Victoria ballet. Choreographed and directed by Cathy Marston. Music by Philip Feeney with additional orchestration by John Longstaff. Performed and recorded 2019 at the Northern Ballet. Stars Abigail Prudames (Victoria), Joseph Taylor (Albert), Pippa Moore (Older Princess Beatrice), Miki Akuta (Young Princess Beatrice), Mlindi Kulashe (John Brown), Sean Bates (Liko), Filipo di Vilio (Benjamin Disraeli), Riku Ito (Lord Melbourne), Gavin McCaig (William Gladstone & Uncle Leopold), Minju Kang (Victoire), and Matthew Topliss (Conroy). Jonathan Lo conducts the Northern Ballet Sinfonia. Set and costume design by Steffen Aarfing; lighting design by Alastair West; dramaturgy and scenario by Uzma Hameed. Directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2020, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+
The Northern Ballet, located in Leeds, England, primarily focuses on narrative works; they bill themselves as the world’s leading company of ballet artists who also act.
Read MoreROB Modern Program. Features three modern ballet performances. Andrew Griffiths and Jonathan Lo conduct the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Vasko Vassilev).
Within the Golden Hour. Choreography by Christopher Wheeldon. Music by Ezio Bosso and Antonio Vivaldi. Directed by Christopher Saudners. Stars Beatriz Stix-Brunell, Vadim Muntagirov, Francesca Hayward, Valentino Zucchetti, Sarah Lamb, and Alexander Campbell. Costume design by Jasper Conran; lighting design by Peter Mumford.
Medusa. Choreography by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Music by Henry Purcell. Electronic Music by Olga Wojciechowska. Stars Natalia Osipova (Medusa), Olivia Cowley (Athena), Ryoichi Hirano (Poseidon), and Matthew Ball (Perseus). Also features soprano Ailish Tynan and counter-tenor Tim Mead. Concept and set design by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and ROH Production; costume design by Olivia Pomp; lighting design by Adam Silverman; associate choreography by Jason Kittelberger.
Flight Pattern. Choreography by Crystal Pite.
Read MoreRobert Bolle, the God of Milan, has been featured in 3 ballet titles from Opus Arte. You can get more details for each title by using the links provided:
This box set provides an excellent value because all the titles are good with no loser in the bunch. The Gala has many times been a hit with audiences new to ballet. We don’t pay much attention to prices on this website, but the initial offering of this for about $40 is a true bargain.
Read MoreThe Art of Natalia Osipova 4 Disc Set released 2020. Below are the discs for four ballets featuring Natalia Osipova at the ROB. Three of these titles already been reported on this website, and you can get more details by using the links provided:
Giselle. Tchaikovsky. 2014. Grade: A-
La fille mal gardée, Minkus. 2015. Grade: A-
Swan Lake. Tchaikovsky. 2015. Grade: B-
Force of Nature Natalia. Documentary Film. 2020. Grade: NA
Read MoreBeethoven Project ballet. Music by Beethoven (featuring elements from the Eroica Variations [piano and chamber music], the Creatures of Prometheus ballet, and Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica” or “Heroic”). Choreography by John Neumeier. Performed and recorded 2019 at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. Stars Aleix Martinez (Ludwig van Beethoven); Edvin Revasov (Beethoven’s Ideal); Patricia Friza (Beethoven’s Mother); Borja Bermudez (Beethoven’s Nephew); Anna Laudere (Beethoven’s “Distant Beloved”); and soloist dancers Christopher Evans, Marc Jubete, Emilie Mazoń, Yun-Su Park, Madoka Sugai, Alexandr Trusch, Lizhong Wang, and Mayo Arii. Also features musicians Michał Białk (Piano); Ermir Abeshi (Violin); Teodor Rusu (Cello); Xiangzi Cao-Staemmler, Helmut Winkel, Benjamin Rivinius, and Mario Blaumer (String Quartet). Simon Hewett conducts the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern. Set design by Heinrich Tröger; lighting and costumes by John Neumeier. Directed for TV by Myriam Hoyer. Released 2020, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B
The Beethoven Project is not one of Neumeier’s narrative works. It’s abstract dancing to Beethoven music with some allusions to facts about his life. The music is divided into 3 parts, and the music in each part contains a theme you will probably recognize
Read MoreLa Bayadère ("The Temple Dancer") ballet. Music by Ludwig Minkus. Choreography by Nacho Duato after Marius Petipa. Performed 2019 at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg. Stars Angelina Vorontsova (Nikiya, the Lead Bayadère); Victor Lebedev (Solor); Sergey Strelkov (The High Brahmin); Andrey Kasyanenko (Dugmanta, the Rajah); Andrea Laššáková (Gamzatti); Nikita Tchetverikov (Bronze Idol); Olga Poryvko (Aya); Andrey Yakhnyuk (Magedaveya, a Fakir); Victoria Zaripova and Marina Korotchenkova (D’Jampe); Victor Lebedev, Andrea Laššáková, Debora Davis, Yulia Lukyanenko, Ekaterina Odarenko, Ella Persson (Grand Pas Classique); Tatiana Miltseva and Andrey Yakhnyuk (Drummers); Svetlana Bednenko, Andrea Laššáková, and Yulia Lukyanenko (Three Shades); Olga Arsenina (First Variation), and dancers of the Mikhailovsky Ballet (Bayadères, Fakirs, Dancers, Guests, Guards, and Shades). Pavel Sorokin conducts the Orchestra of the Mikhailovsky Theatre. Stage and costume design by Angelina Atlagić; lighting design by Brad Fields; artistic director for the Mikhailovsky Theatre was Vladimir Kekhman. Directed for TV by Andy Sommer; produced by François Duplat. Released 2020. Grade: A
Before I got this disc to review, I’d never heard of the Mikhailovsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg. I thought ballet in Saint Petersburg resided at the
Read MoreLa Bayadère ("The Temple Dancer") ballet. Music by Ludwig Minkus. Choreography by Natalia Makarova after Marius Petipa. Directed 2018 by Natalia Makarova at the Royal Opera House. Stars Marianela Nuñez (Nikiya); Vadim Muntagirov (Solor); Natalia Osipova (Gamzatti); Gary Avis (The High Brahmin); Christopher Saunders (Rajah); Yuhui Choe, Yasmine Naghdi, Akane Takada, and Artists of the Royal Ballet (The Shades), and Alexander Campbell (The Golden Idol). Boris Gruzin conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Sergey Levitin). Set design by PIer Luigi Samaritani; costume design by Yolanda Sonnabeno; lighting design by John B. Read; staging by Olga Evreinoff; ballet master was Jonathan Howells; ballet mistress was Samantha Raine; assistant ballet mistress was Sian Murphy; principal coaching by Carlos Acosta, Alexander Agadzhanov, and Lesley Collier. Directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2020. Grade: NA
Read MoreLa Bayadère ballet. Music by Ludwig Minkus arranged by John Lanchbery. Choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev after Marius Petipa. Performed 1994 at the Paris Opéra Ballet. Stars Isabelle Guérin (Nikiya), Laurent Hilaire (Solor), Élisabeth Platel (Gamzatti, the Rajah's daughter), Francis Malovic (The High Brahmin), Jean-Marie Didière (Rajah), Lionel Delanoê (Maghaveya, the Head Fakir), Wilfried Romoli (The Bronze Idol) as well as Agnès Letestu, Clothilde Vayer, and Nathalie Riqué (The Three Shades). Michel Quéval conducts the Orchestre Colonne. Set designs by Ezio Frigerio; costumes by Franca Squarciapino. Originally recorded by film director Alexandre Tarta on 35mm stock and later transferred to a video produced by François Duplat. Released 2010, disc has LPCM stereo sound only. Grade: A
This is a fine-art motion picture film originally made in 1994 to show in movie houses. There were quite a few of such movies made over the years. Many of those films are still available today thru Criterion etc. But this is one of only several fine-arts movie to be remastered to video well enough to take advantage of Blu-ray presentation (as opposed to the VHS or DVD). Video resolution is better than DVD but not as good as typical HDVDs released from 2010 on. Because this was made to be shown in movie houses, it only has stereo sound. Long ago we excluded this title for age and stereo only. But recently Wonk Zach Farr argued that we should cover this and sent us his copy of the disc to reconsider.
Read MoreSwan Lake ballet. Music by Tchaikovsky. Book by V.P. Begichev and Vasily Geltzer. Choreography by Valery Kovton (1944-2005) after Lev Ivanov, Marius Petipa, and Alexandre Gorski. Performed 2019 by the Ballet Company of the National Opera of Ukraine at the National Opera House in Kiev. Stars Natalia Matsak (Odette/Odile); Denys Nedak (Prince Siegfried); Yaroslav Tkachuck (Rothbart); Ganna Muromtseva, Olga Skripchenko, and Oleksandre Skulkine (Pas de trois); Margarita Alyanakh, Irina Borisova, Ganna Muromtseva, and Svetlana Onipko (The Brides and Big Swans); Elisaveta Goguidze, Katerina Didenko, Inna Chorna, and Katerina Chupina (Little Swans); Oleksandre Skulkine (Venetian Dance); Sergey Litvinenko (The Tutor); Vladislav Ivashchenko (The Knight); and Ludmila Melnik (The Queen). Mykola Dyadura conducts the Orchestra of the National Opera of Ukraine. Stage and costume design by Maria Levitskaya. Directed for TV by Bertrand Normand; produced by François Duplat. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B
Ukraine is a landlocked developing country that is always the innocent bystander getting grievously injured in the age-old struggles between Russia and Western Europe. It’s about the size (in land and population) of Texas and Oklahoma together. Well, there is no ballet company in Texas/Oklahoma remotely able to maintain Swan Lake in repertory, but the Ukrainians do exactly that. Below is
Read MoreSwan Lake ballet. Music by Tchaikovsky. Book by V.P. Begichev and Vasily Geltzer. Choreography by Liam Scarlett (assisted by Kristen McGarrity) after Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa with additional choreography by Frederick Ashton. Directed 2018 by Liam Scarlett at the Royal Opera House. Stars Marianela Nuñez (Odette/Odile); Vadim Muntagirov (Prince Siegfried); Elizabeth McGorian (The Queen); Bennet Gartside (Von Rothbart); Alexander Campbell (Benno); and Akane Takade and Francesca Hayward (Prince Siegfried’s Younger Sisters). Other dancers in Act I are Tierney Heap, Meagan Grace Hinkis, Fumi Kaneko, Mayara Magri, Matthew Ball, James Hay, Fernando Montaño, and Marcelino Sambé (Waltz and Prolonaise); Artists of The Royal Ballet and Students of The Royal Ballet School (Court Ladies, Lieutenants, and Corporals, Ladies in Waiting, Servants, Heralds, Guards). Other dancers in Act II are Isabella Gasparini, Elizabeth Harrod, Meaghan Grace Hinkis, and Romany Pajdak (Cygnets); Clare Calvert and Mayara Magri (Two Swans), and Artists of the Royal Ballet (Swans). Other dancers in Act III are
Read MoreWhat is the best Blu-ray of the Nutcracker ballet? Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker is probably the most popular ballet in history as it has become an integral part of the Christmas season, especially in the United States, where it is performed by virtually every ballet school and company in the nation. The classic ballet line was created by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa in 1892. At a Christmas party, young Clara (Masha in Russia) is thrilled by the gift of a nutcracker doll in the form of a toy-soldier. Falling asleep, Clara has a glorious dream of adventure and love with a handsome Prince. There are many variations on this coming-of-age theme. In recent years, choreographers also have started remixing the story in fantastic and even controversial versions aimed at adult art lovers.
In December 2019, we counted 14 high-quality Nutcracker Blu-rays! You can find full reviews with screenshots on all of them on our Alphalist.
Here are our picks for the very best Nutcracker discs for kids (of all ages):
“Mature” Nutcrackers include
Read MoreNutcracker and the Mouse King ballet. Music by Tchaikovsky. Choreographed and directed by Christian Spuck. Performed 2018 by the Ballett Zürich and the Junior Ballett at the Opernhaus Zürich. Stars Dominik Slavkovský (Godfather Drosselmeier), Michelle Willems (Marie [instead of Clara or Masha]), Daniel Mulligan (Fritz), William Moore (The Nutcracker/Prince), Ina Callejas (Clown with accordion), Yen Han (Lady Clown), Matthew Knight (Gent Clown), Giulia Tonelli (Princess Pirlipat) , Gustavo Chalub (Pirlipat’s father, the Human King), Mélissa Ligurgo (Mouse Queen), Cohen Aitchison-Dugas (Mouse King), Filipe Portugal (Granddfather), Galina Mihaylova (Grandmother), Elena Vostrotina (Aunt Snowflake) , Jan Casier (Snowflake Partner), Anna Khamzina (Aunt Flower), Alexander Jones (Flower Partner), and Victorina Kapitonava (Aunt Sugar Fairy). Paul Connelly conducts the Philharmonia Zürich and the Children’s Choir and SoprAlti of the Opernhaus Zürich (Chorus Master Ernst Raffelsberger). Set design by Rufus Didwiszus; costume design by Buki Shiff; lighting design by Martin Gebhardt; dramaturgy by Michael Küster and Claus Spahn. Directed for TV by Michael Beyer; produced by Paul Smaczny. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. Grade: A+
Read MoreGhosts ballet, based on the play Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen. Music composed by Nils Petter Molvær. Created and directed 2017 by Marit Moum Aune at the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet in Oslo. Choreography by Cina Espejord. Stars Andreas Heise (Oswald/Captain Alving, Oswald’s Father), Kristoffer Ask Haglund (Oswald as a Child), Camilla Spidsøe (Mrs. Alving, Oswald’s Mother), Sonia Vinograd (Young Mrs. Alving), Ole Willy Falkhaugen (Pastor Manders), Philip Currell (Young Pastor Manders), Grete Sofie Borud Nybakken (Regine, a Maid), Erle Østraat (Regine as a Child), Yoshifumi Inao (Carpenter Engstrand), Nils Petter Molvær (Musician), as well as other dancers from The Norwegian National Ballet (Artistic Director Ingrid Lorentzen) and The Norwegian National Ballet School. Set design by Even Børsum; costume design by Ingrid Nylander; lighting design by Kristin Bredal; video projections by Odd Reinhart Nicolaysen; voice over by Håkon Ramstad. Directed for TV by Tommy Pascal; produced by Xavier Dubois. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A
Because the vocabulary of dance is mostly limited to body movements and facial expressions, it’s daunting to make a ballet from works of literature based on abstract creative elements like writing style, written dialogue, time shifting, changes of voice, and political or philosophical ideas. But it can be done, as we have seen with HDVDs like Woolf Works, 1984, and Hedda Gabler (another Ibsen ballet from the Norwegian National Ballet). Ibsen’s Ghosts presented even greater difficulties than usual because there are only 5 characters (all adults) in the play and almost everything they say has to do with things that happened in the past. The solution was to invent 5 new characters.
Read MoreGiselle ballet. Modern musical composition and sound design by Vincenzo Lamagna after themes from Adolphe Adam. Directed and choreographed by Akram Khan. Performed 2017 at the Liverpool Empire Theatre. Stars are Tamara Rojo (Giselle); James Streeter (Albrecht); Jeffrey Cirio (Hilarion); Stina Quagebeur (Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis); Begoña Cao (Bathilde); Fabian Reimair (Landlord); as well as Jung ah Choi, Anjuli Hudson, Maria José Sales, and Adela Ramírez (Giselle’s Friends). Ensemble dancers playing Outcasts: Precious Adams, Aitor Arrieta, William Beagley, Francisco Bosch, Georgia Bould, Barry Drummond, Shevelle Dynott, Giorgio Garrett, Jennie Harrington, Amber Hunt, Rina Kanehara, Daniel Kraus, Sarah Kundi, Van Le Ngoc, Laurent Liotardo, Adriana Lizardi, Guilherme Menezes, Ken Saruhashi, Emily Suzuki, Francesca Velicu, Vonnie Vowles, Angela Wood, Erik Woolhouse, and Jia Zhang. Ensemble dancers playing Court Couples: Matthew Astley, Claire Bennett, Julia Conway, and William Simmons. Ensemble dancers playing Wilis: Precious Adams
Read MoreManon ballet. Music consists of excerpts from the works Jules Massenet arranged and orchestrated by Martin Yates, based on an earlier compilation by Leighton Lucas with the collaboration of Hilda Gaunt. Choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan. Revival staging by Julie Lincoln and Christopher Saunders performed 2018 at the Royal Opera House. Stars Sarah Lamb (Manon), Vadim Muntagirov (Des Grieux), Ryoichi Hirano (Lescaut), Gary Avis (Monsieur G.M.), Itziar Mendizabal (Lescaut’s Mistress), Kristen McNally (Madame), Thomas Whitehead (The Gaoler), James Hay (Beggar Chief), Fumi Kaneko, Beatriz Stix-Brunell, Olivia Cowley, Mayara Magri (Courtesans), Matthew Ball, William Brackwell, Marcelino Sambé (Three Young Gentlemen), Nichol Edmonds, Benjamin Ella, Lukas Bjørneboe Brændsrød, Alastair Marriott, David Yudes (Clients), Jonathan Howells (Old Gentleman), and a multitude of extras played by Artists of the Royal Ballet. Martin Yates conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Vasko Vassilev). Designs by Nicholas Georgiadis; revival lighting design by John B. Read after William Bundy. Directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2019, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+
The story of Manon (whose last name was Lescaut) is opera and ballet’s saddest story of the pretty young girl getting started on her way as a courtesan.
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