Description
Minkus: La Bayadere / ORCHESTRA OF THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE / OPUS ARTE
UPC: 809478010432
Playtime is 167 Minutes
- Aspect Ratio : 1.78:1
- Product Dimensions : 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 4 Ounces
- Director : Natalia Makarova, Valeriy Ovsyanikov
- Media Format : Surround Sound, Multiple Formats, Color, NTSC, Widescreen, Classical
- Run time : 2 hours and 47 minutes
- Release date : February 22, 2011
- Actors : Carlos Acosta, Marianela Nuñez, Tamara Rojo, Gary Avis, Christopher Saunders
- Subtitles : English, French, German, Spanish
- Studio : Opus Arte
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
Summary
Marius Petipa's exotic ballet, set in legendary India, is a story of love, death and vengeful judgement. Natalia Makarova's sumptuous recreation of Petipa's choreography, with atmospheric sets by Pier Luigi Samaritini and beautiful costumes by Yolanda Sonnabend, stars Tamara Rojo as the Bayadère (temple dancer) Nikiya, Carlos Acosta as Solor, and Marianela Nuñez as Gamzatti whose alluring presence challenges Solor's love for Nikiya. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true surround sound.
"There wasn’t a single physical gesture that didn’t mean something, that didn’t speak of love trying and failing to blossom." (The Daily Telegraph)
"Overall, this is one of the best productions of a classical ballet that the ROH has ever staged or filmed." (Musicweb International)
London's Covent Garden opera house had assembled a star-studded trio of soloists for this spectacular performance of Marius Pepita's ballet to music by Ludwig Minkus. First performed in 1877, it comes from a time when Western Europe was fascinated with any story with a Far Eastern theme, La Bayadere being set in an India at the time when it was ruled by the Rajah. Nikiya is the gorgeous temple dancer (La Bayadere), who falls in love with the warrior, Solor, much to the anger of the temple s High Brahmin who is besotted by her beauty. On his return home, Solor is offered the hand of Gamzetti, the daughter of the Rajah, as a gesture of reward for his brave exploits. Nikiya finds out of his proposed marriage and comes to the Palace to convince herself of its truth. On receiving a bunch of flowers she holds them to her breast but is bitten by the snake hidden beneath, the flowers were not from Solor, but from her rival. The High Brahmin offers her an antidote, but she prefers to die. The remainder of the ballet, is largely a 'white' ballet, Solor's drug induced dream bringing her to life amidst a host of other beautiful women. On awakening he is taken to his wedding at the temple, but an enormous storm kills everyone there, Nikiya coming to claim Solor as her own in death. The staging is sumptuous, the dress colourful, and in the leading roles are three of the finest dancers of our time: Tamara Rojo (Nikiya), Carlos Acosta (Solor) and Marianela Nunez (Gamzatti). Rojo, as light as thistledown and so utterly fragile, has the strength of legs that allow her to 'lock-out' in a way few dancers can achieve; and if Solor is mainly a grand gesture role, Acosta explodes into one brilliant solo. Nunez has the unenviable part in the trio, but she dances superbly. The corps de ballet receive a massive and prolonged ovation in the second act, which is richly deserved, and the lesser roles are taken with consummate artistry and authority. Very good orchestral playing directed by Valeriy Ovsyanikov, the video made at performances on January 15 and 19, 2009. --David's Review Corner, February 2011
