LAC (After Swan Lake)

November 07, 2014 in Ballet, Dance

LAC (After Swan Lake) ballet. Music by Tchaikovsky. Choreographed by Jean-Christophe Maillot for Les Ballets de Monte Carlo. Recorded 2013 at Grimaldi Forum, Monaco. Stars Bernice Coppieters (Her Majesty the Night); Anja Behrend (The White Swan), April Ball (The Black Swan), Stephan Bourgond (The Prince), Alvaro Prieto (The King), Mimoza Koike (The Queen), Jeroen Verbruggen (The Prince's Confidant), Asier Uriagereka and Asier Edeso (Two Archangels of Darkness), Simone Webster (The Conceited Woman), Gaëlle Riou (The Indifferent Pretender); Anjara Ballesteros and Noelani Pantastico (The Two Libertines), and Maude Sabourin (The Insatiable Woman). Corps members dance the following roles: Hunters by Raphaël Bouchard, Leart Duraku, Ediz Erguc, Julien Guerin, Alexis Oliveira, George Oliveira, Daniele Delvecchio, Bruno Roque, and Stefan Stewart; Hunters' Friends by Sivan Blitzova, Quinn Pendleton, Francesca Dolci, Anne-Laure Seillan, and Kaori Tajima; Chimeras by Anjara Ballesteros, Sivan Blitzova, Francesca Dolci, Liisa Hämäläinen, Vanessa Henriques, Frances Murphy, Noelani Pantastico, Quinn Pendleton, Gaëlle Riou, Maude Sabourin, Anne-Laure Seillan, Beatriz Uhalte, and Simone Webster; and Court by Anjara Ballesteros, Sivan Blitzova, Francesca Dolci, Frances Murphy, Noelani Pantastico, Anne-Laure Seillan, Maude Sabourin, Beatriz Uhalte, Simone Webster, Raphaël Bouchard, Leart Duraku, Ediz Erguc, Julien Guerin, Alexis Oliveira, George Oliveira, Daniele Delvecchio, Bruno Roque, and Stefan Stewart. Leonard Slatkin conducts the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Dramaturgy by Jean Rouaud; visual designs by Ernest Pignon-Ernest; costumes by Philippe Guillotel; lighting by Jean-Christophe Maillot and Samuel Thery. Directed for the screen by Denis Caïozzi; executive producers were Antoine Perset and Denis Morlière. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+

Poppea // Poppea

September 10, 2014 in Dance

Poppea // Poppea dance piece. Original choreography by Christian Spuck based on Monteverdi's opera L'Incoronazione di Poppea. Music by Martin Donner, Claudio Monteverdi, Robert Schumann, Emiliana Torrini, Cat Power, John Paul von Westhoff, and Geminiani. Performed for this video 2013 by Gauthier Dance, the dance company of Theaterhaus Stuttgart. Stars Eric Gauthier, Anneleen Dedroog, Miriam Gronwald, Anna Harms, Maria Prat Balasch, Rosario Guerra, Florian Lochner, William Moragas, David Valencia Martinez, and Tars Vondebeek. Choreographic assistance by Renato Arismendi; choreographic collaboration by Alexandra Brenk. Set design by Emma Ryott; dramaturgy by Dunja Funke; lighting by Reinhard Traub. Produced and directed for TV by Nikolai Vialkowitsch at Theaterhaus Stuttgart. The back cover shown above (provided early to the vendors by EuroArts) says nothing about 3D; the back cover on the disc we bought correctly states that the disc will play in 2D or 3D. The vendors' back cover art also says the sound is in stereo only. The back cover of our disc correctly states that the sound is in PCM stereo and 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade for both 2D and 3D: D+

McGregor Going Somewhere

April 12, 2014 in Dance, Documentary

This title includes two films relating to Wayne McGregor:

Going Somewhere is an 80-minute documentary about McGregor as choreographer and is reviewed here.

A Moment in Time is a 30-minute performance film, offered as a bonus extra, with three short pieces by McGregor. It has nice music from folks like Joby Talbot, Olafur Arnalds, and Kaija Saariaho recorded at 48kHz/24 bit specs. But it will not be reviewed because it only has stereo sound (and the video also suffers from VHS or DVD-level quality).

Going Somewhere considers the choreographic techniques of Wayne McGregor illustrated by recordings of his work with his own dance group, Random Dance. There are also recordings of his work with stars of the Royal Ballet, experimental work with high school students, and several "science" segments. Directed by Catherine Maximoff; photography by Samuel Dravet; sound by François Waledisch and Henri Maïkoff; editing by Emmanuelle Baude. Released 2014, disc has PCM stereo sound. Grade: D+

The Metamorphosis

April 01, 2014 in Dance

The Metamorphosis, a dance-theatre adaptation after the Kafka short story. Choreographed and directed by Arthur Pita especially for Edward Watson, a principal dancer for the Royal Opera House Ballet. Performed 2013 at the Royal Opera House's Linbury Studio Theater (where the work was premiered in 2011). Original music composed and performed by Frank Moon, who plays guitar, oud, violin, tam-tam, and sings. Edward Watson plays the role of the main character, Gregor Samsa. Supporting dancers are Laura Day (Grete Samsa, Gregor's sister), Nina Goldman (Mrs. Samsa, Gregor's mother), Neil Reynolds (Mr. Samsa, Gregor's father), as well as Bettina Carpi (Maid, Coffee Lady, Dream Figure, Bearded Man), Greig Cooke (Train Conductor, Dream Figure, Bearded Man), and Amir Giles (Clerk, Dream Figure, Bearded Man). Designs by Simon Daw; lighting by Guy Hoare. Assistant Choreographer was Scarsett Perdereau; Producer was Poppy Ben-David; TV Director was Ross MacGibbon. Disc has extra features named "Introduction to The Metamorphosis" and "Bringing The Metamorphoses to Life." This title is part of the Royal Opera House Collection Series. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A

Sleeping Beauty: A Gothic Romance

January 04, 2014 in Dance

Sleeping Beauty: A Gothic Romance dance production by Matthew Bourne. Music by Tchaikovsky. This is a complete rewriting by Matthew Bourne of the libretto and choreography of the classic Sleeping Beauty. Dancers include Edwin Ray (King Benedict), Kerry Biggin (Queen Eleanor), Hannah Vassallo (Princess Aurora), Dominic North (Leo), Christopher Marney (Count Lilac), Adam Maskell (Carabosse/Caradoc), Mari Kamata (Ardor), Katy Lowenhoff (Hibernia), Joe Walkling (Autumnus), Sophia Hurdley (Feral), Liam Mower (Tantrum), Daniel Collins (Lord Rupert), Danny Reubens (Viscount Aubrey), Daisy May Kemp (Miss Maddox), Nicole Kabera (Flossie), Leon Moran (Archie), and Luke Murphy (Bertie) with Pia Driver, Phil Jack Gardner, Tom Jackson Greaves, Kate Lyons, Ashley Shaw and Chris Trenfield. Brett Morris conducts The Sleeping Beauty Orchestra (Leader Gina McCormack). Sets and costumes by Lez Brotherston; lighting by Paule Constable; sound design by Paul Groothuis. Associate Director was Etta Murfitt; Associate Choreographer was Christopher Marney; Music Producer was Terry Davies. Directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon; Executive Producers were Todd Austin and Robert Noble. Producer was Fiona Morris. The dance theater (Bourne's term) runs 158 minutes; there is also a bonus documentary that runs 52 minutes called Imagine---A Beauty is Born: Matthew Bourne's 'Sleeping Beauty'. The keepcase booklet has an especially nice discussion of the piece by Bourne (English only). Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound.

This new Bourne work played on stage starting December 2012 in London, and then went on tour. Robert Greskovic, perhaps the best-known dance critic in the U.S., saw this live in October 2013 in New York. He wrote a favorable review in the Wall Street Journal on October 30 stating that this Sleeping Beauty is "a prime example of the British choreographer's imagination and originality."

Deutsche Grammophon published this, and they limit their brand (we always thought) strictly to fine-art material. Still, it appears this is being marketed not as a fine-arts title, but as a fantasy movie. There was initially something wild and crazy about the pricing of this product. So shop around. Grade: B+

Swan Lake

November 20, 2013 in Dance

Swan Lake ballet, or rather, Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake. Music by Tchaikovsky. Traditional story reinterpreted, choreographed, and directed by Matthew Bourne. The original show was premiered at Sadler's Wells Theatre in 1995; the recording presented here was apparently shot, for the first time in high-definition, at Sadler's Wells in 2011. Stars Richard Winsor (The Swan/Stranger), Dominic North (The Prince), Nina Goldman (The Queen), Madelaine Brennan (The Girlfriend), Steve Kirkham (The Private Secretary), and Joseph Vaughan (The Young Prince). David Lloyd-Jones conducts the New London Orchestra. Set and costume design by Lez Brotherston; lighting by Rick Fisher. Directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon; sound post production by Mike Hatch; executive production by Robert Noble, Fiona Morris, and Todd Austin. Unlike some Kultur titles, this disc plays in all regions. Released 2012, it has 5.1 Dolby sound. Grade: B

Fuenteovejuna

November 06, 2013 in Dance

Fuenteovejuna flamenco dance piece. Directed and choreographed by Antonio Gades to a script by José Manuel Caballero Bonald and Antonio Gades. Stars Cristina Carnero, Ángel Gil, Joaquín Mulero, and Alberto Ferrero. Additional women dancers are Carolina Pozuelo, Conchi Maya, Luisa Serrano, Mª José López, Maite Chico, María Nadal, Merche Recio, Vanesa Vento, Virginia Domíguez, Virginia Guiñales, and Yolanda Rodríguez. Additional men dancers are Ángel Bleda, Antonio Mulero, David Martín, Elías Morales, Jairo Rodríguez, Miguel Lara, Miguel Vallés, and Pepe Vento. The flamenco woman singer is Ángela Núñez "La Bronce". Flamenco men singers are Alfredo Tejado, Enrique Pantoja, Gabriel Cortés, and Joni Cortés. Guitarists are Antonio Solera and Camarón de Pitita. Music by Antón García Abril, Modest Mussorgsky (Cuadros de una exposición), Antonio Gades, Faustino Núñez, and Juan Antonio Zafra. Set and costumes by Pedro Moreno; folk ballet instruction by Juanjo Linares; television direction by Ángel Luis Ramírez; produced by Ángel Álvarez Rilla. Released 2012, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+

Carmen (Vento)

October 31, 2013 in Dance

Carmen in flamenco dance version, based on the novella Carmen by Prosper Mérimée. Performed 2011 at the Teatro Real. Script, choreography, and lighting by Antonio Gades and Carlos Saura. Stars Vanesa Vento, Ángel Gil, Joaquín Mulero, and Jairo Rodríguez. Additional women dancers are Conchi Maya, Cristina Carnero, Luisa Serrano, Mª José López, Maite Chico, María Nadal, Merche Recio, Virginia Guiñales, and Yolanda Rodriguez. Additional men dancers are Alberto Ferrero, Ángel Bleda, Antonio Mulero, David Martín, Elías Morales, Miguel Lara, Miguel Vallés, and Pepe Vento. The woman flamenco singer is Ángela Núñez "La Bronce"; flamenco men singers are Alfredo Tejado, Enrique Pantoja, Gabriel Cortés, and Joni Cortés. Guitarists are Antonio Solera and Camarón de Pitita. Music and poetry by Antonio Gades, Antonio Solera, Ricardo Freire González, Georges Bizet (Carmen), Manuel Penella (El Gato Montés), José Ortega Heredia, and Federico García Lorca (Verde que te quiero verde). Stage setting by Antonio Saura. Released 2012, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio. Grade: B

Bodas de sangre & Suite flamenca

June 10, 2013 in Dance

Bogas de sangre (Blood Wedding) flamencodance piece and Suite flamenca. Performed at the Teatro Real in Madrid. Choreography and light design are both by Antonio Gades.

1. Bodas de sangre is based on the theatre play by Federico García Lorca. Stars Cristina Carnero, Ángel Gil, Vanesa Vento, Joaquín Mulero, and Maite Chico. Also stars Alberto Ferrero, Alfredo Tejada, Antonio Mulero, Antonio Solera, Camarón de Pitita, Carolina Pozuelo, Conchi Gómez, David Martín, Elías Morales, Enrique Pantoja, Jairo Rodríguez, Joni Cortés, Mª José López, María Nadal, Merche Recio, Miguel Lara, and Virginia Guiñales. Adaptation for ballet by Alfreho Mañas; set and costume designs by Francisco Nieva. Music by Emilio de Diego, Perelló y Monreal (¡Ay, mi Sombrero!), and Felipe Campuzano (Rumba).

2. Suite flamenca features Stella Arauzo and Miguel Lara. Also features women dancers Carolina Pozuelo, Conchi Gómez, Cristina Carnero, Maite Chico, María José López, María Nadal, Merche Recio, Vanesa Vento, and Virginia Guiñales. Men dancers are Alberto Ferrero, Ángel Gil, Antonio Mulero, David Martín, Elías Morales, Jairo Rodríguez, and Jaoquín Mulero. Flamenco dancers are Alfredo Tejada, Enrique Pantoja, Gabriel Cortés, and Joni Cortés. Guitarists are Antonio Solerá and Camarón de Pitita. Music by Antonio Gades, Ricardo Freire, and Juan Antonio Zafra. Choreography for Soleá por bulerías and Tanguillos by Cristina Hoyos.

Television producer was Ángela Álvarez Rilla. Released 2012, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. For both titles Grade: A

Amelia

June 08, 2013 in Dance

Amelia modern dance movie. Music by David Lang with lyrics by Lou Reed (and, per urban legend, Nico, a friend of Andy Warhol). Choreography by Édouard Lock, leader of the dance group LaLaLa Human Steps. Lock first created a theater version of Amelia. Then in 2002 he also directed and edited the movie version we review here, which was shot on super 16 motion picture film at 24 fps. The dancers are Andrea Boardman, Nancy Crowley, Mistaya Hemingway, Keir Knight, Chun-Hong Li, Bernard Martin, Jason Shipley-Holmes, Billy Smith, Naomi Stikeman, and Zofia Tujaka. Musicians are Alexandre Castonguay (cello), Simon Claude (violin), Njo Kang Kie (piano and musical direction), and Nadine Medatwar (vocalist). Unique set designed by Lock; photography directed by André Turpin; costumes by Vandal; Folley effects by Lisa Wedlock (the film was shot silent and all sound comes from post-production); sound design by Hans-Peter Strobl and Lisa Wedlock; artistic director was Louise Marie Beauchamp. Producers were Pierre L. Touchette and Bob Krupinski; executive producers were Luc Châtelain, Alain Simard, and Daniel Langlois. There are valuable extras: (1) Director's Commentary in English and French as movie plays, (2) an interactive feature that takes you from the movie to 32 "how we did it" documentary clips, and (3) history of LaLaLa Human Steps. (Instructions in booklet on using the interactive feature are wrong: correct instructions are on disc.) Released 2009, disc has 5.0 PCM sound. Grade: A+

Kaguyahime - The Moon Princess

May 05, 2013 in Ballet, Dance

Kaguyahime - The Moon Princess modern ballet at the Nederlands Dans Theater. Choreography by Jiří Kylián to music composed for this ballet and conducted by Maki Ishii. Directed by Hans Hulscher. Stars dancers Fiona Lummis, Paul Lightfoot, Martin Muller, Ken Ossola, Johan Inger, Patrick Delcroix, Glenn Edgerton, Karine Guizzo, Brigitte Martin, Lisa Drake, Susan Laraghy, Carolina Armenta, Jorma Elo, Bruce Michelson, Sol Léon, Nancy Euverink, Cora Kroese, Philippa Bukinham, Lorraine Blouin, Owen Montague, Ivan Dubreuil, and Zane Booker. Features musicians Michael de Roo, Katsuji Kondo, Satoru Yaotani, Sukeyasu Shiba, Mami Tsunoda, and Mayumi Miyata. Stage design and lighting by Michael Simon; costume design by Férial Simon; NOS production by George von Breeman; NHK production by Hiroko Okudaira. This ballet was created in 1988. Nobody is saying what date this production was filmed. But this does appear to be a "cleaned up" re-release in 2012 of a DVD title that came out in 1994. Disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound, which should perhaps be taken with a grain of salt. Grade: B

Flamenco Flamenco

January 17, 2013 in Dance

Flamenco Flamenco dance film by Carlos Saura. This is a full-length motion picture showing 21 performances of flamenco today. This title has been released in Europe under two different labels: Cameo Media (Spain) and Bodega (France). Both versions of this title are Region B only and have 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+

Pina

December 30, 2012 in Dance, Documentary

Pina dance film by Wim Wenders. (We know, the title of this is "pina," but we will still use the capital letter "P.") This is a heavy-weight documentary about the choreography of Pina Bausch. The film includes recently commissioned segments of stage performances, original shooting of dancing on locations around Wuppertal, interviews with dancers who knew and worked with Bausch, and archival footage. The package has a 2D movie, a 3D movie + a "making of" extra. There has been massive confusion over the marketing of this title. (It is being sold like a movie; not like a ballet title.) It is available in German, French, Spanish, and Italian releases, all limited to Region B. There is also a Canadian version, a 3-disc box set (2D, 3D, and DVD), limited to Region A. This may be the best option for those living in the United States with Region A players. We have also learned that the Criterion Collection is planning to release this in the American market in early 2013. By the time you read this, things may have changed further, so beware. Released 2012, discs have 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A