MacMillan Triple Bill

Triple Bill of ballets choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan:

1. Elite Syncopations. Music by Scott Joplin and others. Stars Mara Galeazzi, Laura McCulloch, Iohna Loots, Paul Kay, Steven McRae, Liam Scarlett, Jonathan Watkins, Sarah Lamb, and Valeri Hristov. Onstage band includes players Deborah Green, John Montague, Stephen Broom, Rhydian Shaxson, Tony Hougham, Sarah Brooke, Rachel Elliott, Ian Balmain, John Shaddock, Lindsay Shilling, Jim Anderson, and Nicholas Ormrod led by Robert Clark, piano player and conductor. Costume design by Ian Spurling; lighting by John B. Reed; staging by Julie Lincoln.

2. The Judas Tree. Music by Brian Elias commissioned for this ballet. Stars Carlos Acosta, Edward Watson, Bennet Gartside, Leanne Benjamin, Ryoichi Hirano, Andrej Uspenski, Valeri Hristov, Kenta Kura, José Martín, Erico Montes, Michael Stojko, Eric Underwood, Jonathan Watkins, James Wilkie, and Thomas Whitehead. Barry Wordsworth conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House with concert master Sergey Levitin. Designs by Jock McFadyen; lighting by Mark Henderson; staging by Karl Burnett.

3. Concerto. Music is the Dmitry Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 2. Stars Yuhui Choe, Steven McRae, Marianela Nuñez, Rupert Pennefather, and Helen Crawford. Dominic Grier conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House with concert master Sergey Levitin. Jonathan Higgins plays solo piano. Designs by Jürgen Rose; lighting by John B. Read; staging by Christopher Carr.

Film director was Ross MacGibbon. Released 2010, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: A

This title has three one act ballets, each of which is completely different from the others. As explained later, this is not for young children and as a movie would be rated at least PG-13. MacMillan was the choreographer of two of our very best ballet HDVDs: the Decca Romeo & Juliet and the Opus Arte Mayerling. Although most of his work is dark or imbued with psychological issues, this triple bill stresses MacMillan's range.

Elite Syncopations involves a supernova explosion of the rag-time music demimonde and proves that MacMillan could make something frothy and funny. Sarah Lamb dominates the galaxy of stars with svelt sexuality and bone-crushing smile. Iohna Loots and Liam Scarlett get the most laughs with their don't-try-this-at-home ballet of mistakes and dropped partners.

Then follows The Judas Tree--- MacMillan's most controversial work---which deals among other things with the gang rape of a woman and an allegory of the death and resurrection of Christ. Edward Watson, who was Prince Rudolf in Mayerling, shows a striking ability to portray emotions in his dancing (no miming here). For dancing the woman in this, Leanne Benjamin deserves a medal from the Queen.

Finally, Concerto is an abstract modern ballet with no plot, props, or set. The dancing is nice, but I paid more attention to the music. The Shostokovich Piano Concerto No. 2 is an exciting and lyrical piece that was new to me. I would like to have it in a concert HDVD!

Because this HDVD is too sophisticated, too raw, and too abstract for most children, I give it the grade of B. For adult ballet fans, the proper grade would be an "A."