Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake
by Ross MacGibbon
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DVD details
Actor: Anders Nordstr?m, Christian Rambe, Johannes ?hman, Marketta Kaila, Nathalie NordquistDirector: Ross MacGibbon
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown)
Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 160 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-01-21
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: BBC / Opus Arte
DVD Reviews of Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake
DVD Review: The complete package
Summary: 5 Stars
Like others I have several different versions of this classic but what I liked most about this production was its consistency- all the parts come together and integrate as a total satisfying package.The colour palette fits,the lighting is suitably moody,the costumes work (beautifully) while being rightly non-committal about the period of the piece and the characters are convincing.As the Artistic Director says in his interview,the strength of the Company is in its theatricality and this dvd shows that so well. As for the dancers,this version is a warm, human drama not over-emphasising technique for the sake of it- thus maintaining the illusion in persuading us that the situation is believable.If icy technique is for you try Letestu and the POB. For me there are two defining moments with Nordquist- the physical reaction in act 2 when she accepts that Siegfried truly loves her, and the flash of her eyes in act 3 when she first meets him as the Black Swan- both significant moments which define the character.Yes she is young (so?) but what ability! And her partner Nordstrom not only looks the part but dances so well,as do all the supporting cast,particularly Rothbart who is one of the best ever.Interesting that Peter Wright has referenced Star Wars in the final resolution which also is one of the best to be seen. Coherence at last !
This is an excellent buy with unobtrusive camerawork and superb surround sound- it's the one I will be showing to the Grandchildren as a fine example of a deservedly famous ballet.
DVD Review: The five star reviewers have it right: this is a superb performance.
Summary: 5 Stars
I need not go into detail, as the other five star reviewers have said nearly all that need be said about this excellent production and performance by the Swedish Ballet. I would add only that Swan Lake is a story ballet that requires acting as well as dancing. Without abandoning gestures inherent in the original choreography, the Swedish dancers act their parts with both passion and restraint, whereas the Royal Ballet rather vapidly employ generic gestures copied from the Russians (who generally do such miming with greater flow and grace than the English). When I have a craving for the dark beauty of Swan Lake, I nearly always choose the Swedish version over any others.
In fact, I have gradually given away or sold off all my other Swan Lake DVDs except that of the even darker, uniquely daring but profoundly effective production by Matthew Bourne starring Adam Cooper with all of the swans expertly danced by men. Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake (Matthew Bourne)
In any case, the Swedes deserve five stars and more for their stunningly beautiful and refreshing (well, at times scary) 19th Century Gothic presentation of the original story and choreography.
DVD Review: The two leads were dreadful
Summary: 1 Stars
I was a ballet dancer for 17 years and have been a fan my whole life. I have a number of DVD versions of Swan Lake and after reading all the positive feedback from the customer reviews, I decided to buy this DVD, even though I knew very little about the dancers of the Swedish Ballet.
Well, I must admit that I am shocked by the positive reviews given here. Yes, Peter Wright's production itself is beautiful but the dancing was horrible. Nathalie Nordquist looked like a 13-year-old dancing at her Jr. High School dance recital and the lead male dancer looked like he was going to fall over from dizziness after all of his turns. I am just totally shocked that those were the two dancers cast for the lead in this beautiful ballet.
If you are looking to buy a great version of "Swan Lake" on DVD, I highly suggest you steer clear of this one and I recommend the Kirov's version danced by Yulia Makhalina and Igor Zelensky. They both give a true virtuoso performance and it is well worth the money. This DVD is a waste of money and time
DVD Review: Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Royal Swedish Ballet
Summary: 5 Stars
I have 5 or 6 productions of Swan Lake on VHS and DVD - including the Bolshoi, the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden, the Kirov and a few others. When I first saw this Swedish production I was absolutely stunned. It is marvelous. The sets and costumes, the orchestra, the choreography and, most of all, the dancers, especially the principals. Nathalie Nordquist and Anders Nordstrom are outstanding as Odette/Odile and Siegfried.
I will look no further for my "perfect" Swan Lake.
DVD Review: Overall, a very beautiful, traditional Swan Lake
Summary: 5 Stars
It's funny how Swan Lake, the most beloved of ballets, also recieves the most "tinkering." Siegfried is in love with his mom (or tutor). Rothbart is a sexy pimp-daddy/green swamp thing (in the current American Ballet Theatre production, they are actually played by two different dancers). And then there's the ending. For the Soviets it's happy. In most Western productions it's sad. Sometimes Siegfried drowns. Sometimes Siegfried defeats Rothbart. There's usually a Swan Boat to heaven. Or there's no boat. Also, since Swan Lake is a very long ballet, there's cutting. Act IV is usually the victim -- in the ABT video it's reduced to literally ten minutes, and one of the most touching moments of all ballet -- Siegfried running among the swans to find Odette, is gone.
So it's refreshing to find a video like Peter Wright's production for the Royal Swedish Ballet. For one, he's restored much of the mime that's so often omitted, including the Act 2 mime by Odette explaining how her tears formed the "swan lake." No slash and burn here -- Act 4 is intact, and beautifully danced by the corps. Siegfried is not in love with his tutor or with Benno. The sets and costumes are very dark and somewhat gloomy, but somehow this fits this ballet, which after all is very gloomy. The sacred Ivanov choreography of Act 2 is also intact. The dancing of the leads is mixed. Anders Nordstrom as Siegfried is technically excellent but like a lot of Scandinavian dancers (think Erik Bruhn) also somewhat aloof and remote. He also has the Scandinavian habit of dancing almost entirely with his lower body. It's always a bit disconcerting to watch these dancers dance an entire ballet without moving their backs even a little.
Odette/Odile is danced by Nathalie Nordquist, who in the interviews included with this dvd appears to be very young. But she has beautiful, long legs and arms, an assured technique, and her Odette has a poignant innocence. She doesn't have the majesty of the more famous Odettes, and her Odile is flirtatious rather than truly dangerous (for dangerous, see Maya Plisetskaya!). She is also not as birdlike as some of the Russian ballerinas. But in her own way, Nordquist's Odette is very warm and touching. This Odette is young, and watching her blossom in Act 2 is beautiful. If I have one quibble with Nordquist's Odette it's that she doesn't seem frightened of Siegfried in Act 2. The very best Odettes will seem terrified of Siegfried and then slowly melt in the pas de deux.
So in a word, I definitely recommend this dvd. My first dvd of choice would be the Royal Ballet one with Makarova and Dowell, but this is an excellent second choice.
Description of Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake
Choreographer Peter Wright stages "Swan Lake" as a romantic Gothic tragedy. This invigorating version focuses on the heartbreaking role of the Prince in this dramatic classic, honoring the 1895 Pepita/Ivanov original. SPECIAL FEATURES -- "Love Transcends Death" an interview with choreographer Sir Peter Wright, "Back to the Original" an interview with Peter Jacobsson, "A Beautiful Way of Moving" an interview with the principal dancers, "The Tale of Swan Lake" an illustrated synopsis, "Notable Productions of Swan Lake" an overview of all historic productions of this ballet from 1877Educational DVDs
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