BALLET ON DVD
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The Royal Ballet
The Sleeping Beauty / Alina Cojocaru, Federico Bonelli, The Royal Ballet (2007).
Alina Cojocaru and Federico Bonelli in The Royal Ballets acclaimed The Sleeping Beauty.
This production by Monica Mason and Christopher Newton was recorded in 2007 at the Royal Opera House. With Marianela Nunez in the role of the Lilac Fairy, and Genesia Rosato as Carabosse.
The picture quality is excellent. 16:9 widescreen picture format.
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Romeo and Juliet (Royal Ballet)- Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn (1966)
It's not a stretch to call Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn the most sublime of all dance partners and Sergei Prokofiev the most gifted 20th-century ballet composer. And so it goes without saying that the 1966 film version of the Royal Ballet production of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet featuring Nureyev and Fonteyn as the star-crossed lovers is an absolute must-have for anyone who cares a whit about the art. Director Paul Czinner has made all the right moves, alternating between full shots of the performers with long shots that accentuate how Kenneth MacMillan's fastidious choreography is inexorably linked to the characters, their story, the elaborate sets, and the viewer. Nicholas Georgiadis's costumes are sumptuous without being overdone, the supporting dancers and ensemble are as exquisite as the leads, and John Lanchbery conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House with just the right mixture of joviality and tragedy that Prokofiev's classic score needs but doesn't always receive.
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Swan Lake / Makarova, Dowell, Royal Ballet Covent Garden (1982)
It is difficult to believe today that Swan Lake was a failure on its production in 1877 and was not successful until the Petipa/Ivanov version of 1895. Today it is regarded as one of the greatest works in the art of ballet. The magic of Tchaikovsky’s music, embodying the love of Prince Siegfried for the enchanted Swan Queen, has greatly contributed to making this the best loved of all classical ballets. This production, with designs by the late Leslie Hurry, stars Natalia Makarova as Odette-Odile and Anthony Dowell as Prince Siegfried. Prince Siegfried celebrates his twenty-first birthday; his mother tells him it is time to marry, but he prefers to go hunting. Alone, by a lakeside, he sees a swan who turns to human form. She is an enchanted princess who can be saved only by true love. He promises this, but is tricked by the wicked magician who disguises his own daughter as the swan-maiden. In despair, Siegfried and the swan-maiden leap to death together and their sacrifice destroys the evil power.
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The Perfect Partnership - Fonteyn and Nureyev
Margot Fonteyn & Rudolf Nureyev.perhaps the greatest partnership in the history of ballet. For the first time, their most acclaimed performances, which have thrilled audiences worldwide, have been captured on one DVD. The program traces their partnership from its glorious inception in 1962 (in Giselle at Covent Garden), to its grand finale some 17 years later. It is unique in that it includes rare, behind-the-scenes footage of both dancers. This special tribute program has now become even more of a treasure due to the passing of both Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. Their legendary partnership was recently hailed by the press as when ". Ballet was never more gripping, never more transporting, that when her perfect pose met his ardent theatricality." Robert Powell narrates and ballet personalities such as dame Ninette de Valois, founder of The Royal Ballet, provide their thoughts and memories on the lives of Fonteyn, Nureyev and their association. The synergy of their partnership was electrifying, and their impact on the world of ballet remains unmatched. This collectors item is an intriguing visual biography of the greatest ballet partnership of all time.
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Cinderella / Sibley, Dowell, Royal Ballet (1969)
Cinderella may be Sergei Prokofiev's most accessible ballet, both musically and visually, and in the hands of a master choreographer, it can be a thrilling experience. And so it is with this 1969 Royal Ballet performance, with then-resident genius Frederick Ashton pulling out all the stops in a staging guaranteed to please fans and win new converts. Ashton's particular ability to couch his innovative moves within a conventional framework is in evidence here.
The back cover calls this "an acclaimed historic performance," and historic it certainly is. Several Royal Ballet dancers are shown in top form, including Ashton (as one of our heroine's ugly stepsisters!), Anthony Dowell as the prince, and the wonderful Antoinette Sibley as Cinderella. The production itself is filled with colorful sets and vivid costumes, and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House plays Prokofiev's enchanting music under the steady baton of John Lanchberry. The video itself is simply rendered, and the unspectacular sound does the job.
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An Evening with the Royal Ballet / Nureyev, Fonteyn (1965)
In An Evening with the Royal Ballet (1963), Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn, the most famous ballet partnership of the 20th century, dance together in the first two numbers, a dreamily romantic treatment of Les Sylphides, with the choreography by Michel Fokine, and a dazzling pas de deux from Le Corsaire. Les Sylphides is treated as an ensemble number, with full involvement by the Covent Garden company as well as graceful solos by the two stars. Le Corsaire, as choreographed by Nureyev, gives him opportunities to display his remarkable technique but also allows Fonteyn to shine.
Neither appears in Frederick Ashton's choreography for La Valse, which gets to the heart of Ravel's music in a visually impressive treatment. In "Aurora's Wedding" from Sleeping Beauty choreographed by Marius Petipa, Fonteyn dances beautifully with David Blair, an excellent Florimund, though not on the Nureyev level. "Aurora's Wedding" has many brilliant solos and, like La Valse, is an impressive showcase for the company.
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La Fille Mal Gardee (2005) - Royal Ballet. Carlos Acosta, Marianela Nuñez