Customer Reviews

Khachaturian: Spartacus

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4 star:		(1)
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*If you're reading this review, I assume you have already read the one I wrote about the 1977 film-version of the Spartacus ballet (starring Vasiliev), entitled "A Problematic Film: some remedies". If not, I urge you to read that one first. You can locate it and my reviews about other videos of this ballet in my archives by clicking on my name above.

I am overjoyed that the live 1990 complete performance of the Grigorovich/Bolshoi Spartacus has been reissued on DVD. Incidentally, this was the first Spartacus I ever saw. And interestingly, I got the complete companion CD to this performance before I got the video. So, by the time I purchased the video--which was in VHS format--I already knew the music by heart. As a result, the visuals only added to the enjoyment, and it certainly clarified what some of the sounds I heard were. For example, the crackles at the beginning of Act I turned out to have come from the thrashing of the whips on the floor by Crassus' henchmen.

So, what of the performance? Well, although none of the original cast-members were still performing at this late date, the younger generation proved that it was every bit the successor. The stars in this performance were: Irek Mukhamedov as Spartacus, Lyudmilla Semenyaka as Phrygia, Alexander Vetrov as Crassus, and Maria Bilova as Aegina.

True, Mukhamedov was no Vasiliev; he was about 30 at the time of this performance and was already a tad slower than Vasiliev when he was at that age; note that Vasiliev had to wait till he was about 37 before his legendary film-version was shot--albeit, poorly shot. However, what Mukhamedov lacked he made up for with his athleticism. I would like to call the reader's attention to the leap sequence that he does near the end of Act II, Scene 1, in which the final leap looks like a, for lack of a better term, spinning flying-roundhouse-kick (Vasiliev does a version without the roundhouse in the '79 and omits it entirely in the '77)--that's a mouthful! And he does it lightning-fast (regaining his former speed there, momentarily)--incredible! Sounds martial-art-like? That's how it looked. A friend of mine said of Mukhamedov as being more of an acrobat than a dancer. In any case, Mukhamedov danced the role with aplomb throughout. Semenyaka, the former Kirov dancer, fitted nicely into the Bolshoi company. She dances as Phrygia flawlessly. She nearly matches Bessmertnova in technical brilliance, but is more expressive than the latter.

The two baddies here are also excellent. Granted Vetrov's interpretation is coarser than Liepa's, but he brings to the role his own inimitable style--certainly a far better Crassus than Gabovich ('79 Vasiliev and '84 Mukhamedov) ever was. To me, Bilova was the best Aegina in all of the videos (she danced the same role in the '84 Mukhamedov version). She is slender and statuesque. And her movements are clean and precise, which can't be said for Golikova ('79 Vasiliev). Even Timofeyeva ('77 Vasiliev) was no match.

Also, the corps de ballet gives an excellent performance as usual.

Finally, as I've already raved elsewhere, the '90 version beats all others in picture and sound quality hands down! The DVD version is even better in that respect. For once, you are able to see the background, and what do you know? It ain't always black! And you will hear Khachaturian's complete score (as modified by Grigorovich and Zhuraitis) in stereo. Get this quick!



FOOTNOTE:

1) In the video you will see Grigorovich come onto the stage and take several bows during the final curtain call.

2) The booklet that comes with the DVD states that Lyudmilla Semenyaka was trained at the Moscow Ballet School, when, in fact, she was trained at the Leningrad Ballet School.

I am only a minor fan of ballet. However, this performance was truly moving.

Ballet must communicate its story without using dialogue. The choreography and expressive dancing fully succeeded here. The dancers' movements were both strikingly athletic and gracefully delicate and the costumes and scenery were extremely effective in setting the period atmosphere. Aram Khachaturian's music was lush, beautiful and sometimes poignant, well performed by the theater orchestra.

The Romans, led by Crassus, are obviously the bad guys. Having the Roman soldiers march in a goose-step like the Nazis was extremely expressive. Also, in some of the scenes the motions of the aristocratic Romans were more fluid and graceful than those of Spartacus' slave followers, who were more primitive and athletic. This powerful visual symbolism was used to show the class differences between the antagonists.

Phyrigia danced with heart-breaking grace, expressing feminine beauty at its loveliest. Her love scenes with Spartacus were beautifully erotic.

All technical aspects of this dvd were first rate.

This production grabbed my attention from start to finish. Highly recommended.

This is truly worth the price tag even though you may not be a big fan of ballet, this performance will make one out of you. This is just superb on every level. I have the old Bolshoi production which was filmed on a soundstage. Try as they might, they couldn't bring the soundtrack up to modern expectations. The laser disc version came close. I was thrilled to see this new 1990 production on DVD with sound as spectacular as the dancing. The music of this ballet can stand alone. I have it on CD. It's one of the best works by Khachaturian. Add the fantastic dancers and colorful sets and you've got a dynamite production. I highly recommend this one!

The transfer is horrible. The video is fuzzy and somewhat out of focus. The colors are not matched to video standards for NTSC. This seems to have been a transfer from tape to DVD. Almost unwatchable, if it were not for the star's dancing. The corps de ballet makes several errors...watch at the start and you will see two mis-steps where two dancers are on the wrong foot (marching). The editor quickly changes shot.

Please transfer the laser disc version, which is so superior.

My review will focus on the ballet as my copy of this performance is on LaserDisc, not DVD. I have owned my copy of this performance for many years and always delight in playing it again. I have found this performance to combine beauty and excitement from its dramatic beginning all the way through. The music is beautiful and the dancing is both dramatic and beautiful.

Irek Mukhamedov dances the role of Spartacus with great energy and makes it easy to understand his popularity at this time. If my information is correct, this is one of the last performances he did for the Bolshoi before leaving to join the Royal Ballet in London. Alexander Vetrov dances a very threatening Crassus and joins with Mukhamedov in turning in a powerful performance.

Both women's leads, Phrygia, the wife of Spartacus, danced by Lyudmila Semenyaka, and Aegina, the mistress of Crassus, danced by Maria Bilova, are well danced by these two fine ballerinas.

For me the music is one of the major attractions to this ballet and the music is very well performed by the Bolshoi orchestra. Another feature is the corps de ballet. Spartacus requires a large number of men dancers and the Bolshoi can provide all of the men dancers needed. The icing on the cake here is both the men and women dancers do outstanding jobs.

All told this is a very rewarding ballet experience; if you're a fan of ballet, especially if you appreciate the music of Khachaturian, you'll enjoy this ballet performance.

This could have been best Spartacus of all. This is latest Bolshoi version done in 1991 with Semenyaka instead of Bessmertanova and also different Crassus. But, still with Mukhamedov as Spartacus, possibly even better than his earlier versions. Bilova too, has lost nothing. Still leggy and sultry. But, disappointing in that even though newer version, softer picture! Too bad.

O Estado Soviético tinha a mania de se meter em tudo, queria controlar a vida de seus cidadãos de maneira plena. Nas artes não foi diferente: desenvolveu uma estética que ele, (o Estado), achava ideal. Valores como o coletivo, o trabalho em comunidade, a simplicidade do campo eram os mais queridos dos comunas do século passado. Impostos de cima para baixo, são uma aberração do século XX. O balé Spartacus é um trabalho que os comunas julgavam ser dessa estética. A luta dos escravos contra os poderosos romanos simboliza a própria luta do comunismo contra o capitalismo, opressor contra oprimido. Não podemos nos esquecer que o balé foi composto e produzido por encomenda na década de 50. Os soviéticos tinham na lembrança a hercúlea luta contra os nazistas. Mais uma simbologia.
Toda arte produzida de forma artificial, por encomenda, através de algum burocrata do Kremlin, fica sem graça. Não é o resultado da criatividade de algum gênio da música, das letras e da dança. Primeiro Stalin adorou a idéia desse balé, embora tenha morrido sem assistí-lo. Aran Khachatarian ficou incumbido da composição, seguiu a cartilha comunista, fez uma música sem inspiração, fria, marcial, que abusa dos metais.
Spartacus tem seu ponto forte na coreografia. Yuri Grigorovich coreografa belos números, muitas vezes utiliza passos de dificuldade máxima para mostrar a superioridade soviética nas artes sobre o ocidente. Quebra a sequência dramática, tira o ritmo da dança, o que importa é a dificuldade técnica. Joga para a galera, aplausos efusivos a cada momento. Algum burocrata deve tê-lo obrigado a isso.
Nas duas versões comerciais disponíveis, da mesma produção do Bolshoi, os bailarinos são exigidos ao máximo. Mukhamedov e Bessmertnova vencem todas as dificuldades da coreografia com a segurança e a força que só a escola russa apresenta. Na outra versão, o mesmo Mukhamedov faz par com Lyudmilla Semenyaka, esta um pouco menos sensual que a primeira. Todos os solistas estão perfeitos, o corpo de baile age como um desfile militar, sisudos, dançam no tempo certo, sem falhas.
Ali Hassan Ayache

The best version available today. When is a new production going to be in DVD (and may be in HD)with surround sound? who knows...