differently. Not only has Kultur chopped this Bolshoi R&J to pieces but I have noticed that the Japanese distributors of the Delouche POB documentaries have chosen to radically edit those films. Japanese audiences don't realize that they are seeing only two-thirds of the full "Yvette Chauvire: Une Etoile Pour L'Example," for instance.

Of course, it's only through the recent globalization of technology -- region-free DVD players, to be exact -- that film collectors discover these inconsistencies from country to country.

[Jane Simpson]

What treasures the Beeb must have stored away, do you know if they still have tapes of the old 'Gala Performance' programmes in the back catalogue?

Yes, the catalogue I have lists the dance extracts from about 17 Gala Performance programmes. But... the listing is already over 20 years old, so who knows what may have disappeared since then.

[carbro]

Of course, it's only through the recent globalization of technology -- region-free DVD players, to be exact -- that film collectors discover these inconsistencies from country to country.

That, and international forums, where members compare . . .