Great Nutcracker Blu ray Tchaikovsky
I am rating this Nutcracker B-B-B, which stands for Beautiful, Brilliant, Breathtaking. At last, for the first time ever, we are able to experience this landmark production of the Nutcracker the way it can be seen and heard at the Bolshoi Theatre. Grigorovich's Nutcracker represents one of the most successful attempts to resolve a conflict between the original "Sugary" libretto and the dramatic nature of the Tchaikovsky's music . This could only be achieved by following the music and not the original story. It is obvious that the choreographer wanted to have a coherent storyline throughout the entire ballet instead of two loosely connected acts: the Part y, and the Divertissement. It needs to be understood, that this production wasn't conceived as a "family" Christmas entertainment. Russia does not have this tradition. You can see this ballet in March, June, September - any time during a season, though, they add, several "A Student Day" matinees in December. Russians also do not have a cult of the Sugar Plum Fairy, so her depart ure from the plot does not bother them. The ballet is a girl's wild ride through a one magical night. Perhaps she is coming of age. No matter how long and incredible this night is, it will eventually come to an end, and the girl will have to part with her beautiful prince and his magic world forever. The finale is optimistic, but not without some bitterness, as there is no happy Cinderella ending here. All this is clearly emphasized by the very dramatic, at times dark interpretation of the score. The sound of the Bolshoi orchestra is glorious, with a good sound system the music will get to your bones. Voices of the children's chorus add additional layer of magic. You can see the kids in the back of the orchestra pit at the end of the first act. I used to feel that the Divertissement of the Christmas tree dolls was too plain compared to what we can see nowadays in other productions. After all a lot has happen in a ballet world since 1966 when Grigorovich created his Nutcracker. Now I see that despite somewhat outdated choreography of the dolls, this rather simple Divertissement works better for continuity of the storyline and integrity of the concept, as it does not shift attention from the main characters. As a nice touch, Grigorovich, now an old man, comes on the stage in the end of this special performance. I consider this Nutcracker his biggest achievement, and may be his only ballet which will eventually survive. This is not a revival. This Nutcracker has never left the stage of the Bolshoi since 1966! Despite the Blu-ray is pricy, I recommend to opt for the blu-ray.
Get your Nutcracker Blu ray Tchaikovsky Now!
I now have three Blu-rays of the Nutcracker (Mariinsky and Covent Garden are the others), and it is hard to tell which is the best. This latest version is very traditional and very different to the equally good, but more Russian Mariinsky release, brilliantly performed and staged. The dancers almost defy gravity and the Prince and Drosselmeyer are quite exceptional. I found Masha in the Mariinsky very special too and the Covent Garden is a well rounded performance with Miyako Yoshida a wonderful Sugar Plum Fairy. Whichever you get you will enjoy and frankly I have no regrets about owning the lot. Only the San Francisco version failed to hit the right spot, too quirky for my taste. I do wish these Russians would give us more on Blu-ray, DVD is history after viewing this lot! A quite wonderful disc that can be viewed endlessly!
ReplyDeleteThe words `fresh' and `exquisite' seemed to be most appropriate to me as I watched this version of the Nutcracker yet again last night. This is the version choreographed by Grigorovich for the Bolshoi Ballet and as such, has its own particular view which differs from others in various respects. The booklet notes describe the story and list the sections within the ballet but there is no information given about this choreography.
ReplyDeleteIn this version the little girl is called Marie rather than Clara. The conflict between the Nutcracker and the Mouse King is finally resolved at the beginning of the second act instead of concluding in Act 1. The character dances are more clearly shown to be dolls and this section also includes a `French dance'. All of these dances are depicted without an audience watching on stage as happens in some versions so there is a greater focus on the dancing dolls themselves. They are beautifully choreographed and danced and have considerable freshness in their clean-lined nature. There is no Sugar Plum Fairy in this version but the same music is used for Marie. `Exquisite' is an entirely appropriate word to describe her variation and its performance. `Enchanting' would be another. Either way I found that I did not miss the Sugar Plum Fairy and felt fully compensated for her absence.
Grigorovich is a master of the large set-piece scenario as can be seen in his `Spartacus' ballet and this characteristic of his work is shown to great effect in the corps de ballet sections. The Waltz of the Snowflakes at the end of Act 1 and the Waltz of the Flowers in Act 2 are particularly pretty and the final waltz and Apotheosis are completely effective.
The Star role of Marie (Nina Kaptsova) is exquisitely performed with utter grace throughout and she is well supported by her Nutcracker Prince (Artem Ovcharenko) who is suitably athletic when given the chance. Drosselmeyer is effective without being slightly menacing as in some versions as are the Mouse King and his mice. The staging and the costumes are all one could wish for and the tree does not disappoint. The whole effect is one of utter prettiness and the fairy tale atmosphere is created and sustained throughout. This is a very kind and magical concept.
The imaging is very crisp and with vibrant colours. The camera work gives a nice balance between close and panoramic shots. The sound reveals the excellence of the Bolshoi orchestra under Pavel Klinichev and is presented in DTS-HD and stereo. The recording was made in 2010.
I have enjoyed this version of the Nutcracker very much indeed. It seems to me to be every bit as enjoyable in its own way as the well-known Royal Ballet version by Peter Wright. It would therefore be a fine alternative or additional version to own and should give great pleasure to purchasers. In my opinion, it is certainly worthy of 5 stars.
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A note to the anonymous negative voter responsible for this minor rewrite:
Goodness only knows what you find to be unhelpful about this review.
Unfortunately your response does not offer either any considered comment or constructive alternative point of view.
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Significantly, I know of at least one good reviewer who has finally given up with anonymous negative votes such as has been experienced here and deleted all his reviews. The loss to the whole collecting community is his considerable knowledgeable advice and the gain is his own free time. He cannot be persuaded to return to writing reviews despite my repeated encouragement.
Anonymous negative votes without supporting reasons can have other negative results that you may not have thought of.
ReplyDeleteI like very much the quality of the Bel Air Blu-ray collection (music and HD pictures).
ReplyDeleteBolsho� performances are astonishing.
I took a note of Nina Kaptsova because she IS so perfect in this performance, aesthetically and emotionally, solid skill doesn't hurt either.
ReplyDeleteShe is unbelievably beautiful, with angelic look and smooth body, on top of that, I also feel she uses the whole body movement to tell the story, especially the subtle hand movement.
Her performance in the Flames of Paris is very unique, unlike Natalia Osipova's unstoppable force, she is showing the emotion so beautifully.
Although she has a tiny role in Sleep Beauty, her performance is immediately noticeable.
Please belairclassiques, publish more Bluray of Ms. Nina :)
I am rating this Nutcracker B-B-B, which stands for Beautiful, Brilliant, Breathtaking. At last, for the first time ever, we are able to experience this landmark production of the Nutcracker the way it can be seen and heard at the Bolshoi Theatre. Grigorovich's Nutcracker represents one of the most successful attempts to resolve a conflict between the original "Sugary" libretto and the dramatic nature of the Tchaikovsky's music. This could only be achieved by following the music and not the original story. It is obvious that the choreographer wanted to have a coherent storyline throughout the entire ballet instead of two loosely connected acts: the Party, and the Divertissement. It needs to be understood, that this production wasn't conceived as a "family" Christmas entertainment. Russia does not have this tradition. You can see this ballet in March, June, September - any time during a season, though, they add, several "A Student Day" matinees in December. Russians also do not have a cult of the Sugar Plum Fairy, so her departure from the plot does not bother them. The ballet is a girl's wild ride through a one magical night. Perhaps she is coming of age. No matter how long and incredible this night is, it will eventually come to an end, and the girl will have to part with her beautiful prince and his magic world forever. The finale is optimistic, but not without some bitterness, as there is no happy Cinderella ending here. All this is clearly emphasized by the very dramatic, at times dark interpretation of the score. The sound of the Bolshoi orchestra is glorious, with a good sound system the music will get to your bones. Voices of the children's chorus add additional layer of magic. You can see the kids in the back of the orchestra pit at the end of the first act. I used to feel that the Divertissement of the Christmas tree dolls was too plain compared to what we can see nowadays in other productions. After all a lot has happen in a ballet world since 1966 when Grigorovich created his Nutcracker. Now I see that despite somewhat outdated choreography of the dolls, this rather simple Divertissement works better for continuity of the storyline and integrity of the concept, as it does not shift attention from the main characters. As a nice touch, Grigorovich, now an old man, comes on the stage in the end of this special performance. I consider this Nutcracker his biggest achievement, and may be his only ballet which will eventually survive. This is not a revival. This Nutcracker has never left the stage of the Bolshoi since 1966! Despite the Blu-ray is pricy, I recommend to opt for the blu-ray.
ReplyDeleteThe Nutcracker, in Yuri Grigorovich's production, as performed by the Bolshoi Theater, has to be one of the most perfect ballets. With charming sets and costumes by the genius Simon Virsaladze, Tchaikovsky's renowned score, and the stunning dancers of the Bolshoi Theater, Grigorovich creates an aesthetically, emotionally, and musically perfect ballet. It's as if Tchaikovsky's ideas for the ballet were carried over for a century, until they found their home in Grigorovich's choreography. Personally, as a fan of ballet, Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker has actually become somewhat of a banal eyesore, with virtually thousands of versions of the ballet in existence. This is the one of very few that I enjoy, and I believe the only one that I'm genuinely excited to see.
ReplyDeleteThe music is played exquisitely, and the dancers are all perfect: in technique, musicality, and artistry. Nina Kaptsova is a charming and convincing Marie, somewhat reminiscent of the brilliant Ekaterina Maximova (available on another Nutcracker DVD by the Bolshoi). Artem Ovcharenko is a wonderful Nutcracker Prince, and it is evident that he was coached by the genius Nikolai Tsiskaridze, through the expressions of his arms and general understanding of the emotional palettes necessary for this ballet. Denis Savin is a strange, yet athletic, Drosselmeyer. The rest of the soloists are all excellent, I can hardly see any flaws at all - it is a pleasure to watch them.
The video is shot in HD, and the cameraman definitely knew what he was doing: all of the shots are in the right place at the right time, something uncommon in the realm of ballet DVDs.
I believe this DVD to be the perfect introduction to ballet for EVERYONE. I recommend absolutely everyone to purchase a copy, and it goes without saying - this is a must-have for any ballet lover and collector.
I loved this presentation by the Bolshoi - you can never go wrong with the Russians, whether it is ballet or classical music.
ReplyDelete