Customer Reviews

Delibes: Sylvia

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In 1952, Frederick Ashton choreographed his own version of "Sylvia," a ballet originally created and choreographed for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1876. The ballet was a vehicle for Margot Fonteyn, then at the height of her career. But for one reason or another, Sylvia never gained any traction as part of the Royal Ballet repertoire. Perhaps it was the fiendishly difficult title role -- Sylvia is onstage and dancing at almost all times, and Ashton filled the choreography with intricate footwork and jump sequences. Perhaps it was the relatively weak storyline. Sylvia is a huntress for the goddess Diana, and she falls in love with a shepherd named Aminta. God Orion gets jealous and kills Aminta, but love (in the form of the god Eros) saves the day. Diana relinquishes Sylvia and all ends happily. There's not much emotional depth, although Ashton infused the ballet with his personal quirks, like dancing goats.

After its premiere in 1952, Ashton tinkered with the ballet and at one point made it a one-act ballet, but it wasn't until 2004 that the Royal Ballet decided to revive Ashton's 1952 production. This video is a souvenir of the revival. Delibes' score is the main reason why I return to Sylvia -- it is absolutely beautiful. You might have heard the pizzacato polka before, or the ravishing grand pas de deux, but the score has no weak spots.

The dancing is uniformly strong. Thiago Soares is the mustache-twirling Orion. Darcey Bussell in the title role is nothing short of spectacular. The role emphasizes all her strengths (her athleticism, beauty, and natural charm) and none of her weaknesses (a lack of real emotional depth). She looks every bit the mythical huntress, but more impressively, she is able to execute both the tricky allegro footwork and the showy athleticism of Ashton's choreography. Her partner is the hunky Roberto Bolle, one of the few dancers tall enough to partner the 5'8" Bussell. They make a beautiful couple. In the grand pas de deux, Bussell performs awe-inspiring backward-leaping fish-dives.

Highly recommended.

This is Ashton's Sylvia as a Second-Empire entertainement, magnificently danced and sumptuously staged. Darcey Bussell and Roberto Bolle are flawless in roles that are quite difficult yet ironically not showy. They make excellent partners. Soloists and Corps dance in exhuberant good form. The Covent Garden Orchestra sounds primed for Delibes marvelous score, one of the very, very few musical masterpieces to be found among ballet scores. Ashton's choreography is very pretty even if never quite reaching heights of beauty or originality he showed elsewhere, e.g., Symphonic Variations or The Dream, not to mention his re-castings of Petipa. Though I never saw Fonteyn in the part (but did see her in quite a few others), at some points in the choreography, without detracting from the marvelous Darcey Bussell, my mind's eyes would unwittingly summon the image of Fonteyn executing the movements, peculiarly as watching two dancers, one inside the other, dancing the same part. Fonteyn conveyed a sense of wonder about her own dancing while she danced that was unique and most communicative; Ashton knew how best to display it, and we would all be taken in and be made part of it. Hence his choreography for her will always retain an element of reminiscence, however magnificently it may be currently danced, as Bussell does in this performance. This is of no consequence to those who never saw Fonteyn. Those who did can rejoice at this performance for not only will it bring much pleasure on its own merits, but it will as well unmistakably recall, in seeing Sylvia's dances, the great, unique Margot. No sadness here nor nostalgia, just the memory of the beloved, expressive artist on whom the role was created.

One note about the DVD: Darcy Bussell's introductory and concluding short comments do not come on automatically but need to be accessed from the Chapters menu. Otherwise there are no extra features.

For a very different, quite engaging and dramatic use of the same score with vague references to the Sylvia legend, I recommend the version John Neumeier did for the Paris Opera Ballet, also on DVDDelibes - Sylvia / Aurelie Dupont, Manuel Legris, Nicolas Le Riche, Marie-Agnes Gillot, Jose Martinez, Paris Opera Ballet. There is poignancy and modern meditation there about vanished opportunities and choices that cannot be undone; the pizzicato is almost tragic..... All very different from Ashton's pretty entertainement, in dance terms quite thrilling even if the vocabulary is more eclectic. Both Sylvias belong in a balletomane's DVD library.

Ivy Lin's review last month is spot-on. This ballet's music is some of the best there is, comparable with Sleeping Beauty, Raymonda & Midsummer Night's Dream. I was familiar with the beautiful score from a Naxos disc that coupled the ballet with a suite from Saint-Saen's opera Henry VIII. I played it often over the last few years, wondering if I'd ever see a performance, live or video. Last year I saw the Aurelie Dupont DVD was available, but I dislike modern, austere settings/costumes for both ballet & opera, and from more than a few reviews on Amazon and elsewhere, I concluded I should wait for another treatment. I'm glad I did. Ashton's production is beautiful to look at, Darcey Bussell is a charismatic dancer, costumes & backdrop/setting are romantic (as is fitting for the subject, not to mention Delibe's original intentions!) and the music can easily stand alone as a concert piece for any symphony program, which you couldn't claim for some ballet music. I only wish it was longer. This DVD also has a brief, but interesting introduction narrated by Bussell herself. This is a little gem, showing the dancers and backstage crew just before the curtain rises. Some dancers chat together while limbering up, double-checking costumes, while others grab a quick moment by themselves, a bit of solace before the summation of all that practice, rehearsal time, muscle memory, nerves & adrenaline take over before the appreciative audience. Also, the accompanying booklet is thorough and interesting with several nice photos of the production. If you haven't seen this ballet, I urge you to try it. You're in for something special.

Two beautiful versions of Sylvia are available on DVD, each with its own virtues but with very different approaches to the story. This DVD is a traditional version, choreographed for the Royal Ballet by Frederick Ashton. It follows the classic story and it is closely matched to Delibes' music. The other is John Neumeier's reworking of the story as performed by the Paris Opera Ballet, which I reviewed earlier. Delibes - Sylvia / Aurelie Dupont, Manuel Legris, Nicolas Le Riche, Marie-Agnes Gillot, Jose Martinez, Paris Opera Ballet It is intense and psychologically powerful, but it rearranges some of the music as it modernizes the story.

The difference between the two versions is vividly illustrated in the scene where Sylvia and her huntress companions first enter in Act I. In this Royal Ballet version, the women are dressed in short white ballet costumes and carry decorative hunting bows that look like they might have been borrowed from Cupid in an 18th century French painting. It is a pleasing, pretty scene, with the huntresses' steps closely linked to the music in a way that I found appealing. By contrast, the Neumeier huntresses are fierce warriors wearing bicycle shorts, leather vests, and tight leather helmets. They carry long hunting bows that look like the real thing. These women are beautiful, especially after they remove their helmets and release their hair, but they are also powerful and intense. The music is the same for both versions, and both interpretations are pleasing, but they are very different.

Those differences carry through the rest of the ballet. This London version has a clearer story, a villain and a hero, and a happy ending. The steps illustrate the original music closely. It is beautifully danced and it will not disappoint. The Paris version is more intense and more ambiguous in its story; it is a "choreographic poem" (to use a phrase from its bonus feature) that invites interpretation, and it is beautiful in an entirely different way. I liked both performances, and my recommendation is to get both if you can. If you have to settle for only one, the Neumeier version would be my choice.

Stories take us to the ballet fantasy world, where parade gods, kings, wizards, pirates, slaves, princes, swans and all that imagination can create. Ballet takes us, makes us feel emotions that even when children felt.

Appear strange worlds, exotic beings materialize. In each presentation, we forget the reality and we cling to the naivety of the characters. Cheered for them, get angry when they are deceived, we want the best of all worlds. The music of the ballet help on this trip of dreams: usually sweet, simple, direct and very emotional. Become a special dance and sometimes makes us cry and sometimes makes us happy with their melodies flavored honey. Who has the imagination, keep inside the soul of a child, and likes to daydream, love this art. Ballet is to dream.

The ballet Sylvia is to dream. Him parade fauns and nymphs, unreal beings that materialize on the stage of Covent Garden, London. Dance with grace, until you get to the shepherd Amyntas, causing them to hide. This, played by handsome Roberto Bolle, overcomes the technical difficulties of ballet with the elegance of classical dance. Popcorn in the lobby, his legs tremble, but in the course of the function is gaining strength and confidence. Shows that it is one of the great dancers of today. Darcey Bussell is a Sylvia athletic, strong and passionate. Sometimes charming, yet more severe. Steps expressive, rhythmical movements and a tune with Roberto Bolle. Pax de deux at the end of the third act expresses the love of pigeons. High degree of difficulty and great aesthetic beauty, represents the culmination of the plot.

Some will say that the paper was re-created by Frederick Ashton in 1952, especially for Margot Fonteyn - and she was exceptional as Sylvia. Unfortunately, I never had the pleasure of seeing it. But this remake of 2005, following the release of 1952 is, for me, the best in the world, it is the only one I know.

The orchestra plays with brilliance, their metals are heroic, their romantic strings, a regency with fast times, one color and nuances appropriate to the music by Delibes. The scenarios are up to this great show: land in the first and second act, the third heaven. Luxury, brightly colored, sometimes brilliant. The costumes make it easier to drive. Delimit the condition of each character with light and contrasting colors - light to dark nymphs and the kidnappers.

Image and sound flawless, the direction of television captures scenes with transparência.Todos these factors make this DVD an unforgettable work. Just do not understand why this ballet has not established itself in major companies worldwide. It has all the characteristics of the great ballets and still makes us dream.


Sylvia -Ballet para Sonhar

Histórias de balé nos levam ao mundo fantástico, onde desfilam deuses, reis, magos, piratas, escravos, príncipes, cisnes e tudo que a imaginação pode criar. Balé nos transporta, nos faz sentir emoções que nem quando crianças sentíamos.

Mundos estranhos aparecem, seres exóticos se materializam. Em cada apresentação, esquecemos a realidade e nos apegamos à ingenuidade dos personagens. Torcemos por eles, nos irritamos quando são enganados, queremos o melhor dos mundos. A música do balé ajuda nessa viagem de sonhos: geralmente doce, simples, direta e muito emotiva. Torna a dança especial e ora nos faz chorar, ora nos alegra com suas melodias sabor mel. Quem tem a imaginação fértil, guarda dentro de si uma alma de criança, e gosta de sonhar acordado, ama essa arte. Balé é para sonhar.

O balé Sylvia é para sonhar. Nele desfilam faunos e ninfas, seres irreais que se materializam no palco do Covent Garden-Londres. Dançam com graça, até que aparece o pastor Amintas, fazendo-os se esconder. Este, interpretado pelo bonitão Roberto Bolle, vence as dificuldades técnicas desse balé com a elegância da dança clássica. Pipoca na entrada, seus pés tremem, mas no desenrolar da função vai ganhando força e confiança. Mostra que é um dos grandes bailarinos da atualidade. Darcey Bussell faz uma Sylvia atlética, forte e apaixonada. Às vezes charmosa, outras tantas severa. Passos expressivos, movimentos cadenciados e uma sintonia total com Roberto Bolle. O pax de deux do final do terceiro ato expressa o amor dos pombinhos. De alto grau de dificuldade e grande beleza estética, representa o auge do enredo.

Alguns vão dizer que o papel foi recriado por Frederick Ashton em 1952, especialmente para Margot Fonteyn - e ela era excepcional como Sylvia. Infelizmente, eu nunca tive o prazer de vê-la. Mas essa remontagem de 2005, que segue a versão de 1952, é, para mim, a melhor do mundo, pois é a única que conheço.

A orquestra toca com brilho, seus metais são heróicos, suas cordas românticas, uma regência com tempos rápidos, um colorido e nuances adequados à música composta por Delibes. Os cenários estão à altura desse grande espetáculo: terrenos no primeiro e segundo ato, celestiais no terceiro. Luxuosos, de cores fortes, às vezes brilhantes. Os figurinos facilitam a movimentação. Delimitam a condição de cada personagem com leveza e cores contrastantes - claras às ninfas e escuras aos sequestradores.

Imagem e som impecáveis, a direção de televisão capta as cenas com transparência.Todos esses fatores fazem desse DVD um trabalho inesquecível. Só não entendo o porquê desse balé não ter se firmado nas grandes companhias mundiais. Possui todas as características dos grandes balés e ainda nos faz sonhar.

Ali Hassan Ayache

Of all the ballets in my VHS and DVD collection, this has been the most frequently requested since it arrived in January. Neighbors and friends have brought their friends to enjoy the spectacle of beautiful dancing, orchestral playing and visual splendor on my HDTV large screen, surround sound system. The score has been one of my favorites since childhood and it is well served here. The scenery is lavish and lush. The dancing? In a word, WOW! The pairing of Bussell and Bolle is perfect. Each compliments the other and can dazzle when dancing solo or together. Too bad there wasn't more choreography for Bolle's Aminta, but since this was originally created for Fonteyn (only saw her do a few excerpts, never the complete) it's understandable that Ashton concentrated on her. The supporting dancers and corps de ballet are excellent. One last compliment must go to the video director who, mercifully, ignored the quick-cut MTV style of photography so prevalent today and presents a beautifully balanced presentation so you can see all of the dancing. A wonderful way to spend an evening with family and friends. Most highly recommended.

This is one of the best classical ballet I have ever seen. Bolle and Darcey are a perfect pair. The music is beautiful, dancing is spectacular. I hope we can get more good classical ballet like this one.

I purchased this Ballet video mostly based on the reviews of others. I found their reviews to be quite accurate and am happy I purchased it. I am very new to ballet so I will leave the technical reviews to the experienced. I thought the music was excellent and so was the dancing. I was unfamiliar with the lead dancers but was very impressed with their talent. I appreciated that the video was full wide screen with surround sound. You can't beat talent, but modern technology certainly enhances it. I thoroughly enjoyed the ballet and highly recommend it to others.

Sylvia is an amazing experience to watch. The production is superb. I can't wait to look at the DVD again

Sylvia is a ballet rarely performed these days. This Royal Ballet version has superb dancers, the lovely Darcey Bussell, a fine score and good classical choreography. The ballet has a mythological story line that is as daffy and arbitrary as many fairy tales (statues coming to life, for example}, and it must be noted that there is little in the way of emotional and psychological depth. However the dancing is lovely.