After the success of « Das Rheingold », Stéphane Braunschweig's staging of the second part of the tetralogy « Die Walküre » was a triumph in Aix's brand new Grand Théâtre de Provence. With a remarkable international cast - Sir Willard White, Robert Gambill, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Eva Johansson and Mikhail Petrenko - accompanied by the Berliner Philharmoniker, Simon Rattle brought almost unparallelled breadth to the work. In opting for a movingly human approach to the drama unfolding on stage, director Stéphane Braunschweig obtained superb performances from an extraordinary group of singers. A momentous double DVD oFirst Opera DVD with the Berliner Philarmoniker oA dream cast conducted by Simon Rattle oThe ideal present for any opera Fan, ideal for Christmas products

This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD

After public and critical acclaim for his Eugene Onegin (available on DVD from BelAir), "Macbeth" on Blu-ray and DVD is the latest production from Russian stage director Dmitri Tcherniakov, recorded at the Paris Opera.

Coproduced with Siberia's Novosibirsk Opera, this new Macbeth uses cutting-edge multimedia technology to give the viewer a fresh perspective on the work. Google Earth satellite images plunge us into the heart of the action: a gloomy square surrounded by soulless buildings, and the interior of an aristocratic residence. Witches are no more a part of Tcherniakov's Macbeth that the duel was of Onegin, but once again the atmosphere is one of brooding claustrophobia. Tcherniakov has chosen a great cast, beginning with the marvellous Lithuanian soprano Violeta Urmana as Lady Macbeth. Greek baritone Dimitris Tiliakos is a powerful presence as Macbeth, while the Italians Ferruccio Furlanetto (bass) and Stefano Secco (tenor) are sumptuous as, respectively, Banquo and Macduff. In this, his second production at the Paris Opera, Teodor Currentzis, music director of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre conducts with verve and a splendid theatrical sense.

Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian
Format: Stereo, DTS-HD 5.1, Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Director: Andy Sommer & Denis Sneguirev

'This is the story of a dying woman. It is written as such. This is what it tells. During the performance, this woman dies before your eyes, in what is practically a live event. There is no way to conjure the fact away. The main subject of this opera is death and there is no way to avoid that. Death with love. Love with death. One and the other, one in the other.' - Peter Mussbach A production by Festival d'Aix en Provence 2003.

LA TRAVIATA
Mireille Delunsch • Matthew Polenzani • Zeljko Lucic
Orchestre de Paris, Conducted by Yutaka Sado
staged by Peter Mussbach
Recorded at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence (2003)

AIDA
Nina Stemme • Salvatore Licitra • Luciana D’Intino Juan Pons • Matti Salminen
Zurich Opera Orchestra, Conducted by Adam Fischer
staged by Nicolas Joel
Recorded at the Opernhaus Zürich (2006)
BBC Magazine DVD of the month (august 07)
Gramophone DVD of the month (august 07)

MACBETH
Dimitris Tiliakos • Violeta Urmana • Ferruccio Furlanetto • Stefano Secco
Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris, Conducted by Teodor Currentzis
staged by Dmitri Tcherniakov
Recorded at the Opéra national de Paris (2009)

Three masterpieces by Verdi in a limited edition 5-DVD box set: internationally acclaimed productions from Aix Festival, Zurich Opera House and paris Opera, by Peter Mussbach (Traviata), Nicolas Joel (Aida) and Dmitri Tcherniakov (Macbeth). Artists as Mireille Delunsch, Nina Stemme, salvatore Licitra, Violeta Urmana and world famous conductors as Yutaka Sado, Adam Fischer and Teodor Currentzis.

Also available on standard DVD

Ten years after his death, the Paris Opera Ballet payed homage to the American choreographer who considered the Paris Opera as his second home after New York City Ballet. The three pieces performed here illustrate not only the diversity of the choreographer's repertoire and sources of inspiration, but also his love of music and his all-embracing attitude to the performing arts. Jerome Robbins brought new energy to classical dance, introducing 20th century urban rhythms, confirming its status as a modern entertainment form and instilling it with the interrogations of contemporary theatre. En Sol, set to Maurice Ravel's Concerto en sol, follows no particular narrative line or dramatic effect. Echoing the music's jazzy invitations and light-heartedly copying Broadway style, this is a light and joyous piece for two soloists and an ensemble. It provided Jerome Robbins with an opportunity to reveal the relaxed, fluid feel so emblematic of his style.

In the Night and The Concert are two tributes to Frederic Chopin, each in a different register. Seeking to free the composer from the commonplaces that have often belittled his music, Robbins transforms Les Nocturnes into In the Night, a long and poetic pas de deux built like a metaphor of love in all its states. The Concert joins the ranks of the few comic ballets in the history of dance. Taking as its point of departure images inspired by some of Chopin’s more fancifully entitled scores, Jerome Robbins' piano recital is a comic plea for the cause of human vulnerability.

The fact that, at the very same period, he was contributing to the renewal of the musical by bringing a tragic side to his West Side Story, only underlines his insatiable thirst for originality and his immense talent for freely combining genres and styles. Lastly, Benjamin Millepied, who made his dance debut with Robbins in New York, dedicates his second creation for the Paris Opera Ballet, Triade, to the choreographer. "Dance is composed of human relations", Robbins used to say. A worthy heir to his master, Benjamin Millepied matches this credo through a fruitful dialogue with composer Nico Muhly.

Four of Sweden's most innovative choreographers travel to Ingmar Bergman's home on Faro to explore and get inspired. The result is a unique dance film, Ingmar Bergman through the Choreographer's eye. As a film director, Ingmar Bergman was also a choreographer. Throughout his films, and his theatre works, one can sense his refined choreographed language - in the beautiful movement of a head, or an arm, in the blink of an eyelid - revealing painful shortcomings and chasms in close human relationships. His "invisible hand" is constantly directing the actor in a slow dance around the room. The unspoken word through each choreography is transformed into movements instead. The renowned and innovative Swedish choreographers Alexander Ekman, Par Isberg, Pontus Lidberg and Joakim Stephenson, with principal dancers Jenny Nilson, Nathalie Nordquist, Oscar Salomonsson and Nadja Sellrup from the Royal Swedish Ballet, interpret Ingmar Bergman through four unique dance performances reflecting on human relations and intense feelings. The dances are linked together with images of the epic natural beauty of Faro and Bergman's poetic home Hammars, including the voice of the master himself - Ingmar Bergman - revealing his thoughts about movements and music. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Bergman's birth, this movie is not only a tribute to the Swedish cineast's unique aesthetics, but also a way to deepen his search of the ineffable, his reflexion on the visual poetry of movement, and on the emotional powers of silent contemplation. The movie won the Special Mention award at Golden Prague International Film Festival 2017 for exceptional artistic achievement as it "excels in the exhilerating choreography, the vivid lighting, and the brilliant camerawork and editing."

Note: This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players, and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Asafyev: Les Flammes De Paris

In Memoriam of the Great French Revolution.

World Premiere Recording at the Bolshoi Ballet in Blu-ray.
The Flames of Paris belongs to the pearls of the pure classics of classical dance.

Produced in the 30's of the last century The Flames of Paris on a music by Boris Asafiev was presented on the eve of the anniversary of the October Revolution, and later continued to be included in the ranks of works which were always brought out for an airing on anniversaries of this sort. And this is hardly surprising, The Flames of Paris is about the conflagration of the great French Revolution. And it had a new "hero" type which, up to then, had not been encountered in ballet - one of its main characters was the populace, revolutionary in mood and ready for action.

The choreographer Alexei Ratmanky has attempted to make maximum use of the preserved fragments of Vasily Vainonen in his new ballet. The most talented soloists of the Bolshoi Ballet appear in this production as Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev or Denis Savin and Anna Antonicheva.

Cast:
Director: Vincent Bataillon
Natalia Osipova (Jeanne)
Denis Savin (Jerome)
Ivan Vasiliev (Philippe, un Marseillais)
Yuri Klevtsov (Marquis Costa de Beauregard)
Nina Kaptsova (Adeline)
Anna Antonicheva (Mireille de Poitiers)
Ruslan Skvortsov (Antoine Mistral)
Bolshoi Ballet & Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre, Pavel Sorokin

Format: 16/9 HD, PCM Stereo, DTS 5.1
Region: all
Subtites:French, English, German

This new release is a tribute to the art and elegance of Svetlana Zakharova, “prima ballerina assoluta” and queen of the Bolshio Ballet. All of these performances were recorded at the State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Moscow. Tchaikovsky’s famous “Swan Lake” opens the programme. Next is “The Sleeping Beauty,” choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich for a breathtaking experience. Marius Petipa’s exotic ballet “La Bayadere” is set in legendary and mysterious India. Finally, “The Pharoh’s Daughter,” recreates the spectacular sumptuousness of the original with its stupendous costumes and striking scenery. Also included on this release is a special documentary about the creation of the ballet at the Bolshoi and an exclusive interview of Pierre Lacotte.

When she is finally released from an evil spell by the kiss of a young prince, the Sleeping Beauty awakes and is- in spite of a hundred years of sleep- as beautiful as a young woman. The love of the prince is simply stronger than the curse that rests on the haunted princess. The artistic director of the Staatsballett Berlin, Nacho Duato, has brought new life to this beloved classic, which itself is over a hundred years old and for which Tchaikovsky has composed the unforgettable music. This production demonstrates that Nacho Duato can also tackle classical ballets with dance en pointe with great success. Nothing in this production is old and dusty, rather the entire choreography looks fresh and is bursting with vitality and brings an air of spring to the stage. The costumes by Angelina Atlagic deserve likewise admiration as they sparkle on stage like spring buds in morning dew. The stage design, also designed by Atlagic, offers a refined setting for the ballet fairy tale. The décor of this production is highly imaginative and colorful, yet at the same time very elegant and stylish.

Also available on DVD

The “Nutcracker” remains one of the most popular ballets ever with Tchaikovsky’s luscious score annotating the fantasy and enchantment of the tale. Vasily Medvedev and Yuri Burlaka, two Russian choreographers have developed a version for the Staatsballett Berlin which is based on the historic stage designs and choreography from the original of 1892. This glittering production was designed as a reproduction of the great ballet féerie, an older form of French theater which includes opulent scenery and mechanically worked stage effects. With the Orchestra of the Deutsch Opera, Berlin conducted by Robert Reimer.

Iana Salenko (Clara & the Sugar Plum Fairy), Marian Walter (Nutcracker & Prince Coqueluche), Michael Banzhaf (Drosselmayer), Arshak Ghalumyan (Mouse King), Elena Iseki (Young Clara) & Linus Schmidt (Fritz)
Soloists & corps de ballet of the Staatsballett Berlin, Students of the Ballettschule Berlin & Children’s Choir & Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Robert Reimer.

Note: This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players, and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Region: All



TCHAIKOVSKY Swan Lake • Vladimir Fedoseyev, cond; Polina Semionova ( Odette/Odile ); Stanislav Jermakov ( Prince Siegfried ); Arsen Mehrabyan ( Rothbart ); Karin Pellmont ( Queen ); Zurich Op O • BELAIR 455 (Blu-ray: 130:00) Live: Zurich 10/2009


Choreographer Heinz Spoerli refers to his Zurich Swan Lake as a “decidedly contemporary production … a Swan Lake for today.” He turns Swan Lake into a conflation of classical mythology and modernist psychodrama. In doing so, he makes Prince Siegfried the emotional focus of the ballet as a tortured, romantic dreamer. Though Spoerli is clearly an advocate of the choreographic techniques of classical ballet, the stage sets are decidedly minimalist. In act I, the courtyard is a bare stage surrounded by stark, angular walls. In the white swan scene, the walls remain with a vague image of the lake (or are they clouds?) projected in the background. Spoerli uses lighting to change and concentrate the mood. Thus, the fiery reds at the end of act I (as a wimpy Siegfried interacts with the animated Rothbart) yield to the customary blues and whites of the swan scene. For the act III ballroom scene, the only props are a group of chairs occupied by men and women sitting motionless in tight-fitting uniforms. This sharply contrasts with the dazzling Polina Semionova as she seduces and dominates Siegfried. The ending is ambiguous. Rothbart is finally pushed aside by Siegfried and remains alone on stage as Odette and Siegfried enter a massive column of water bubbles rear stage. Spoerli states (in the program notes): “an ending which I understand in a many faceted sense as a deliverance. Does this mean that the lovers are saved? Is the spell’s power broken? Are there other kinds of salvation and deliverance? Perhaps even by death and transfiguration?” It’s your call.


The Bolshoi-trained Semionova (Odette/Odile) is tall, almost unbelievably slender (do these dancers ever eat a meal?), and technically just about perfect without resembling an icy robot like Ulyana Lopatkina in the Mariinsky Theatre Swan Lake conducted by Valery Gergiev ( Fanfare 32:5). She is an accomplished actress who combines technical perfection with an almost otherworldly vulnerability as Odette and sizzling sexuality as Odile. Stanislav Jermakov projects a handsome, conflicted, and deferential Prince Siegfried. He is an excellent partner for Semionova. In fact, it is a major accomplishment that he can hold his own with her. Jermakov’s act III variation is explosive. Arsen Mehrabyan is an effective villain, slithering around the stage as the omnipresent Rothbart. Vladimir Fedoseyev tends toward slow tempos in the lyrical music, but he provides ample contrast with the faster dances. This is by far the most nuanced version of Swan Lake that I have heard on Blu-ray, especially when compared to the bludgeon-like Gergiev (Decca) and the bland Valeriy Ovsyanikov (Opus Arte). The Zurich Opera Orchestra yields nothing to the orchestras of the Mariinsky Theatre and the Royal Opera House. The Zurich corps de ballet does not have the precision of the Mariinsky Theatre dancers, but they are more than adequate.


Spoerli’s intense and unique personal vision of Swan Lake encourages extreme close-ups that are tastefully and for the most part seamlessly managed in conjunction with the middle and full stage shots. Blu-ray’s visuals and surround sound further enhance the dramatic impact of the lighting and orchestra.


In conclusion, Semionova, Jermakov, Fedoseyev, and the Zurich Opera Orchestra are all hard to beat individually and as an ensemble. Traditionalists may not be entirely happy with Spoerli’s Swan Lake , but in the hands of these performers, it works very well. I would also like to see Semionova et al. in a more traditional production. Highly recommended.


FANFARE: Arthur Lintgen

In 2005 it was over 30 years since the Zurich Opera House had seen a performance of probably the world’s best-loved ballet, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. The Zurich Ballet, which has become one of the world’s leading dance ensembles under Heinz Spoerli’s direction, raised this famed work from its slumber with a dream team to tackle this classic anew. Zurich Ballet Director and choreographer Spoerli has long been confirmed as a master storyteller and an imaginative renewer of the genre: with the support of set designer Erich Wonder and costumier Florence von Gerkan he has devised a new and contemporary version of this classic dance tale that has been eagerly awaited by ballet enthusiasts all over the world, in this his third production of Swan Lake. Top Russian conductor Vladimir Fedoseyev ensures an evening of musical excellence, too.

Region: All

The "Evening of Roland Petit Ballets" is made up of two one-act ballets. The first - "Passacaille" is to music by Anton Webern, including his "Five Pieces" Op. 5 in the arrangement for string orchestra and "Passacaglia" Op. 1. "Pique Dame" uses music not from Tchaikovsky's opera but from his Symphony no 6.

Also available on Blu-ray

Bringing together again, for the first time since their premiere, Tchaikovsky’s opera Iolanta and ballet The Nutcracker, was the audacious challenge that Russian stage director Dmitri Tcherniakov accepted for the Palais Garnier in Paris in March 2016 : a revolutionary production, which was to become one of the key events of the Paris Opera season. With great intelligence, Tcherniakov renews the dialogue between the two masterpieces, and reveals their common origins. He thus reminds us that both Iolanta and The Nutcracker are first and foremost initiatory journeys, in which the heroes experience love and loss, fortune and misfortune. In doing so, Dmitri Tcherniakov, with the collaboration of contemporary choreographers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Edouard Lock and Arthur Pita, goes as far as to completely disregard the magical extravaganzas that Marius Petipa associated to The Nutcracker, and radically turns the dream into a nightmare dominated by despair and loneliness. To insure the continuity and a sense of dramatic consistency between the opera and the ballet, Tcherniakov skillfully modulates the space provided by the Palais Garnier. A solution that also enables him to question the very nature of both theater and illusion, as well as their specular relationship with the reality they try to make us forget. Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva delivers a flamboyant interpretation of the blind princess Iolanta, and shares the stage with Polish tenor Arnold Rutkowski and Ukrainian bass Alexander Tsymbalyuk. The internationally renowned French conductor Alain Altinoglu joins forces with the Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus, while the Paris Opera Ballet, among which Marion Barbeau- a radiant Marie - and the Etoiles Stéphane Bullion and Alice Renavand, revives the most popular ballet of all time.

This Tchaikovsky Gala is a showcase of virtuosity which is not to be missed, presented by Roberto Bolle resident star of La Scala and a handful of international guest artists: Polina Semionova, Nadja Saidakova and Ronald Savkovic. Some of the most exacting and demanding moments from Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker are presented, showing to great effect the prowess of the corps de ballet and stars alike: Roberto Bolle and Polina Semionova, principal of the Berlin Staatsballett. And also from Berlin the principal couple Nadja Saidakova and Ronald Savkovic, in this their very first appearance on the Scala stage. David Coleman conducts some of the musical highlights from the three Tchaikovsky's ballets, all of which are held in high esteem in the hearts and minds of ballet fans: Swan Lake, in Vladimir Bourmeister's version ; Sleeping Beauty, with choreographied by Marius Petipa and The Nutcracker, another familiar title for La Scala, this time in Patrice Bart's version. Jewels of music and dance all set in the Act III décor of Swan Lake: Prince Siegfried's birthday festivities are being held in the castle hall, a veritable tourbillon of dances, from Czardas to Spanish, Neapolitan to Mazurka all of which leads into the celebrated "Black Swan" pas de deux, starring Roberto Bolle and Polina Semionova. As if by magic, another homage to Tchaikovsky appears: Aurora and her four princes in the immortal "Rose Adagio", encompassing both dreamy sweetness and technical strength, being one of the most difficult choreographic passages of Sleeping Beauty alongside the "Blue Bird" pas de deux and the Act II pas de deux from The Nutcracker performed here by Nadja Saidakova and Ronald Savkovic.

Format: Widescreen, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, HD Master Audio 5.1, PCM 2.0, Aspect Radio 1.77:1
Language: English
Running Time: 114 minutes
Region: All Region