From a mysterious Cheshire Cat and a tap-dancing tea party, to frogs acting as footmen and unknown potions that turn you tiny, many treats and eccentricities await in this weird and wonderful world. You never know what you might find when you fall down the rabbit hole. Christopher Wheeldon's?Alice's Adventures in Wonderland?burst onto the stage in 2011 in an explosion of colour, stage magic and inventive, sophisticated choreography. Joby Talbot's score combines contemporary soundworlds with sweeping melodies that gesture to ballet scores of the 19th century. Bob Crowley's wildly imaginative, eye-popping designs draw on everything from puppetry to projections to make Wonderland wonderfully real. The result shows The Royal Ballet at it's best, bringing together world-class dance with enchanting family entertainment and ingenious music and design.
Country boy Nemorino is determined to win the haughty Adina's heart, but she refuses to give him the time of day. Can Doctor Dulcamara's so-called 'elixir of love' work it's magic? Conductor Sesto Quatrini makes his house debut, as does soprano Nadine Sierra in the role of Adina. She is joined by Liparit Avetisyan, Boris Pinkhasovich and the incomparable Bryn Terfel as the genial wheeler-dealer Doctor Dulcamara.
Teeming with comedy, wit and an abundance of bravura choreography, Carlos Acosta's production brings the Spanish heat and romance of Miguel de Cervantes' classic novel Don Quixote to life. Often regarded as the first modern novel, Cervantes' epic regales the chivalrous adventures of the eccentric nobleman Don Quixote (Gary Avis) and his faithful squire Sancho Panza (Liam Boswell). The ballet focuses on one of their adventures, where they help to bring a vivacious young couple, Kitri (Mayara Magri) and Basilio (Matthew Ball), together.
Sensuous contemporary ballet meets the energy of musical theatre in four distinctive short works showcasing the extraordinary versatility of The Royal Ballet's Artistic Associate, Christopher Wheeldon. His hugely successful career, spanning ballet to musical theatre from London to New York and beyond, has garnered international acclaim. These exceptional pieces - Fool's Paradise, The Two of Us, Us and An American in Paris - are a feast for the senses highlighting the Tony- and Olivier-award-winning choreographer's remarkable range. This collection is a testament to Wheeldon's diverse expression and creativity.
Scenes de ballet; A Month in the Country; Rhapsody
Opus Arte
DVD · 1 disc
$34.99Apr 24, 2026
A celebration of the masterful artistry of Frederick Ashton, this collection presents three defining works from the Founder Choreographer of The Royal Ballet. A pioneer of 20th-century dance, Ashton brought elegance, innovation and emotional depth to the stage, shaping the identity of British ballet for generations. Scenes de ballet distils classical technique into a striking study of form and symmetry. Ashton gracefully reimagines Turgenev's play A Month in the Country as a one-act ballet where all the drama unfolds in the family's living room upon the arrival of a dashing young tutor. Rhapsody, created for Mikhail Baryshnikov and Lesley Collier, blends virtuosic movement with lyrical beauty, set to Rachmaninoff's sweeping score. Together, these works offer a vivid portrait of Ashton's genius.
Through the haze of the years, a poet remembers the women he loved. But when it comes to matters of the heart, nothing is as it seems. Particularly when the devil himself is involved. Journeying back to his school days, Hoffmann (Juan Diego Florez) relives his childhood romance with Olympia, a model student in every sense. Doomed love follows him into adulthood, where the dancer, Antonia, is taken from him too soon. Meanwhile, the sensual courtesan Giulietta has her own secret agenda. As memory and fantasy become increasingly blurred, will Hoffmann find the enigmatic Stella before it is too late? Olivier award-winning director Damiano Michieletto returns to The Royal Opera for a new production of Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann alongside conductor Antonello Manacorda.
Royal Ballet Principals Federico Bonelli, Laura Morera and Steven McRae dance the lead roles in Liam Scarlett's new ballet, based on the world's most famous work of horror fiction, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. This ambitious theatrical collaboration brings the novel to life with spectacular period sets and costumes by John Macfarlane and a newly commissioned score by Lowell Liebermann. Scarlett's choreography draws out the emotional power of this classic story. Passionate encounters between Victor, Elizabeth and the Creature express their torment, regret, anger, yearning and love.
Puccini: La Fanciulla del West / Mehta, Royal Opera Hous Orchestra Covent Garden
PENTATONE
SACD · 2 discs
$32.99May 19, 2017
Puccini’s late opera La fanciulla del West bristles with drama and intrigue in this newly remastered classic recording with Zubin Mehta conducting the Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House and starring Plácido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes and Carol Neblett. With its potent mixture of stark realism and gushing romanticism, this Wild West melodrama builds on the hard-edged style Puccini had used in Tosca, infusing it with Debussian harmonies and Straussian orchestral colours to produce his most distinctive and original opera. Featuring the stock in trade characters of a gun-toting heroine, a macho hero with a sensitive side, and a villainous Sheriff, Puccini eschews the signature lyricism of his earlier operas for a more seamless melodic style to produce a dramatic work of almost symphonic proportions. While critics of the time were somewhat bewildered by this subversive potboiler, modern audiences have warmed to this richly revealing opera which, unusually for Puccini, has a happy ending. This classic recording dating from 1977 is Gramophone magazine’s top choice for the opera and can now be enjoyed for the first time in full SA-CD hybrid multichannel sound. “Carol Neblett is a strong Minnie, vocally distinctive and well characterised, while Plácido Domingo and Sherrill Milnes make a good pair of suitors …. Zubin Mehta conducts with real sympathy for the idiom” (Gramophone). And the Penguin Guide to Compact Discs and DVDs (2003/4) enthused “Domingo sings heroically … but the crowning glory of a masterly set is the singing of Carol Neblett … Full atmospheric recording to match.” Although recorded in multi-channel sound, these memorable performances have previously been available only in the conventional two-channel stereo format. Using state of the art technology which avoids the need for re-mixing, PENTATONE’s engineers have remastered the original studio tapes to bring the performances to life as originally intended: in compelling and pristine multi-channel sound.''
Antonio Pappano, Music Director of The Royal Opera, conducts Rossini's epic final masterpiece of French grand opera with an all-star cast that includes Gerald Finely in the title role, alongside John Osborn, Malin Bystrom and Sofia Fomina. The story of the legendary Swiss patrio Guillaume Tell, determined to free Switzerland from Austrian rule, is told through magnificent arias, ensembles and choruses, atmospheric musical evocations of the Swiss landscape, particularly in the famous overture, and dramatic episodes of great emotional power.
Verdi: La Traviata / Pappano, Fleming, Calleja, Hampson, Wade
Opus Arte
DVD · 1 disc
$34.99May 31, 2011
R E V I E W:
3525240.az_VERDI_La_Traviata_Antonio.html
VERDI La Traviata • Antonio Pappano, cond; Renée Fleming (Violetta); Joseph Calleja (Alfredo); Thomas Hampson (Germont); Royal Op House Ch & O • OPUS ARTE OA 1040 D (DVD); OA BD7076 D (Blu-ray: 154:00) Live: Covent Garden 6/27 & 30/2009
Back in Fanfare 34:1 I reviewed the recent DVD of La traviata with Angela Gheorghiu, Ramón Vargas, Roberto Frontali, and Lorin Maazel at La Scala. To summarize that briefly, my verdict was: excellent staging, superlative Gheorghiu, good Vargas and Maazel, hapless Frontali and comprimario singers. I also provided an extensive overview of other versions of the opera on DVD; all are flawed, but the best alternatives are the 1968 film version on VAI with Anna Moffo, Franco Bonisolli, Gino Bechi, and Giuseppe Patané; a 1972 Tokyo staging starring Renata Scotto, José Carreras, Sesto Bruscantini, and Nino Verchi, also on VAI; and the 2006 Los Angeles Opera production on Decca with Renée Fleming, Rolando Villazón, Renato Bruson, and James Conlon. Opus Arte now brings us a new version with Renée Fleming, and while it too is not without its flaws, it joins the aforementioned entries in the top rank of La traviata performances on video.
At the risk of seeming like a gaggle of geese nibbling this DVD to death, I will state up front that this version of the opera is carried by a few great strengths over multiple secondary weaknesses. The strengths are easy to state: All the principal roles are securely sung, a top-notch conductor is on the podium, and the staging is sensible. In particular, Joseph Calleja is one of the greatest Alfredos ever to record the role. While not ideally handsome and dashing in physical appearance, he has the ringing tenor voice, secure technique, heartbreaking plangency of timbre, and interpretive imagination for the ideal Alfredo. Every time he opens his mouth, you simply don’t want him to close it again. He is also an effective actor whose facial expressions, postures, and gestures harmonize with his singing.
After Calleja, however, the “yes, but” element of this review enters in for everyone and everything else, beginning with the Violetta of Renée Fleming. Doubtless she is a very good Violetta, and superior to many rivals, but I do not think she is a truly great one. Compared to her Los Angeles performance from three years earlier, her interpretation is considerably deeper but her vocal technique (particularly in “Sempre libera”) is more labored and the sound less creamy. Thankfully, she does far less of the distracting grimacing and bizarre grinning than before, though sometimes it still intrudes (someone needs to tell her to rehearse in front of a mirror). However, my greater concern is that her acting is too calculated and external to the character rather than indwelling it; she expends too much energy portraying, rather than being, Violetta. The gestures and movements all seem too self-conscious; instead of just picking up a champagne bottle, or flitting a handkerchief, or sitting down in a chair, one can almost see her thinking, “Now I’m supposed to pick up the champagne bottle,” “Now I should flit my handkerchief,” “Now I should sit down in this chair.” Again, I would prefer to emphasize the real improvement in her characterization in just three years, but this dimension is present and it does matter.
Next there is the Germont of Thomas Hampson. The good news is that he is in steady and secure voice here—not always the case recently—which is more than can be said for much of his painfully superannuated competition. The less than ideal news is that, in order to keep the voice steady, he constantly forces it so that every syllable is pushed out at a forte with a hard, unyielding tone that limits him to a single mode of expression, one of preemptive sternness. His acting and facial gestures are similarly limited and wooden; when Violetta pleads for his fatherly embrace he remains stock-still and ignores her, and displays equal unconcern for his son at “Di Provenza il mar.” In an unintentionally comic sartorial aspect, the light green piping on his brown suit unavoidably conjures up a chocolate sundae with mint drizzle icing, while his stiff posture and lumbering gait in an over-padded full-length fur coat keep bringing to mind actor Fred Gwynne (aka Herman Munster). Again, I don’t want these smaller details to override the fact that Hampson’s Germont trumps that of many lesser singers, but again they are present and do matter.
The rest can be summarized more briefly. One always expects fine Verdi conducting when Antonio Pappano is in the pit, and so it proves here; but this time he seems a bit too deferential to his singers and the performance lacks the extra frisson found in his very best interpretations, and I actually find myself preferring Maazel overall despite his occasional eccentricities. The comprimario singers are uniformly excellent to a rare degree—every one of them could easily be singing a principal role in a major opera instead—and the deft stage direction makes their momentary interactions contribute far more to the cogency of the plot that I have ever experienced before. The recorded sound and film quality are quite good, with the quality of the Blu-ray disc only marginally superior to that of the regular DVD; the camerawork is sensible if not exceptional; the costumes are of the period and (Hampson’s suit and coat excepted) attractive and elegant; the ballet sequence at Flora’s party is nicely staged.
My one other major reservation concerns the production’s sets, which are quite pedestrian. Act I is set in a round room with brown wood paneling and a single large window with blinds in the back, with a small round settee and semicircular padded backless benches around it—no banquet table, chandelier, or anything else to indicate either elegance or the intended significance of Violetta in the round. While not the awful Willy Decker sofa and clock, it’s a major disappointment. The villa interior for act II, scene 1 is painted a drab eggshell blue and has no furniture other than a long work table and a few chairs. Several paintings—whether waiting to be hung or sold is not clear—are stacked on the floor to one side, and several little squares painted with stripes—color swatches, perhaps?—rest in a row on the wall molding halfway off the floor. It’s not very attractive, and simply leaves one baffled regarding the desired effect. By contrast, Flora’s party in act II scene 2 is appropriately elegant, marred only by garish red stage lighting, a huge modern dome light fixture hanging from the ceiling like an oversized cafeteria heat lamp hovering over sandwiches. Act III has an appropriately simple setting of a bare room outfitted with a bed, a dresser, and a couple of chairs, but again is marred by two enormous windows with blinds, against which inexplicably tall shadows (up to 30 feet) of carnival revelers are cast after Violetta finishes “Addio del passato.” Compared to the high-class La Scala staging for Gheorghiu, this is an impoverished country cousin.
So, once again, we still await the ideal La traviata. In the best of all possible worlds, I would be able to take the La Scala production, replace its wretched comprimario singers with their Covent Garden counterparts, swap out Vargas for Calleja, and replace Frontali with almost any other baritone from another DVD. (Leonard Warren, where are you when we need you?) Barring such a pleasing impossibility, however, this production is as good as any other and better than most, and is recommended accordingly.
The diversity of Wayne McGregor’s astonishing talent is demonstrated through Chroma, Infra and Limen, each created for The Royal Ballet, for whom he is resident choreographer. Intimate yet universal, light yet dark, frenetic yet lyrical, McGregor pursues his passion for exploring the inner workings of the human body and mind, his many-layered and beautiful dances providing visual, sensual and kinaesthetic stimulus for the viewer.
"…Wayne McGregor's Infra: sumptuous beauty and shimmering possibility" The Telegraph
Chroma Federico Bonelli, Ricardo Cervera, Tamara Rojo Mara GaleazzI, Sarah Lamb, Steven Mcrae, Laura Morera Ludovic Ondiviela, Eric Underwood, Jonathan Watkins Edward Watson
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Conductor: Daniel Capps Music: Joby Talbot , Jack White III
Infra Leanne Benjamin, Ricardo Cervera, Yuhui Choe Lauren Cuthbertson, Mara Galeazzi, Melissa Hamilton Ryoichi Hirano, Paul Kay, Marianela Nuñez, Eric Underwood Jonathan Watkins, Edward Watson The Max Richter Quintet Director: Jonathan Haswell Music: Max Richter
Limen Leanne Benjamin, Yuhui Choe, Mara Galeazzi, Melissa Hamilton, Sarah Lamb, Marianela Nuñez Leticia Stock, Akane Takada, Tristan Dyer, Paul Kay Brian Maloney, Steven Mcrae, Ludovic Ondiviela, Eric Underwood, Edward Watson
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Director: Barry Wordsworth Music: Kaija Saariaho
Recorded live from the Royal Opera House Infra: 13th & 14th November 2008 Chroma: 10th & 11th June 2010 Limen: 13th & 17th November 2009
Duration: 01:38:00 Regions: All Regions Picture Format: 16:9 Anamorphic Sound Type: 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS Subtitles: French/German/Spanish
This outstanding recording features four ballet works: Liam Scarlett’s Viscera, Carlos Acosta’s Carmen, Jerome Robbins’s Afternoon of a Faun, and George Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky pas de deux. Acosta’s Carmen focuses on the dramatic essentials of revenge, jealousy, and love. Not only did Acosta choreograph the production, he also dances a lead role. When Viscera was created in 2012, Liam Scarlett was the Royal Ballet Artist In Residence. Particularly interesting is Balanchine’s Pas de Deux which was based on a newly discovered movement from Swan Lake which had not been performed since Tchaikovsky’s death.
Region Code: 0 (Worldwide) Running Time: 118 Minutes
Odette / Odille – Marianela Nuñez Prince Siegfried – Thiago Soares The Princess, Siegfried’s mother – Elizabeth McGorian An Evil Spirit / Von Rothbart – Christopher Saunders The Tutor – Alastair Marriott Benno – David Pickering
Royal Ballet Royal Opera House Orchestra Valeriy Ovsyanikov, conductor
Anthony Dowell, stage director Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, choreographers
Recorded at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, on 16 and 24 March 2009
Bonus: - Illustrated synopsis - Cast gallery - Interview with Anthony Dowell - Four Swan Queens - Exclusive 30-minute conversation on the demands of dancing the role of the Swan Queen with former Prima Ballerinas - Dame Beryl Grey, Dame Monica Mason, Lesley Collier and current principal Marianela Nuñez
The Nutcracker
The Sugar Plum Fairy – Miyako Yoshida Nephew / Nutcracker – Ricardo Cervera / Steven McRae The Prince – Steven McRae Drosselmeyer – Gary Avis
Royal Ballet Royal Opera House Orchestra Koen Kessels, conductor
Peter Wright, choreographer and director (after Lev Ivanov)
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, November and December 2009
Bonus: - Cast gallery - Rehearsing at White Lodge - Peter Wright tells the story of The Nutcracker
The Sleeping Beauty
Princess Aurora – Alina Cojocaru Prince Florimund – Federico Bonelli King Florestan XXIV – Christopher Saunders His Queen – Elizabeth McGorian Cattalabutte – Alastair Marriott Carabosse – Genesia Rosato Lilac Fairy – Marianela Nuñez
Royal Ballet Royal Opera House Orchestra Valeriy Ovsyanikov, conductor
Marius Petipa, choreographer
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 5 December 2006
Bonus: - Cast gallery - Illustrated synopsis
---
Picture format: 1080i High Definition Sound format: LPCM 2.0 / DTS 5.1 Region code: 0 (worldwide) Subtitles (bonus): French, German, Spanish (Nutcracker) + Italian (Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty) Running time: 7 hours 37 mins No. of Discs: 3 (Blu-ray)
R E V I E W S:
This generally acclaimed Royal Ballet production of Swan Lake follows on the heels of the somewhat disappointing Blu-ray Mariinsky performance starring Ulyana Lopatkina (Odette/Odile) and conducted by Valery Gergiev (Fanfare 32:5). Both versions are based on the choreography of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, with additional choreography for the Royal Ballet production by the esteemed Frederick Ashton. Any Swan Lake revolves around the central roles of Odette/Odile. In the case of Marianela Nuñez versus Lopatkina, one is not necessarily better than the other. Rather, they are very different. Nuñez is all about elegance, grace, and smooth, legato flow. She exhibits a persistent and rather resigned sadness and vulnerability in the white swan act. It is critical that there is ample contrast as Odile. In the ballroom scene, Nuñez is far more animated, saucy, and seductive. She cannot match Lopatkina’s flawless, almost surgically precise technique, but Lopatkina is cold, sterile, and certainly not very vulnerable as Odette. Nuñez radiates humanity in her finely nuanced but somewhat subdued acting. Thiago Soares (Siegfried) clearly has developed admirable rapport with Nuñez (apparently offstage as well as onstage). He is far preferable to the terminally bland Danila Korsuntsev in the Mariinsky Swan Lake. Conductor Valeriy Ovsyanikov, as in his Royal Ballet Sleeping Beauty, applies generally fast tempos, with an emphasis on clarity of instrumental lines. Compared to Antal Dorati in his legendary Mercury recording, Ovsyanikov can be equated with an overdose of valium. This beautifully staged Swan Lake is just too sedate. The whole thing gives the impression of a subdued and reverential allegiance to tradition. The sumptuous sets evoking Imperial Russia (presumably in the time of Tchaikovsky) and colorful costumes are gorgeous. The high-resolution sound features excellent mid-range detail, sparkling high frequencies, and warm bass. Extras include a short interview with Anthony Dowell discussing Swan Lake and this production, and a more lengthy presentation entitled “Four Swan Queens.” The comments of the four ladies are pretty superficial, with a few interesting anecdotes. The young Nuñez appears to be intimidated or deferential to the three older prima ballerinas to the point where she has little to say.
This production offers nothing that is new or remotely controversial. Viewers will have to choose between Lopatkina’s technical perfection and the lyrical grace of the far more likable Nuñez (who, by the way, is no slouch from a purely technical standpoint). Neither Ovsyanikov nor Gergiev are particularly memorable when compared to the electricity generated by Dorati. If I had to choose, I would probably go with the Royal Ballet, primarily because of Nuñez and her obvious rapport with Soares.
-- Arthur Lintgen, Fanfare [3-4/2010] reviewing blu-ray version of Swan Lake
The Royal Ballet’s new production of The Sleeping Beauty , which debuted in 2006, is based on their successful 1946 staging with designs by Oliver Messel. Visually, this is a significant improvement over the RB’s 1994 Sleeping Beauty designed by Maria Bjørnson. The sets used in 1994 had an immediate “Wow!” factor when first viewed (wild perspectives), but quickly wore out their welcome and so dominated the stage they detracted from the dancers. Adding to the visual impairment were many costumes that matched the scenery in color and tone, further reducing the prominence of the dancers. The new sets are beautiful. They’re very old-fashioned wing and drop; painted in warm colors that are nicely subdued so they offer a pleasant backdrop and the dancers stand out.
Marius Petipa is credited with the choreography in both productions, but contributions from Frederick Ashton, Anthony Dowell, and Christopher Wheeldon are noted. Further credit for this 2006 production is also given to Monica Mason and Christopher Newton “after Ninette de Valois and Nicholas Sergeyev.” Sergeyev was Petipa’s assistant. The original designs by Oliver Messel are augmented and interpreted by Peter Farmer. The result of their efforts is a very classy Sleeping Beauty that is a joy to watch.
The dancing in both 1994 and 2006 productions is of a very high order. Of the six principal roles (Aurora, Florimund, Carabosse, Lilac Fairy, Florine, and Blue Bird), there are individual differences between the two casts, and one significant casting difference. In 2006, Carabosse is played by a woman, Genesia Rosato, in a role usually performed by a man. Anthony Dowell’s Carabosse in 1994 is something to behold. Looking like he just rose from the swamp, he dominates the stage whenever he appears. In comparison, Rosato in 2006 is more restrained, offering a character reminiscent of a blend between Mrs. Danvers and Elsa Lancaster in Bride of Frankenstein.
Alina Cojocaru and Federico Bonelli are nicely paired as Aurora and Florimund. Neither is as flashy as their 1994 counterparts, but they combine technical expertise with convincing acting. They look like royalty from Fairy Land, and like they care about each other. In the 1994 cast, Viviana Durante and Zoltan Solymosi, were significantly mismatched in height (I’ve read Durante was a last minute stand-in for a taller dancer), and they were only superficially into their characters, but they still offered impressive performances. Durante is tiny and elflike; being on point seemed natural to her. During the Rose Adagio she so successfully achieved her balance she refused the fourth courtier’s hand. Solymosi doesn’t have quite the technical expertise of Federico Bonelli, but Solymosi, one of the tallest dancers on the stage, has stage presence in abundance. He commands attention even when standing still.
Conductor Valeriy Ovsyanikov pulls all the Romantic stops out of Tchaikovsky’s unabashedly flamboyant score, in contrast to Barry Wordsworth’s more elegant approach. Carabosse’s curse, the Rose Adagio, the finale, and Apothéose benefitted from Ovsyanikov’s muscular conducting, whereas the waltzes, the Panorama, the character dances, and the adagio in the act III Pas de deux were more lovingly handled by Wordsworth.
The 1994 Sleeping Beauty is full screen; the 2006 is wide screen. Ross MacGibbon, the video director in 2006 was listed as editor in 1994. His part in both of these videos is restrained and rarely intrudes on the dancing. There are some shots of bouncing torsos (dancers viewed from the waist up) when I would have preferred to see the entire performer, but MacGibbon’s direction in this Sleeping Beauty is how I wish more of these videos of stage performances were filmed, a vast improvement over his direction of the Mariinsky Swan Lake (see Fanfare 31:5).
There are some cuts to the score (a few numbers are deleted, a few are shortened), but the abridgements are slight and the key dances, such as the Rose Adagio, are presented in full. The image is bright and clear; the sound, available in either LPCM stereo or DTS Digital surround is excellent. The Sleeping Beauty has long been one of the Royal Ballet’s premier productions; this 1946 updated to 2006 version does the company proud.
-- David L. Kirk, Fanfare reviewing Sleeping Beauty
One of the most vibrant, colourful and eye-catching productions staged at London’s Royal Opera House who offered it as the 2009 Christmas presentation. Starting out life as Vakula the Smith, whatever its title, Tchaikovsky’s opera was based on Gogol’s story, Christmas Eve, its lighthearted fairytale aimed at creating an evening of delightful fantasy. The plot is complicated and requires a large cast, but taken down to its bare bones, it tells the story of Vakula, whose mother is courted by many men including the Devil, she too being something of a witch. He falls for the young village wench, Oxana, a rather highly-strung filly who says he will have to get the Empresses shoes before she will marry him. With the help of the Devil, who carries him on his back to St. Petersburg, he does successfully obtain a pair of the Empresses shoes. Victorious he returns only to find a contrite Oxana who has missed him greatly, and wants him as her husband with or without the Empresses shoes. Though it was heavily revised by Tchaikovsky to create Cherevichki (The Tsarina’s Slippers), he thought very highly of the finished product, but it has never found a place in the international opera repertoire. With a largely Russian cast, the Royal Opera House turned it into a visual spectacular, presenting one big scene after another, with big ballet scenes and a massive extravaganza at the Empresses palace. The cast is superb throughout, with Vsevolod Grivnov a heroic heldontenor as Vakula; Olga Guryakova a charming and typical Russian soprano as Oxana; Larissa Diadkova is a fulsome Solokha in voice and stature, but it is the big voice of Vladimir Matorin as Chub that almost steals the show. Maybe the chorus is just a little tentative at times, particularly at the return of Vakula, but with the range of magnificent costumes they still make a visual delight. A joint BBC/Royal Opera House product, the whole presentation is superb, the costume’s colours so thrillingly brought to your screen.
Solokha – Larissa Diadkova The Devil – Maxim Mikhailov Chub – Vladimir Matorin Panas – John Upperton Oxana – Olga Guryakova Vakula – Vsevolod Grivnov Pan Golova – Alexander Vassiliev The Schoolmaster – Viacheslav Voynarovskiy Odark – Olga Sabadoch Wood Goblin – Changhan Lim Echo – Andrew Macnair His Highness – Sergey Leiferkus Master of Ceremonies – Jeremy White
The Royal Ballet Royal Opera House Orchestra Alexander Polianichko, conductor
Francesca Zambello, stage director Alastair Marriott, choreography
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, November 2009.
Bonus: - Introducing Cherevichki by Francesca Zambello - Cast and Characters - Staging Gogol's world
Picture format: 1080i High Definition Sound format: LPCM Stereo 2.0 / DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Region code: 0 (worldwide) Menu language: English Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish Running time: 154 mins No. of Discs: 1
Birtwistle: The Minotaur / Tomlinson, Reuter, Pappano [Blu-ray]
Opus Arte
Blu-Ray · 1 disc
$42.99Feb 23, 2010
Note: This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players, and not compatible with standard DVD players.
Harrison Birtwistle THE MINOTAUR (Blu-ray Disc Version)
The Minotaur – John Tomlinson Theseus – Johan Reuter Ariadne – Christine Rice Snake Priestess – Andrew Watts Hiereus – Philip Langridge Ker – Amanda Echalaz
The Royal Opera Chorus The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Antonio Pappano, conductor
Stephen Langridge, stage director
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 25, 30 April and 3 May 2008.
Bonus: - Documentary: Myth is Universal - Illustrated synopsis and cast gallery
Picture format: 1080i High Definition Sound format: PCM Stereo 2.0 and 5.0 Region code: 0 (All Regions) Menu languages: English Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian Running time: 175 mins No. of Discs: 1 (BD 50)
Gala Performances - Recorded Live at the Royal Opera House,
Opus Arte
DVD · 2 discs
$26.99Jan 27, 2017
Two spectacular gala concerts from the stage of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, are brought together here in their unforgettable glory. In the 1993 Winter Gala, world-leading singers (including Placido Domingo, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Kiri Te Kanawa) and dancers (including Darcey Bussell, Lesley Collier, and Irek Mukhamedov) celebrate the music of Tchaikovsky, in highlights from such opera and ballet favourites as The Queen of Spades and Eugene Onegin, The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty. In the famously glittering 1996 gala concert, Domingo is joined by a cast of opera stars including Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna and Susan Graham. Asher Fisch conducts this programme of great opera arias by composers including Bizet, Massenet, Gounod, Mozart and Donizetti.
This outstanding collection contains 6 discs and features some of the most memorable performances by The Royal Opera. The works included in this set include Verdi’s Aida, Otello, and Stiffelio, Strauss’s Salome, Gounod’s Romeo Et Juliette, and Mozart’s Mitridate, re di Ponto. These discs bring together incredible conductors Paul Daniel, Edward Downes, Charles Mackerras, and Georg Solti with world-class stage directors Elijah Moshinsky, Nicholas Joel, Peter Hall, and Graham Vick. These recordings, all taken between 1992 and 1994, are preserved here in Standard Definition and 4/3 picture format.
Royal Ballet Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon magically captured the twists and turns of Lewis Carroll’s classic story, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, in his 2011 ballet. Bob Crowley’s vivid sets and costumes take us down the rabbit hole into a colorful world full of curious creatures and captivating characters. Joby Talbot’s original score is full of sweeping melodies and contemporary sounds. Lauren Cuthbertson stars as the inquisitive Alice, with Federico Bonelli as the charming Knave of Hearts, Steven McRae as the tap-dancing Mad Hatter and Laura Morera as the formidable Queen of Hearts. This exuberant and engaging ballet is spectacular entertainment for the whole family. Extra features on this release include Bob Crowley speaking about the costumes, and an insider’s view of Wheeldon’s tap-dancing Hatter. ‘‘Cinematic but also unmistakably balletic, Joby Talbot’s complex, theme-driven score’’ (The Daily Telegraph) ‘‘It’s a joy to look at and packed with featured roles that show off the Royal Ballet’s strength in depth’’ (The Observer)
This outstanding recording features four ballet works: Liam Scarlett’s Viscera, Carlos Acosta’s Carmen, Jerome Robbins’s Afternoon of a Faun, and George Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky pas de deux. Acosta’s Carmen focuses on the dramatic essentials of revenge, jealousy, and love. Not only did Acosta choreograph the production, he also dances a lead role. When Viscera was created in 2012, Liam Scarlett was the Royal Ballet Artist In Residence. Particularly interesting is Balanchine’s Pas de Deux which was based on a newly discovered movement from Swan Lake which had not been performed since Tchaikovsky’s death.
Region Code: 0 (All) Audio Format: PCM 2.0, DTS 5.1 Running Time: 118 mins
Ondine – Miyako Yoshida Palemon – Edward Watson Berta – Genesia Rosato Tirrenio – Ricardo Cervera A Hermit – Gary Avis
Royal Ballet Royal Opera House Orchestra Barry Wordsworth, conductor
Frederick Ashton, choreographer
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, June 2009.
Bonus: - Illustrated synopsis - Cast gallery - The Making of Ondine – an interview with Hans Werner Henze
Picture format: 16:9 Sound format: LPCM 2.0 / DTS 5.1 Region code: 0 (worldwide) Menu language: English Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish (bonus only) Running time: 114 mins No. of Discs: 1
Miyako Yoshida dances the title role originally created for Margot Fonteyn in the hauntingly beautiful underwater world of Ondine, vividly brought to life by The Royal Ballet. Frederick Ashton’s shimmering choreography, Lila de Nobili’s impressionistic designs and Hans Werner Henze’s specially commissioned, vibrant and inventive score, memorably combine to evoke the many moods and colours of the sea. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true surround sound.
This exciting release presents three contrasting ballets by The Royal Ballet’s Founder Choreographer Frederick Ashton: The Dream (1964) is an enchanting adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to music by Mendelssohn. Symphonic Variations (1946) is an early Ashton masterpiece, and a breathtaking, abstract work on the beauty of pure movement. Marguerite and Armand (1963), here danced by former Royal Ballet Principal Zenaida Yanowsky and Guest Artist Roberto Bolle, is a tragic love story of great lyric beauty. The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House is conducted by Emmanuel Plasson. Each of these performances received stellar reviews. "First-rate dancing in an Ashton triple bill that offers comedy, serenity and demi-monde ardour. In one of her final performances as principal, Zenaida Yanowsky gives a tremendously intense and intelligent performance as the tragic courtesan" (The Stage) "A passionate tribute to an all-time genius The Royal Ballet is bringing this season – and its 70th-birthday celebrations – to a close with a perfectly chosen trio of works by its founder choreographer Frederick Ashton (1904-1988), works that remind us just how brightly and variously his genius blazed." (The Daily Telegraph)
Royal Ballet Principal Marianela Nuñez delights as Princess Aurora, with Vadim Muntagirov as her Prince Florimund, in this performance of a timeless classic. Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty holds a special place in The Royal Ballet’s repertory, with its vibrant sets and glittering costumes and featuring such iconic moments as the Rose Adage, the Vision pas de deux, the exuberant wedding celebration and the charming fairy-tale guests, all danced to Tchaikovsky’s richly layered music – one of the most beloved ballet scores of all time. This Sleeping Beauty captures all the magic and virtuosity that ballet has to offer. Extra features include: Introduction to The Sleeping Beauty; History of The Sleeping Beauty; The role of the Lilac Fairy with Monica Mason, Darcey Bussell and Claire Calvert. What the press said: ‘‘If you want spectacle at the ballet then this Sleeping Beauty is for you.’’ (The Times) ‘‘Tchaikovsky's most majestic ballet gets the royal treatment’’ (The Stage)
This special collection from The Royal Ballet includes nine of Frederick Ashton's most loved short ballets, which showcase the range of his style. The pure classical perfection of Symphonic Variations is contrasted with the light-hearted exuberance of Voices of Spring. Both are complemented by the passion and drama of Marguerite and Armand and the romance and comedy of The Two Pigeons and The Dream. The collection is completed by Rhapsody, La Valse, Monotones and Méditation from Thaïs, four of the most iconic abstract works created by The Royal Ballet's founding choreographer. "... a bill which revealed the variety of the Royal's founder choreographer from the perfumed sway of La Valse, to the lyrical loveliness of the Thais pas de deux, and the audacious joy of Voices of Spring. Monotones I and II, on the other hand, show his geometric modernism and his ability to conjure a kind of mysterious beauty by the simplest of means... The performances throughout the evening made the choreography look as fresh and important as ever." (The Daily Telegraph) "Frederick Ashton's 1962 ballet is swooningly romantic and unashamedly old fashioned. The Parisian artist's garret setting might be a cliche but the action is alive with invention. What begins as a comic ballet glides imperceptibly into a more serious realm as the two immature lovers come to terms with erotic distraction and locate the adult within themselves. Ashton's birdlike steps, with flapping elbows and nodding heads are sharp and funny at first as the dancers shake a tail feather across the stage before softening and stretching into gestures of greater poignancy." (The Stage - The two Pigeons 5 Stars)
Marius Petipa’s exotic ballet, set in legendary India, is a story of love, death and vengeful judgement. Natalia Makarova’s sumptuous recreation of Petipa’s choreography, with atmospheric sets by Pier Luigi Samaritini and beautiful costumes by Yolanda Sonnabend, stars Tamara Rojo as the Bayadère (temple dancer) Nikiya, Carlos Acosta as Solor, and Marianela Nuñez as Gamzatti whose alluring presence challenges Solor’s love for Nikiya. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true surround sound.
‘There wasn’t a single physical gesture that didn’t mean something, that didn’t speak of love trying and failing to blossom.’ -- The Daily Telegraph
Solar: Carlos Acosta Gamzatti: Marianela Nuñez Nikiya: Tamara Rojo The High Brahmin: Gary Avis Rajah: Christopher Saunders Magdaveya: Kenta Kura Solor’s Friend: Valeri Hristov
The Royal Ballet The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Recorded live from the Royal Opera House, January 2009
Extra features: Tamara Rojo on dancing La Bayadère Leanne Cope and Francesca Filpi on the corps de ballet Tamara Rojo and Carlos Acosta rehearse with Alexander Agadzhanov Natalia Makarova on choreographing La Bayadère
This special collection from The Royal Ballet includes nine of Frederick Ashton’s most loved short ballets, which showcase the range of his style. The pure classical perfection of Symphonic Variations is contrasted with the light-hearted exuberance of Voices of Spring. Both are complemented by the passion and drama of Marguerite and Armand and the romance and comedy of The Two Pigeons and The Dream. The collection is completed by Rhapsody, La Valse, Monotones and Méditation from Thaïs, four of the most iconic abstract works created by The Royal Ballet’s founding choreographer. "...a bill which revealed the variety of the Royal’s founder choreographer from the perfumed sway of La Valse, to the lyrical loveliness of the Thais pas de deux, and the audacious joy of Voices of Spring. Monotones I and II, on the other hand, show his geometric modernism and his ability to conjure a kind of mysterious beauty by the simplest of means... the performances throughout the evening made the choreography look as fresh and important as ever." (The Daily Telegraph) "Frederick Ashton's 1962 ballet is swooningly romantic and unashamedly old fashioned. The Parisian artist's garret setting might be a cliche but the action is alive with invention. What begins as a comic ballet glides imperceptibly into a more serious realm as the two immature lovers come to terms with erotic distraction and locate the adult within themselves. Ashton's birdlike steps, with flapping elbows and nodding heads are sharp and funny at first as the dancers shake a tail feather across the stage before softening and stretching into gestures of greater poignancy." (The Stage - The two Pigeons 5 Stars)
Puccini’s Japanese tragedy Madama Butterfly is given a ravishing production by The Royal Opera. Its alluring imagery of Japan from the 19th-century European Imagination heightens the intense clash of East and West. When the American naval officer Pinkerton seduces the young ‘Butterfly’ Cio-Cio-San, he seems to promise every happiness – but his cruel abandonment leads to her tragic self-sacrifice. Antonio Pappano, Music Director of The Royal Opera and renowned for his interpretations of Puccini, conducts an exceptionally fine cast with the Royal Opera Chorus and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Powerful performances show why Madama Butterfly remains one of the all-time operatic favourites. ‘‘Always at his best in Puccini, Antonio Pappano conducts with passionate sincerity.’’ (The Guardian 5 Stars) ‘‘An opera that ranks among the very greatest of the 20th century.’’ (The Daily Telegraph 4 Stars) ‘‘Ermonela Jaho is the best Cio-Cio-San London has seen in years’’ (Independent 4 Stars)
-----
REVIEWS:
The Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho is one of the great singing actresses of our time. Hers is not a sumptuous soprano, but the colors she brings to her portrayal are astonishing. Her Flower Duet with Elizabeth DeShong's feisty, sympathetic Suzuki is quite beautifully sung. Pappano - arguably today's greatest Puccianian conductor - draws ardent playing from the orchestra, superbly detailed in its commentaries.
– Gramophone
Pappano is particularly alert to Puccini borrowing traditional Japanese melodies; at times he makes you hear this score, as well as the drama on stage, as a tug of war between East and West. It’s Sharpless and Suzuki who steal the show – a consul with a tender conscience from Scott Hendricks and Elizabeth DeShong as a maid who could melt the stoniest of hearts.
– BBC Music Magazine
DETAILS:
Format: NTSC; 16x9 (Anamorphic Subtitles: English, French, German, Japanese, Korean Region: All Regions Sound: Stereo, Dolby Digital; DTS Digital Surround 1 DVD-9 double-layer disc
![Delibes: Sylvia / Royal Ballet [blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/1569165.jpg?v=1786854123&width=400)
![Minkus: La Bayadere / Royal Ballet [Blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/1806914.jpg?v=1786839094&width=400)
![Delibes: Sylvia / Royal Ballet [blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/1569165.jpg?v=1786854123&width=800)
![Delibes: Sylvia / Royal Ballet [blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/51CDJ2zM6IL_42c7f189-af4a-4417-868a-c36af000da45.jpg?v=1786854123&width=800)
![Viscera, Carmen, Afternoon of a Faun & Pas de deux / Royal Ballet [Blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/3373378.jpg?v=1786837273&width=800)
![Viscera, Carmen, Afternoon of a Faun & Pas de deux / Royal Ballet [Blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/515v4l26ZtL.jpg?v=1786837273&width=800)
![Viscera, Carmen, Afternoon of a Faun & Pas de deux / Royal Ballet [Blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/3373378.jpg?v=1786837273&width=400)
![Birtwistle: The Minotaur / Tomlinson, Reuter, Pappano [Blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/1612429.jpg?v=1786839882&width=800)
![Birtwistle: The Minotaur / Tomlinson, Reuter, Pappano [Blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/51r1Qf5AqqL.jpg?v=1786839882&width=800)
![Birtwistle: The Minotaur / Tomlinson, Reuter, Pappano [Blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/1612429.jpg?v=1786839882&width=400)
![Talbot: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Kessels, Royal Opera House [Blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/3568921.jpg?v=1786828196&width=800)
![Talbot: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Kessels, Royal Opera House [Blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/51FgwB34E4L_ce492451-7374-4cc1-bee2-791f9b8ca085.jpg?v=1786828196&width=800)
![Talbot: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Kessels, Royal Opera House [Blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/3568921.jpg?v=1786828196&width=400)
![Minkus: La Bayadere / Royal Ballet [Blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/1806914.jpg?v=1786839094&width=800)
