Customer Reviews

Jewels [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Great ballet performances on Blu-ray are a joy to behold, not least because of the stunning HD image, but this one must have been incorrectly mastered as it goes horribly fuzzy as soon as the dancers move. Standing still, they are crystal clear. I own a dozen Blu-rays of ballets, including several produced by Opus Arte, and they all look magnificent and sharp - even in extremely fast movement. I previously bought the DVD of this title, but returned it to the shop as defective. So imagine my disappointment when I saw that the Blu-ray was just as blurry. Hopefully, Opus Arte will correct this when a new pressing is due, but that might take years, I'm afraid. I advise potential customers to stay away from "Jewels". Watching this "smear" gave me a headache and was painful to the eyes. What a pity, as this a a gorgeous balett.

To date, this is the only commercially available dvd of Balanchine's famous three act "storyless" masterpiece, Jewels. It was created in 1967 and the original cast included three of Balanchine's most famous muses: Violette Verdy (Emeralds), Patricia McBride (Rubies), and Suzanne Farrell (Diamonds). In the 1970's the New York City Ballet filmed some excerpts from each of the ballets, but they were filmed on a small soundstage, and focused mainly on the pas de deux of each movement. Now, we can see the ballet in its full grandeur.

Emeralds, the first movement, is perhaps also the hardest to "nail." It is set to music by Gabriel Faure, and its whole atmosphere is slightly aloof and dreamy. The heart of the ballet is a series of solos and duets, but the dancers sort of float on and offstage as if in a trance. The ballet, unlike many other Balanchine works, doesn't have an exciting climax. If ever there was a "mood piece" Emeralds is it. The Paris Opera Ballet is at its best in this movement. The corps de ballet, with their impeccable training, dance with a wonderful softness and unbroken movement. The lead dancers, Laeticia Pujol and Mathieu Ganio, are both extemely elegant, if a bit anonymous. It is Clairemarie Osta, however, in the "second ballerina" role that really opened my eyes. Osta is doe-eyed, petite, and extremely beautiful, and she's both sensual and dreamy in her solo and duet with Kader Belarbi. Osta is IMO the highlight of this video. In fact, Emeralds is the highlight of this entire performance.

If Emeralds is all liquidy legato, then Rubies is hard, razor-sharp staccato. It's set to a jazzy, swaggering score by Stravinsky, and its choreography is filled with strong, hard kicks, lightning fast penchee arabesques, and a lot of off-centered hip swaggering. Aurelie Dupont dances the Patricia McBride role, and she nails all the steps, (including some incredibly clean triple and quadruple pirouettes), but lacks some of the carefree sass, swagger and flirtiness. She's much more at home in purely classical roles like La Sylphide and Sleeping Beauty (both available on video). Here, she looks very intent on mastering the sharp, angular, off-center choreography, but I wish she'd smile a bit more, look like she was having fun teasing the audience. But Marie Agnes Gillot, tall and glamorous looking, is another highlight of this video. She *does* have the hip-strutting, sexy minx personality down pat, and she's also one of those dancers that inject every movement with a personal stamp. She uses her enormous eyes and off-the-charts beauty to great effect.

Diamonds is the last, grandest act of Jewels, set to music by Tchaikovsky. It features a very large corps de ballet, and Balanchine admitted that it was a tribute to Petipa. Agnes Letetsu and Jean-Guillame Bart dance the lead roles. And this might be sacriligeous to admit, but Diamonds is my least favorite section of "Jewels." The music sounds a bit dirge-like, and the pas de deux choreography consists of a lot of walking that can seem like marching. This always surprised me, because Balanchine was known as a choreographer who constantly pushed the limits of pointe-work, especially for Suzanne Farrell. Agnes Letetsu and Jean-Guillame Bart dance the lead roles. Letetsu and Bart are both tall, stately dancers, with a natural dignity and even hautier that suits their roles very well. However, they inadvertently added to the dirge-like feel of the choreography by taking everything at an extremely slow, deliberate pace. It isn't until the allegro finale of Diamonds that I warmed up to the choreography. And Letetsu finally warmed up and danced with more energy. The final image of Diamonds, with dancers flooding the stage in a sea of white glittering tutus, and with its lead couple at the center, truly evokes the sweep and grandeur of a Petipa ballet. And the Paris Opera Ballet corps, so soft and ephemeral in Emeralds, are supremely regal in Diamonds. They inject the performance with a much-needed energy and "wow" factor.

The sets and costumes by Christian Lacroix are gorgeous, except for Rubies. The red strapless dresses IMO dont give enough, uh, support to the dancers. There is a documentary that accompanies the dvd, and it interviews many of the dancers featured in the performance. Overall I am delighted to have Balanchine's masterpiece on dvd, despite some quibbles with the dancing. But I realize that although I might criticize some aspects of the performance, a ballet as rich and complex as Jewels will probably never get a perfect performance, anywhere, in any company. Balanchine never made it easy for his dancers. And the Paris Opera Ballet does as good of a job as anyone, so to them, I say, "Merci!"

The Paris Opera Ballet is a great company, but there is something missing from their performance of Balanchine's ballet. They perform "Emeralds" and "Diamonds" with frosty perfection; only "Rubies" comes to life.

This is a modern ballet of 3 pieces performed in classical style - 1. Emeralds, danced in green to music by Faure; 2. Ruby, danced in red to music by Stravinsky; 3. Diamonds, danced in white to music by Tchaikovsky.
It is abstract ballet with no particular story although, as the accompanying documentary relates, that does not mean the dancing lacks emotion. The staging is deliberately free of distractions so one concentrates on the exceptional dancing. The piece was inspired by jewels Balanchine noticed in the window and this is the first time it has been proudly presented by the Ballet of the Opera national de Paris which claims credit as being one of the founding ballet companies in the world. I feel this is a disc one will appreciate more and more on repeated viewing. The Faure music is instantly appealing although the Stravinsky requires more familiarisation and the Tchaikovsky is a selection from the lesser known 3rd Symphony. The video is up to the usual BD standards but I was less impressed with the audio and did not find it up to the latest BD standards. It lacked the depth possible with the latest format.
So, bottom line of how this disc will appeal to you is how much you like ballet. The dancing is first class and that is the big plus for "Jewels". But if you are looking for spectacular staging with dramatic music and story then this might not appeal. That said it has a lot to offer and I suggest it is very helpful to look at the very good 1 hour documentary before viewing the work. So strongly recommended, but with a few cautions.

This is a perfect example of what a DVD of a ballet should be: great video reproduction, great camera shots (these were so good you don't even take note) with minimum movement, a decent look at the gorgeous Garnier, the audience, a view of the orchestra and conductor, each ballet starting with the curtain rising (there is nothing more frustrating than to be thrust into the first scene without a feeling approach to its beginning), interviews with the etoiles. the director, the director of the Paris Opera, and last but definitely not least, an interview and commentary by Christian Lacroix, and, oh yes, probably the greatest ballet company on the planet! All of the principal ballerinas were such pleasures to watch. My fav was Auriel Dupont in Rubies. Balanchine at his best, and the greatest company in the world serving him.

What makes this so special, is not only the aforementioned, but the endearing and enduring music of Faure, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky, and along with all the other accolades I can think of was the wonderful feeling that I had spent an evening at the ballet. Hats off to the producers and those who made "Balanchine Forever". Ooops, I almost forgot one of the sparkling personalities in the video: Barbara Horgan, who became Balanchines assistant in the '50s, and who put everything in context. Yup, Ms. Horgan was the wrapping on this gorgeous DVD.

Highly, recommended.