La fille mal gardée ballet with choreography by Frederick Ashton. Music originally composed by Ferdinand Hérold and arranged by John Lanchbery. Staged 2015 at the Royal Opera House. Stars Natalia Osipova (Lise), Steven McRae (Colas), Philip Mosley (Widow Simone), Christopher Saunders (Thomas), and Paul Kay (Alain).  The Cockerel is danced by Michael Stojko; the Hens are Francesca Hayward, Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Gemma Pitchley-Gale, and Leticia Stock; Lisa's Friends are Christina Arestis, Claire Calvert, Olivia Cowley, Fumi Kaneko, Emma Maguire, Kristen McNally, Sian Murphy, and Beatriz Stix-Brunell; the Notary is  Gary Avis, and the Notary's Clerk is Michael Stojko; other minor roles are danced by artists and students at the Royal Ballet. Barry Wordsworth conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Vasko Vassilev). Scenario by Jean Dauberval; designs by Osbert Lancaster; lighting by John B. Read; directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A-

La fille mal gardée is the oldest ballet in today's repertory. This is the leading version today with choreography by Frederick Ashton. Ferdinand Hérold originally composed the music (based on numerous folk songs), and John Lanchbery adapted and arranged the version of the music used on this disc. This was staged 2005 by Alexander Grant and Christopher Carr at The Royal Ballet. Stars Marianela Nuñez (Lise), Carlos Acosta (Colas), William Tuckett (Widow Simone), Jonathan Howells (Alain), David Drew (Thomas), Giacomo Ciriaci (Cockerol), Gemma Bond, Bethany Keating, Iohna Loots, and Natasha Oughtred (hens), Christina Arestis, Deirdre Chapman, Lauren Cuthbertson, Cindy Jourdain, Sarah Lamb, Laura Morera, Vanessa Palmer, Christina Elida Salerno (Lisa's friends), and Alastair Marriott (Notary). Anthony Twiner conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Associate Concert Master Sergey Levitin). Sets by Jean Dauberval; designs by Osbert Lancaster; lighting by John B. Read;  directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Released  2009, music was recorded with 48kHz/24-bit sound, and disc has 5.1 PCM sound output. Grade: A+

Napoli ballet to music by Edvard Helsted, H.S. Paulli, H.C. Lumbye, and Louise Alenius. Choreographed by Sorella Englund and Nikolaj Hübbe after August Bournonville. Stars Alban Lendorf (Gennaro), Alexandra Lo Sardo (Teresina), Benjamin Buza (Golfo), Lis Jeppesen (Veronica), Alba Nadal (Geovanina), Mette Bødtcher (Flora), Jean-Lucien Massot (Peppo), Fernando Mora (Giacomo), Poul Erik Hesselkilde (Pascarillo), Josephine Berggreen (Pilgrim), Magnus Christoffersen (Cyclist), Mogens Boesen (Carlino), Eva Bloborg (Carla, Guesthouse Owner), Cédric Lambrette (Fra Ambrosio), Maria Bernholdt (Prostitute), and Josee Bowman (Prostitute). Corps dancers include: Ulrik Birkkjaer, Carolina Baldwin, Marcin Kupinski, Gregory Dean, Holly Jean Dorger, Amy Watson, Susanne Grinder, Ide Praetorius, Christina Michanek, Amalie Adrian, and Jonathan Chmelensky. Graham Bond conducts Det Kongelige Kapel. Sets and costumes by Maja Ravn; lighting by Mikki Kunttu; dramaturgical retelling by Camilla Hübbe; staging by Sorella Englund and Nikolaj Hübbe assisted by Silja Schandorff and Claire Still; assistant direction of children by Ann Kolvig. Produced by Jens Lange; directed for the screen by Uffe Borgwardt and Peter Borgwardt. There are no bonus features. Opus Arte includes a cheap keepcase booklet with typefonts so tiny and ugly that you may need a maginfying glass to read it. Released 2015, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B-

Swan Lake ballet. Music by Tchaikovsky. Book by V. P. Begitchev and Vasily Geltzer. Choreography by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, Frederick Ashton, and David Bintley. Danced 2015 in the Anthony Dowell production at the Royal Opera House. Stars Natalie Osipova (Odette/Odile), Matthew Golding (Prince Siegfried), Gary Avis (Rothbart), Elizabeth McGorian (Queen), Alastair Marriott (Tutor), Ryoichi Hirano (Benno), and Erico Montes (Lord Chamberlain). Other dancers include Francesca Hayward, Yuhui Choe, and Alekander Campbell (Pas de trois); Tara-Brigitte Bhavnani and Nathalie Harrison (Chaperones); Erico Montes (A General); Manon Forssell Pyk and Emily-Rose Holland (Young Girls); Christina Arestis, Fumi Kaneko, Kristen McNally, Beatriz Stix-Brunell, Sander Blommaert, Tristan Dyer, Ryoichi Hirano, Fernando Montaño, Emma Maguire, and Paul Kay (Waltz); Francesca Hayward, Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Emma Maguire, and Yasmine Naghdi (Cygnets); Melissa Hamilton and Itziar Mendizabal (Two Swans); Tara-Brigitte Bhavnani, Olivia Cowley, Nathalie Harrison, Mayara Magri, Yasmine Naghdi,  and Beatriz Stix-Brunell (Six Princesses); Christina Arestis, Kristen McNally, Kevin Emerton, and Thomas Whitehead (Spanish Dance); Claire Calvert and Bennet Gartside (Czárdás); Laura Morera and Ricardo Cervera (Neapolitan Dance); Jacqueline Clark, Sian Murphy, Demelza Parish, Lara Turk, Sander Blommaert, Nicol Edmond, Fernando Montaño, and Donald Thom (Mazurka). Boris Gruzin conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Vasko Vassilev). Designs by Yolanda Sonnabend; lighting by Mark Henderson; production research by Roland John Wiley; staging by Christopher Carr; ballet mistress was Samantha Raine; principal coaching by Alexander Agadzhanov; Benesh notation by Anna Trevien and Gregory Mislin; directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2015, disc has 5.0 (package says 4.1) dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B-

Le Corsaire ballet. Story: Anna-Marie Holmes version of the libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Joseph Mazilier, based on The Corsair oem by Lord Byron. Choreography and staging: Anna-Marie Holmes after Marius Petipa and Konstantin Sergeyev. Music composed by Adolphe Adam, Cesare Pugni, Léo Delibes, Riccardo Drigo, Prince Pyotr van Oldenburg, Ludwig Minkus, Yuly Gerber, Baron Boris Fitinhof-Schnell, and Albert Zabel, all edited by Lars Payne and Gavin Sutherland. Recorded 2014 as performed by the English National Ballet. Stars Alina Cojocaru (Medora), Vadim Muntagirov (Conrad), Erina Takahashi (Gulnare), Dimitri Gruzdyev (Lankendem), Junor Souza (Ali), Yonah Acosta (Birbanto), Michael Coleman (Pasha), Juan Rodriguez (Pasha Assistant), and Nancy Osbaldeston (Lead Villager). Odalisques danced by Shiori Kase, Alison McWhinney, and Laurretta Summerscales. Lead Roses danced by Nancy Osbaldeston, Ksenia Ovsyanick, Adela Ramírez, and Laurretta Summerscales. Lead Flowers danced by Jem Ghoi, Senri Kou, Jenna Lee, and Jia Zhang. Numerous minor roles are danced by artists of the English National Ballet, students of the English National Ballet School, and pupils of the Tring Park School. Gavin Sutherland directs the Orchestra of English National Ballet. Sets and costumes by Bob Ringwood; lighting by Neil Austin; directed for the screen by Chris Blaine with his brother Ben Blain as Producer for Charlie Productions. Stereo recorded with 48kHz/24-bit sound sampling and 5.1 dts recorded with 48kHz/16-bit sound sampling. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. Grade: B

Le Corsaire ballet. Libretto (after Lord Byron's poem The Corsair), choreography, and stage direction by Kader Belarbi. Assistant Choreographer was Laure Muret. Performed 2013 at the Théâtre National du Capitole de Toulouse. Original music composed by Adolphe Adam, with additional music by Anton Arensky, David Coleman, Édouard Lalo, Jules Massenet, and and Jean Sibelius. Stars Maria Gutierrez (Slave-Girl), Davit Galstyan (Corsaire), Takafumi Watanabe (Sultan), Juliette Thélin (Sultan's Favorite Concubine), Demian Vargas (Corsair's Companion), Juliana Bastos and Julie Loria (Two Slaves), Henrik Victorin (Slave Trader), Cédric Pons (Guard) and Joël Sitbon (Guard). In addition, Ballet du Capitole Supernumeraries playing the roles of Concubines, Dervishes, Peris, Corsairs, City Folk, etc. include Nuria Arteaga, Virginie Baïet-Dartigalongue, Taisha Barton-Rowledge, Juliana Bastos, Isabelle Brusson, Olivia Hartzell, Lauren Kennedy, Ina Lesnakowski, Julia Loria, Maki Matsuoka, Solène Monnereau, Gwenaëlle Poline, Pascale Saurel, Vanessa Spiteri, Alexander Akulov, Matthew Astley, Petros Chrkhoyan, Kamill-Ariston Chudoba, Adrien Delépine, Pierre Devaux, Jean-Gabriel Evrard, Julian Ims, Shizen Kazama, Jérémy Leydier, Nicolas Rombout, Henrik Victorin, Yannick Valentian, and Stéphane Motard. David Coleman directs the Orchestre National du Capitole. Sets by Sylvie Olivé; costumes by Olivier Bériot; lighting by Marian Hewlett; Camille Ansquer assisted in designing sets; artistic advice by Martine Kahame; music advice by Elena Rassadkina Bonnay.   Directed for screen by Luc Riolon; produced by Fabienne Servan Schreiber and Laurence Miller. Released 2014, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: C+

Jewels ballet. Choreography by George Balanchine. Music by Gabriel Fauré, Igor Stravinsky, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Performed 2005 by Paris Opera Ballet. Stars solo dancers Aurélie Dupont, Marie-Angès Gillot, Angès Lestestu, Clairemarie Osta, Laëtitia Pujol, Eleonora Abbagnato, Isabelle Ciaravola, Emilie Cozette, Jean-Guillaume Bart, Kader Belarbi, Mathieu Ganio, Alessio Carbone, Nolwenn Daniel, and Emmanuel Thibault. Corps de ballet: Nathalie Aubin, Bertrand Belem, Aurelia Bellet, Sébastien Bertraud, Audric Bezard, Bruno Bouché, Marie-Solène Boulet, Alexandra Cardinale, Cyril Chokroun, Lucie Clément, Aurore Cordellier, Julien Cozette, Leïla Dilhac, Noëmie Djiniadhis, Grégory Dominiak, Christophe Duquenne, Fanny Fiat, Mathilde Froustey, Grégory Gaillard, Mallory Gaudion, Muriel Hallé, Laura Hecquet, Mathias Heymann, Josua Hoffalt, Axel Ibot, Laurence Laffon, Vanessa Legassy, Laurène Lévy, Florian Magnenet, Sabrina Mallem, Sandrine Marache, Julie Martel, Juliane Mathis, Julien Meyzindi, Cyril Mitilian, Myriam Ould-Braham, Ludmilla Pagliero, Céline Palacio, Sofia Parcen, Nathalie Quernet, Fabien Révillion, Alexis Saramite, Cécile Sciaux, Simon Valastro, and Karine Villagrassa. Paul Connelly directs the Orchestra of the Opéra national de Paris. Set and costume design by Christian Lacroix; lighting by Jennifer Tipton; directed for TV by Pierre Cavassilas. Released 2008, has 5.0 PCM sound. Grade: B

La Bête et la Belle (The Beast and the Beauty) ballet to a libretto by Josseline Le Bourhis and Kader Belarbi, after the tale Beauty and the Beast. Music by Louis-Claude Daquin, Joseph Haydn, György Ligeti, and Maurice Ravel. Staged and choreographed by Kader Belarbi assisted by Susanna Campo. Recorded 2013 at the Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse. Stars Takafumi Watanabe (The Beast), Julie Loria (Beauty), and Kazbek Akhmedyarov (Toroador). Cranes: Juliana Bastos, Caroline Betancourt, Emilia Cadorin, Julie Charlet, Lauren Kennedy, Eukene Sagues-Abad, Silvia Selvini, Peirre Devaux, and Shizen Kazama. The Swan: Valerio Mangianti. The Vulture: Demian Vargas. The Pimp: Jérémy Lyedier. Ostriches: Taisha Barton-Rowledge and Solène Monnereau. Goose feet: Maki Matsuoka and Vanessa Spiteri. Magpie tails: Matthew Astley, Petros Chrkhoyan, Giuseppe Depalo, Evgueni Dokoukine, and Nicolas Rombaut. Snake tails: Virginie Baïet-Dartigalongue, Juliette Thélin, Alexander Akulov, and Théodore Nelson. Aristocrats: Juliana Bastos, Lauren Kennedy, Matthew Astley, Valerio Mangianti, and Demian Vargas. Whippers-in: Juliette Thélin, Giuseppe Depalo, and Jérémy Lyedier. Hounds: Virginie Baïet-Dartigalongue, Taisha Barton-Rowledge, Caroline Betancourt, Emilia Cadorin, Julie Charlet, Maki Matsuoka, Solène Monnereau, Eukene Sagues-Abad, Silvia Selvini, Vanessa Spiteri, Petros Chrkhoyan, Pierre Devaux, Evgueni Dokoukine, Shizen Kazama, Théodore Nelson, and Nicolas Rombaut. Designs by Valérie Berman assisted as to sets by Sophie Kitching and as to costumes by Jean-Jacques Delmotte; lighting by Marc Parent; directed for screen by Luc Riolon; produced by Fabienne Servan Schreiber and Laurence Miller. Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B