Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker (1989) / Natalya Arkhipova, Irek Mukhamedov, Yuri Vetrov, Andrei Sitnikov, Ilze Liepa, Alexander Kopilov, Bolshoi
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Actor: Alexander Kopilov, Bolshoi Opera Ballet, Irek Mukhamedov, Natalya Arkhipova, Yuri VetrovBrand: ARTHAUS MUSIK
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); French (Subtitled); English (Subtitled); Italian (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); German (Subtitled); Japanese (Subtitled); French (Original Language); English (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language)
Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 101 minutes
Published: 2005-10-03
DVD Release Date: 2005-10-18
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Arthaus Musik
DVD Reviews of Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker (1989) / Natalya Arkhipova, Irek Mukhamedov, Yuri Vetrov, Andrei Sitnikov, Ilze Liepa, Alexander Kopilov, Bolshoi
DVD Review: A Breathtaking Nutcracker
Summary: 5 Stars
What makes a perfect Nutcracker? In any ballet you should be able to see not only the dancers' entire bodies, but enough of the stage to appreciate the choreography and production design. The story should be a version that you enjoy, or with enough variation and updating to pique the senses without spoiling the story. Most important, the dancing should carry you away. This production earns high marks in all categories. The camera work, with occasional exceptions, loves the dancers and choreography. You can fully appreciate design and execution in relation to the entire stage. The sets are gorgeous, and the choreography allows the dancers to perform truly dazzling feats with superb elegance and grace.
This version sets the story in the 18th century, and the costumes and sprightly movements, especially Drosselmeyer's, are truly evocative of the period. From the very beginning, the procession of families, ladies, and gentlemen mincing through the falling snow draws you in. Arkhipova is simply astounding as Clara; in the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy, she seems to float even during the pyrotechnics of the Presto section. Mukhamedov is also stunning; when he leaps downstage to receive his bride in the final act, he soars effortlessly. It's a small moment, but one that seems to encapsulate the rapture of Clara's dreams of love. In fact, the lead dancers have huge roles in this production, but their artistry never falters despite the rigors of the choreography--they move with breathlessly easy fluidity to the last note of music. The depth of expertise in the entire company is simply awe-inspiring. There is hardly a moment that isn't magical especially in my favorite scene, the party.
I don't know ballet, but I do know music, and this sumptuous production is a feast for the ears as well as the eyes. In an actual ballet, of course, tempi are largely dependent upon the dancers and choreography. And the tempo of the Waltz of the Flowers is one of the few problems I have with this version; the cast is so huge, the choreography so elaborate, that it seems to drag along. On the whole, the dancers are quite heavily costumed in this production, but the Flowers are especially burdened with hand-held candelabra poles while their movements are obscured by the voluminous folds of a funereal lavender fabric. Instead of a fresh floral lilt, the overall effect is of an overpoweringly heavy perfume.
A second quibble is with the Dance of the Mirlitons, which features a shepherd and shepherdess precariously dragging an ovine pull toy behind them. Though I was quickly engrossed in watching to see if the lamb would topple over, I still noticed that this mannered dance felt cloying and static. The couple forcibly reminded me of the ubiquitous porcelain lamps that adorned our grandmothers' vanities and night tables (yes, I know how much some of them sell for today). However, I adore that the complete score is used for this production; the suite is a powerful draw for the concert hall, but the ballet is a wonderful opportunity to present the music in its enchanting entirety. Dissecting Tchaikovsky's cherished masterwork even for the ballet is an expediency I find hard to forgive.
Despite the noted exceptions, the Bolshoi's 1989 Nutcracker is a spectacularly mounted, magnificently executed delight. It doesn't get much better than this.
More Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker (1989) / Natalya Arkhipova, Irek Mukhamedov, Yuri Vetrov, Andrei Sitnikov, Ilze Liepa, Alexander Kopilov, Bolshoi reviews:
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Description of Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker (1989) / Natalya Arkhipova, Irek Mukhamedov, Yuri Vetrov, Andrei Sitnikov, Ilze Liepa, Alexander Kopilov, Bolshoi
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