Le Corsaire
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Brand: KulturPerformer: Kirov Opera Ballet
Performer: Faroukh Ruzimatov
Performer: Altynai Asylmuratova
Performer: Yevgeny Neff
Performer: Yelena Pankova
Performer: Konstantin Zaklinksy
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); French (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language)
Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 85 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-04-26
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Kultur Video
DVD Reviews of Le Corsaire
DVD Review: Unbelievably silly ballet; great dancing
Summary: 4 Stars
Not all ballet music is created equal. Le Corsaire's "score" is one of the "less equal" of classical ballet. Because it's a pastiche of six (count 'em) composers, there's no cohesiveness or continuity whatsoever in the ballet. Things feel and sound like either: 1. pas de deux music, which always has a lot of harps and strings; or 2. filler junk. The plot of Le Corsaire is also unbelievably silly and convoluted. In short: A pirate's crew is shipwrecked, said pirate falls in love with a harem girl, buys her, but then his servant betrays his master, kidnaps girl ... And oh, really, who cares.
The reason Le Corsaire has any hold over the ballet repertoire at al is because it requires a large cast, and everyone has his/her "moment" in the spotlight. It's really a dance extravaganza with only a bare-bones plot; even the corps don't really get much attention. But it's a great piece for showing off technique or charisma. Incidentally, the "slave pas de deux" (most famous moment of the ballet) was the calling card of Rudolf Nureyev. He danced it for his Vaganova academy graduation (a tape still exists) and in the West as a showpiece. The pdd remains a great favorite of ballet galas, although both the Kirov and the ABT present it as a pas de trois with Medora, Slave, and Conrad, as that is closer to Petipa's original choreography.
There are two video versions of Le Corsaire: this Kirov one, and a version from the American Ballet Theatre which was incidentally staged by the great Kirov ballerina Natalia Dudlinskaya. The two videos both feature incredible dancing, but the companies differ in their approach. The ABT seems to have realized that the story is a joke, so the dancers (especially the men) play up everything for camp. The Kirov doesn't take the story very seriously either, but their approach is to just let their lead dancers show off. For instance, Medora (Altynai Asylmuratova) makes her stage entrance and immediately executes a series of high kicks and leaps that would make the Rockettes jealous.
I'll just spend the rest of the review comparing the videos:
PRODUCTION - ABT wins hands down. The Kirov's Corsaire looks slightly old and ragged, like many company warhorses. The video quality is not as clear. Moreover, the Kirov performance is one of those 'fake live' ones where the dancers dance but applause is tracked in later.
DANSEURS - A close call, but I'd give the nod to the ABT. Both Conrads (Yevgeny Neff for Kirov and Ethan Stiefel for ABT) are the male weak links. They don't dance badly, but they aren't particularly memorable either. Farukh Ruzimatov is the slave for Kirov, Angel Corella for ABT. This one's a draw -- Ruzimatov has a natural Tartar exoticism that kind of works for this role, but Corella's dancing is more exuberant, and Corella seems to be having more fun. For Lankedam the evil slave trader is, ABT wins. Vladamir Malakhov is wickedly funny and over-the-top, in his bright red outfit. Konstantin Zaklinsky also tries for some comic relief but he isn't quite as funny or talented as Malakhov.
BALLERINAS: Here, the Kirov wins, no question. As Medora the slave-girl of vaguely Mid-Asian descent, Altynai Asylmuratova is just perfect. She looks extremely Asian and exotic, and really has the kind of belly-dance-goes-ballet thing down pat. Her Medora is also personally adorable. In the famous "slave" pas de deux Altynai has trouble finishing her 32 fouettes but she does them anyway. Julie Kent, OTOH, has a kind of homogenized, bland dancing style that isn't quite as compelling to watch. Her Medora is just a smiley girl-next-door. In one bizarre scene, Julie Kent has a mile-wide grin as she's being bound and kidnapped.
The smaller part of Gulnare is taken by Elena Pankova for the Kirov and Paloma Herrera for the ABT. Herrera is very strong technically, with an extremely solid, unadorned style. Pankova is light and feathery, sort of a "floater." Both are good, but I think Pankova is more believable as a barely pubescent slave girl. But one plus in the ABT video is that a then-unknown Gillian Murphy has a brief solo as one of the odalisques, and she shows her older colleagues how it's done. Triple pirouettes, plus a majestic presence that shouts, "I AM HERE, WATCH ME DANCE."
I think both ABT and Kirov videos are worth getting for balletomanes. In the end, I'd have to give the "dancing" nod to the Kirov, and the "concept/production" nod to the ABT.
Description of Le Corsaire
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