Ballet

Mata Hari

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Mata Hari ballet choreographed and directed by Ted Brandsen. Music by Tarik O'Regan with orchestration by Anthony Weeden. Libretto by Janine Brogt. Staged 2016 at the Dutch National Opera. Stars (in order listed in disc booklet) Anna Tsygankova (Born Margaretha Zelle, later known as Mata Hari), Casey Herd (Rudolph McLeod, Margaretha's husband), Jozef Varga (General Kiepert), Artur Shesterikov (Vadim De Masloff), Young Gyu Choi (Shiva), Wen Ting Guan (Temple Dancer), Emanouela Merdjanova (Friede McLeod, Rudolph's mother), Erica Horwood (Isadora Duncan), Nadia Yanowsky (La Madame), Edo Wijnen (Master of Ceremonies), Anatole Babenko (M. Guimet), Roman Artyushkin (Lieutanant Ladoux), Wendeline Wijkstra, Pascalle Paerel, Hannah de Klein (three Aunts), Wolfgang Tietze, Peter Leung, Matthew Pawlicki-Sinclair (three Uncles), and Nicolas Rapaic (Adam Zelle, Margatetha's father) as well as students and pupils of the Dutch National Ballet Academy. Matthew Rowe conducts the Dutch National Ballet Orchestra. Sets and lighting by Clement & Sanôu; costumes by François-Noël Cherpin; video directed by Jeff Tudor. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound (sound info on back of package above is wrong and was corrected on the disc I bought). Grade: B

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The Sleeping Beauty

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The Sleeping Beauty ballet. Music by Tchaikovsky. Libretto by Nacho Duato after Ivan Vsevolozhsky. Choreography and stage direction by Nacho Duato.

All dancers are soloists or members of the Corp de Ballet of the Staatsballett Berlin. Members of the Court are Iana Salenko (Aurora), Marian Walter (Prince Désiré), Michael Banzhaf (King Florestan), Beatrice Knop (Queen), Arshak Ghalumyan (Catalabutte, Master of Ceremony), Martina Böckmann (the Nurse), Elvis Abazi (Page), and Ty Gurfein (Page). Fairies and their suites are Anastasia Kurkova and Dominic Hodal (Candide Fairy), Krasina Pavlova and Alexej Orlenco (Fleur de Farine Fairy), Aurora Dickie and Kévin Pouzou (Miettes Fairy), Marina Kanno and Federico Spallitta (Canari Fairy), Elena Pris and Olaf Kollmannsperger (Violante Fairy), Sarah Mestrovic and Nikolay Korypaev (Lilac Fairy), Rishat Yulbarisov and Alexander Abdukarimov, Alexander Korn, Artur Lill, Vladislav Marinov, Lucio Vidal, and Wei Wang (Carabosse). The four Princes are Nikolay Korypaev, Kévin Pouzou, Alexej Orlenco, and Olaf Kollmannsperger. Sebnem Gülseker is the Duchess. The trio consists of Krasina Pavlova, Vladislav Marinov, and Ulian Topor. The Fairy Jems are Anastasia Kurkova (Sapphire), Krasina Pavlova (Amethyst), Elena Pris (Gold) and Olaf Kollmannsperger (Gold).  Danielle Muir and Ulian Topor are Puss in Boots and the White Pussycat. The Bluebird and Princess Florine are Marina Kanno and Nikolay Korypaev. Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf are Maria Boumpouli and Dominic Hodal. The Frog Prince and the Princess are Lisa Breuker and Alexander Shpak. Cinderella and the Prince are Aoi Suyama and Giacomo Bevilacqua. The Beauty and the Beast are Xenia Wiest and Taras Bilenko.

Robert Reimer conducts the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Set and costume designs by Angelina Atlagic; lighting by Brad Fields. Directed for TV and video by Andy Sommer. Produced by François Duplat. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+

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Rhapsody and The Two Pigeons

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Frederick Ashton Rhapsody and The Two Pigeons ballets:

  • Steven McRae and Natalia Osipova star in Rhapsody supported by Olivia Cowley, Elizabeth Harrod, Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Emma Maguire, Yasmine Naghdi, Beatriz Stix-Brunell, Luca Acri, Tristan Dyer, Nicol Edmonds, Benjamin Ella, Kevin Emerton, and Marcelino Sambé of the Royal Ballet.  Music is Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Barry Wordsworth conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Vasko Vassilev); solo piano by Robert Clark. Sets by Ashton; original costumes by William Chappell recreated by Natalia Stewart; lighting by Peter Teigen; staging by Christopher Carr; ballet mistress was Samantha Reine; principal coaching by Alexander Agahzhanov and Lesley Collier; Benesh notator Grant Coyle.
  • The Two Pigeons is danced by Lauren Cuthbertson (The Girl Friend), Vadim Muntagirov (The Artist), Fumi Kaneko (The Gipsy Princess), Ryoichi Hirano (The Gypsy Prince), and Marcelino Sambé (Gypsy Boy) supported by Elizabeth McGorian, Elizabeth Harrod, Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Chisato Katsura, Mayara Magri, Emma Maguire, Yasmine Naghdi, Romany Pajdak, and Leticia Stock of the Royal Ballet. Music is by André Messager adapted and arranged by John Lanchbery. Barry Wordsworth conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Vasko Vassilev). Designs by Jacques Dupont; lighting by Peter Teigen; revived and staged by Chistopher Carr; ballet mistress was Samantha Reine; principal coaching by Gary Avis, Christopher Carr, and Lesley Collier; Benesh notator Gregory Mislin.

Directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B for Rhapsody, C+ for The Two Pigeons, and B- blended grade.

 

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Gala des Étoiles

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2015 Gala des Étoiles dance recital at the Teatro alla Scala. Stars dancers (alphabetical order) Roberto Bolle, Claudio Coviello, Marlon Dino, Maria Eichwald, Melissa Hamilton, Lucia Lacarra, Nicoletta Manni, Massimo Murru, Leonid Sarafanov, Alina Somova, Ivan Vasiliev, Maria Vinogradova, Svetlana Zakharova, and Mick Zeni. David Coleman conducts the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala. Directed for the screen by Lorena Sardi. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A (see qualifications below)

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La Bayadère

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💓 La Bayadère ("The Temple Dancer") ballet. Music by Ludwig Minkus. Libretto by Marius Petipa and Sergei Khudekov redacted by Yuri Grigorovich. Choreographed by Marius Petipa with new scenic version by Yuri Grigorovich and also with scenes from productions by Vakhtang Chabukiani, Nikolai Zubkovsky, and Konstantin Sergeyev. Recorded January 2013 at the Bolshoi. Stars Svetlana Zakharova (Nikiya), Vladislav Lantratov (Solor), Maria Alexandrova (Gamzatti), Alexey Loparevich (Rajah Dugmanta), Andrey Sitnikov (High Brahmin), Denis Medvedev (The Golden Idol), Alexander Voytyuk (Warrior Toloragva), Denis Rodkin (a Slave), Anton Savichev (Magadaveya, a fakir) Anastasia Vinokur (Aya, a Slave), Yulia Lunkina, Svetlana Pavlova (Gumpe), Karim Abdulin, Ivan Alexeyev, Anna Leonova, Yanina Parienko, Anna Okuneva, Maria Vinogradova,Svetlana Pavlova, Yulia Lunkina, Anastasya Gubanova, Elizaveta Kruteleva (Grand Pas), Anna Antropova, Vitaly Biktimirov, Igor Tsvirko (Drum dance), Anna Rebetskaya, Polina Dyachkova, Irina Chuvakina (Manu dance), Anastasia Stashkevich (First Shade), Anna Tikhomirova (Second Shade), and Chinara Alizade (Third Shade). Pavel Sorokin conducts the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra. Set and costume designs by Nikolay Sharonov with advice from Valery Levental; lighting by Mikhail Sokolov; filmed by Vincent Bataillon; produced by François Duplat. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+

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Swan Lake

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Swan Lake ballet. Music by Tchaikovsky. Book by V. P. Begitchev and Vasily Geltzer. Tragic choreography by Rudolf Nureyev in the tradition of Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa. Directed 2014 by Manuel Legris at the Vienna State Opera. Stars Vladimir Shishov (Prince Siegfried); Olga Esina (Odette/Odile); Dagmar Kronberger (the Queen); and Eno Peci (Rothbart). Other dancers are  Alice Ferenze, Kiyoka Hashimoto, Masayu Kimoto, and Greig Matthews (the Prince's Friends); Gala Jovanovic, Oxana Kiyanenko, Laura Nistor, and Prisca Zeisel (The Big Swans); Maria Alati, Ioanna Avraam, Eszter Ledán, and Rui Tamai (The Cygnets); Oxana Kyanenko, Flavia Soares, Alexandru Tcacenco, and Andrey Teterin (Spanish Dancers); Kiyoka Hashimoto and Richard Szabó (Neapolitan Dancers); Alena Klochkova and Alexis Forabosco (Polish Dancers); Alice Firenze and Mihail Sosnovschi (Hungarian Dancers); Maria Alati, Ioanna Avraam, Eszter Ledán, Reina Sawai, Rui Tamai, and Nina Tonoli (The Young Noble Ladies); Christoph Wenzel (The Prince's Tutor); Gabor Oberegger (The Majordomo); and the Corps de ballet plus Students of the Ballet Academy of the Wiener Staatsoper. Alexander Ingram conducts the Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera. Sets and costumes designed by Luisa Spinatelli assisted by Monia Torchia; lighting by Marion Hewlett; staging by Manuel Legris, Alice Necsea, Lukas Gaudernak, and Jean Christophe Lesage; directed for TV by Michael Beyer. Released 2014, this Blu-ray disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound.Grade: A+

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La Dame aux camélias

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La Dame aux camélias ballet. Choreography by John Neumeier. Music by Frédéric Chopin. Produced 2008 by Paris Opera Ballet at Palais Garnier. Stars Agnès Letestu, Stéphane Bulllion, Machaël Denard, Dorothée Gilbert, Delphine Moussin, José Martinez, Eve Grinsztajn, Karl Paquette, Laurent Novis, Béatrice Martel, and Simon Valastro. Michael Schmidtsdorff conducts The Paris Opera Orchestra. Solo pianists are Emmanuel Strosser and Frédéric Vaysse-Knitter. Set and costume design by Jürgen Rose; lighting by Rolf Warter; directed for TV by Thomas Grimm. Disc also has a good Opus Arte synopsis and a valuable documentary by Reiner E. Moritz and Stéphane Loison. The show and documentary last more than 4 hours on 2 discs. Released 2009, show has 5.0 PCM sound. Grade: A+

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Swan Lake

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Swan Lake ballet. Music by Tchaikovsky. Book by V. P. Begitchev and Vasily Geltzer. Choreography by Rudolf Nureyev in tradition of Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa. Directed 2005 by Brigitte Lefèvre and Patricia Ruanne at the Paris Opera Ballet (Opéra Bastille). Stars Agnès Letestu (Odette/Odile), José Martinez (Prince Siegfried), Karl Paquette (Tutor/Rothbart), Muriel Hallé (The Queen), Michel Pasternak (Master of Ceremonies), Marie-Isabelle Peracchi (Ghost of White Swan), Nolwenn Daniel, Dorothée Gilbert and Emmanuel Thibault (Pas de Trois), Dorothée Gilbert, Myriam Ould-Braham, Fanny Fiat, and Mathilde Froustey (Cygnets), Emilie Cozette, Stéphanie Romberg, Aurélia Bellet, Laurence Laffon (Big Swans), Fanny Fiat and Alessio Carbone (Czardas), Stéphanie Romberg, Nathalie Riqué, Julien Meyzindi, and Christophe Duquenne (Spanish Dance), plus Myriam Ould-Braham and Jérémie Bélingard (Neaposiatan Dance). Vello Pähn directs the Paris Opera Orchestra. Set design by Ezio Frigerio; costumes by Franca Squarciapino; lighting by Vinicio Cheli. Directed for TV by François Roussillon. Released 2008, this Blu-ray disc has 5.0 PCM sound. Grade: A+

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The Sleeping Beauty

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💓 The Sleeping Beauty ballet. Music by Tchaikovsky. Libretto by Ivan Vsevolozhsky and Marius Petipa. Choreography by Marius Petipa as revived 2011 by Yuri Grigorovich. Stars Svetlana Zakharova (Aurora), David Hallberg (Prince Désiré), Maria Allash (Lilac Fairy), Alexey Loparevich (Carabosse), Artem Ovcharenko (Bluebird), Nina Kaptsova (Princess Florine), Andrei Sitnikov (King FLorestan), and Kristina Karasyova (Queen). Vassily Sinaisky conducts the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra. Set design by Ezio Frigerio; costume design by Franca Squarciapino; lighting by Vinicio Chelie. Directed for TV by Vincent Bataillon; produced by François Duplat. Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+

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McGregor Triple Bill

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In the 💓 McGregor Triple Bill we have three modern ballets choreographed by Wayne McGregor at the Royal Opera Ballet:

Chroma. Music by Joby Talbot and Jack White III, arranged by Talbot and orchestrated by Christopher Austin. Stars Federico Bonelli, Ricardo Cervera, Mara Galeazzi, Sarah Lamb, Steven McRae, Laura Morera, Ludovic Ondiviela, Tamara Rojo, Eric Underwood, Jonathan Watkins, and Edward Watson. Daniel Capps conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Peter Schulmeister Associate Concert Master). Sets by John Pawson; costumes by Moritz Junge; lighting by Lucy Carter.

Infra. Music by Max Richter. Stars Leanne Benjamin, Ricardo Cervera, Yuhui Choe, Lauren Cuthbertson, Mara Galeazzi, Melissa Hamilton, Ryoichi Hirano, Paul Kay, Marianela Nuñez, Eric Underwood, Jonathan Watkins, and Edward Watson. Music played by Max Richter Quintet with violins Lousia Fuller, Natalia Bonner, viola Nick Barr, and cellos Helen Rathbone and Chris Worsey. Solo piano by Robert Clark. Sets by Julian Opie; costumes by Moritz Junge; lighting by Lucy Carter; sound design by Chris Ekers.

Limen. Music is Notes on Light by Kaija Saariaho. Stars Leanne Benjamin, Yuhui Choe, Tristan Dyer, Mara Galeazzi, Melissa Hamilton, Paul Kay, Sarah Lamb, Brian Maloney, Steven McRae, Marianela Nuñez, Ludovic Ondiviela, Leticia Stock, Akane Takada, Eric Underwood, and Edward Watson. Barry Wordsworth conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Concert Master Peter Manning). Solo cello by Anssi Karttunen. Sets and video designs by Tatsuo Miyajima; costumes by Moritz Junge; lighting by Lucy Carter.

Chroma and Limen directed for TV by Margaret Williams; Infra directed for TV by Jonathan Haswell. Released 2011, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+

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Orpheus und Eurydike

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Christoph Gluck 💓 Orpheus und Eurydike dance-opera. Unusual choreography and stage directions by Pina Bausch with singers and dancers simultaneously on stage for each main character. Filmed at the Palais Garnier Opera in February 2008. Gluck wrote Italian and French versions of his opera; this dance-opera version is heavily reworked by Bausch and sung in German. Choreographer assistants are Malou Airaudo, Mariko Aoyama, Bénédicte Billiet, Josephine Ann Endicott, and Dominique Mercy. Orpheus is danced by Yann Bridard and sung by mezzo soprano Maria Riccarda Wesseling; Eurydike is danced by Marie-Agès Gillot and sung by soprano Julia Kleiter; Amor is danced by Miteki Kudo and sung by soprano Sunhae Im. Also stars dancers Yong Geol Kim, Nicolas Paul, Vincent Cordier, Emilie Cozette, Eleonora Abbagnato, Eve Grinsztajn, Muriel Zusperreguy, Caroline Bance, Christelle Garnier, Alice Renavand, Amélie Lamoureux, Charlotte Ranson, Séverine Westermann, Natacha Gilles, Marie-Isabelle Peracchi, Bruno Bouché, Vincent Chaillet, Sébastien Bertaud, Alexis Renaud, and Erwan Le Roux. Thomas Hengelbrock directs the Balthasar-Neumann Ensemble and Choir. Set, costume, and lighting designs by Rolf Borzik (Pina's husband who died in 1980). Costumes made by Marion Cito; lighting by Johan Delaere; lighting engineers were Michel Susini and Madjid Hakimi; produced by François Duplat; filmed by Vincent Bataillon. Released 2009, this disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+

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Tchaikovsky Bolshoi Ballets

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Tchaikovsky Bolshoi Ballets box set released 2016. Below are the discs. Each of them has already been reported on this website, and you can get more details by using the links provided:

  1. Swan Lake. 2015. (Grade: D+)
  2. The Sleeping Beauty.2012. (Grade: A+)
  3. The Nutcracker. 2011. (Grade: F)

This might be the worst HDVD box set on the market now. The A+ Sleeping Beauty is one of the best HDVDs ever, and any ballet fan has to have it. But you would surely have something better to do with your time than to watch the remaining two titles, especially when we have so many other wonderful choices for both Swan Lake and the Nutcracker.

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Royal Ballet Collection Box

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Royal Ballet Collection Box set released 2016. Below are the discs. All of them have already been reported on this website, and you can get more details by using the links provided:

  1. Adam Giselle. 2014. (Grade: A)
  2. Delibes Sylvia. 2009. (Grade: A-)
  3. Hérold La Fille mal gardée. 2015. (Grade: A-) This is a fine recording, but the 2005 version with Marianela Nuñez as Lise and Carlos Acosta as Colas is even better and, well, still indispensable. 
  4. Liszt Mayerling. 2010. (Grade: A+)
  5. Minkus Don Quixote. 2014. (Grade: B-)
  6. Minkus La Bayadère. 2011. (Grade: A+)
  7. Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet. 2013. (Grade: B+) Again the older A+ version from 2007 with Carlos Acosta as Romeo, Tamaro Rojo as Juliet, and Laura Morera as the Head Harlot is still indispensable.
  8. Talbot Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. 2011. (Grade: A+)
  9. Talbot The Winter's Tale. 2015. (Grade: A+)
  10. Tchaikovsky Swan Lake. 2010. (Grade: D) Just ignore this sadly obsolete title. This production is not competitive.
  11. Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker. 2010. (Grade: B) This production is also not competitive.
  12. Tchaikovsky Sleeping Beauty. 2009. (Grade: B+) This production is also not really competitive.
  13. McGregor Triple Bill. 2011. (Grade: A+)
  14. Ashton Celebration. 2013. (Grade: A)
  15. Ashton Rhapsody/The Two Pigeons. 2016. (Grade: B-)
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Viscera

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2015 Royal Ballet Dance Review (our title). Recorded at the Royal Opera House in 2015 in part to honor Carlos Acosta, who retired from the ROB after the performance seen on disc. Emmanuel Plasson conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House except for the Carmen segment, which is conducted by the arranger Martin Yates. Sergey Levitin serves as Concert Master in all segments. Directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Keepcase booklet does not give track information or playing times. The disc menu is confusing. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound output. Here are the segments . . .

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Don Quixote

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Don Quixote ballet. Music by Ludwig Minkus arranged and orchestrated by John Lanchbery.  Choreographed 2014 by Maina Gielgud after Rudolf Nureyev at the Ballet Company of Teatro alla Scala (Ballet Director Makhar Vaziev). Stars Giuseppe Conte (Don Quixote), Gianluca Schiavoni (Sancho Panza), Natalia Osipova (Kitri/Dulcinea), Leonid Sarafanov (Basilio), Matthew Endicott (Lorenzo), Riccardo Massimi (Gamache), Lusymay Di Stefano and Denise Gazzo (Two friends of Kitri), Vittoria Valerio (Street dancer), Christian Fegetti (Espada), Nicoletta Manni (Queen of the Dryads), Serena Sarnataro (Cupid), Antonino Sutera (Gypsy), Deborah Gismondi and Emanuela Montanari (Two Gypsies), Luigi Saruggia and Caroline Westcombe (King and Queen of the Gypsies), Vittoria Valerio and Christian Fagetti (Fandango soloists), and Virna Toppi (Bridesmaid). In addition, students of the Ballet Academy of Teatro alla Scala were directed by Frédéric Olivieri.  Alexander Titov conducts the Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala. Set design by Raffaelle del Savio; costume design by Anna Anni; costume design supervised by Irene Moti; lighting design by Marco Filibeck; video director was Patrizia Carmine. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: D+

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