Swan Lake / Nutcracker DVD

Swan Lake: a disaster at its 1877 premiere, the fantastical Swan Lake was revived in 1895 and has since established itself as the most popular ballet ever. Daniel Barenboim conducts this sumptuous performance at Berlin's Staatsoper Unter den Linden using choreography adapted and subtly modernised by Patrice Bart from the 1895 staging; combined with elegant costume and set design the result is a very traditional and thoroughly engaging evening's entertainment. Barenboim ensures that Tchaikovsky's score is a romantic delight, the ensemble dancing is highly polished,... Oliver Matz passionately intense as Prince Siegfried, Steffi Scherzer making an enchanting fairytale heroine. --Gary S Dalkin The Nutcracker: as Patrice Bart's 1999 production of The Nutcracker shows, Tchaikovsky's perennially popular ballet lends itself to the Christmas season where it has a permanent place in the schedules of the major dance companies. Bart's production for the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin builds on Petipa's original choreography and develops the context of the child Marie's (Nadja Saidakova) anxiety into a strong narrative. The godfather Drosselmayer (Oliver Matz) is initially a sinister figure, forcing her to confront past events before leading her into the glittering land of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Here, all expectations are exceeded. The familiarity of Tchaikovsky's intricately woven themes works in total harmony with sumptuous production values. The dancing is sublime. As the Prince, Vladimir Malakhov evokes the spirit of a young Nureyev. His pas de deux with the Sugar Plum Fairy should challenge even the most cynical tear ducts. Sit back, share the frisson of anticipation as Daniel Barenboim enters the conductor's box and let the whole experience engulf you. --Piers Ford [show more]

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