Customer Reviews

Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet / Corella · Ferri - Kenneth MacMillan (Teatro alla Scala 2000)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Kenneth MacMillan's choreography of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet is undoubtedly one of the most popular ballets ever made. And why not? It boasts a lush romantic score, a heartrending, classic story and a real sense of theater. The street scenes are bawdy and vibrant, the private moments between the star-crossed lovers are unforgettably intimate.
MacMillan utilizes both elements of classical and modern ballet. There are no traditional tutus nor is there a "white act." However, the large scenes at the Capulet ball and in the Verona streets make great demands on any ballet company's corps, and the pas de deux are the soul of the ballet.
I'd say this 2000 live film from La Scala is one of the best video versions of the ballet that we have. It's not perfect: for one, the La Scala Ballet is not the Kirov or Paris Opera Ballet. The corps lack the precision of a truly world-class company.
On the other hand, both Alessandra Ferri as Juliet and Angel Corella as Romeo are undoubtedly world-class dancers by any standards. Ferri, with her beautiful extensions, graceful style, and girlish, fragile persona, is a natural Juliet. She first made a big splash as a teenager at Covent Garden in this role. You can see her then in a video with Wayne Eagling and her youth and ardor are breathtaking. It's 16 years later, and while she is no longer as young, the qualities that make her special remain, especially her floating, birdlike quality. She can seemingly remain suspended on air as if perched atop a cloud. Juliet is not a virtuostic role, and Ferri was never a virtuoso dancer. What she does have in spades is grace, personality, and beauty of form. Even in the Tomb Scene when she's supposed to be "dead" she can manipulate her body to look lifeless and limp, yet with the most gorgeous turnout! Amazing.
Ferri has a Romeo worthy of her Juliet. Angel Corella is a good partner for Ferri. Unlike Ferri, Angel IS a virtuoso: he is famous for his huge leaps, his triple piroeuttes, his amazing spins. Comparisons to Baryshnikov are inevitable: Corella is also short of stature, like the great Russian. But what separates Angel from Baryshnikov is that while Mikhail's athleticism was breathtaking, his stage persona was distancing. Chilly, even. Angel, on the other hand, exudes an infectious joy and ardor. Watch him ecstatically lift up Ferri during the balcony scene, or tenderly stroke her hair during the Bedroom Pas de deux.
I have seen Angel and Alessandra dance R&J together, and what a great souvenir this dvd is, capturing two amazing dancers in this beautiful ballet. If you love ballet, this is not even a discussion: get it!
As a side note, lovers of the ballet will also want in their collection the 1966 film with Fonteyn and Nureyev which I also reviewed. The chemistry between Margot and Rudi is even more magical than between Angel and Alessandra, although the film is grainy.

Angel and Alessandra seem perfect for their roles in this recording of Romeo and Juliet, with Angel's boyish charm and Alessandra's fluid grace coming together beautifully in this powerful ballet. Prokofiev's score is, needless to say, amazing, and the dancing is excellent, for the most part. Apart from Angel, though, the male dancers are severely lacking in technique; they have tricks coming out the wazoo, but it would be nice to see someone actually pointing their feet. The girls, on the other hand, are all superb dancers, and of course Angel and Alessandra are simply amazing. The balcony scene pas de deux is absolutely stunning. Unless you are a severe ballet critic, the flaws of the male soloists and corps are easily made up for in the beauty of the score, costumes, and set and in the well-played roles of Angel and Alessandra. One of my favorite recordings of any ballet.

I have been a ballet lover since childhood and seen many performances of Romeo and Juliet. This is far and away the best due to the very fine production at La Scala. Superb dancing by all but in particular to the outstanding performances of Corella and Ferri. I have never seen finer interpretations of these roles - Corella captures the youthful spontaneity and the manly qualities of Romeo. He sees deeply into the soul of this young man to portray his true nobility, and the depth of his love for Juliet.
I first saw Alessandra Ferri dance with the Royal Ballet in 1982 and was very impressed with her quality as a dancer. She like Corella has deep insight into the character of Juliet, and is able to capture her youthful playfulness, and also her transformation into a woman through her love for Romeo. She portrays this love with every fibre of her being. I have never seen a dancer able to convey emotion as clearly as Ferri. She is truly a dancer who can interpret a dramatic role better than anyone else I have ever seen.
I would like to add that I have seen all the great dancers of the Royal Ballet from the end of World War 2!
There has never been a performance of Romeo and Juliet to equal this.

I'm not going to go through a long description about a ballet that can only be described as SUBLIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you have a chance to buy this DVD I would STRONGLY recommend it. The ballet was preformed with perfection. I could feel the dance and emotion from Corella and Ferri. Perfect for any great ballet collector. All my best, Christina:)

There's a reason Alessandra Ferri appears on virtually all of the available Romeo and Juliet ballet videos: she's exquisite and matches her emotional responses to those of her partner. In this production mounted in 2000, she's as graceful and breathtaking as she was in the 1984 Covent Garden video (with Wayne Eagling as Romeo). Angel Corella is a marvel, too--exuberant, boyish, stunning good looks and a clear rapport with Ferri.
So why only 3 stars? Simply put, the rest of the cast isn't compelling. Tybalt is the only character with some dimension to him; everyone else is nondescript. There's a lot of mime in this choreography and much of it appears to be mere gestures. The crowd scenes don't have a sense of cohesion or urgency and the sword fights could use more menace. The ballet is about Romeo and Juliet but McMillan also choreographed for a large corps, setting up the world surrounding the doomed lovers.
Some of the camera angles are from such a distance that detail is sacrificed for the big picture. You can skip to the scenes with Ferri and Corella and be overwhelmed by their passion and grace. If you want a thoroughly satisfying production, try to find the 1984 Covent Garden production, only available on VHS (although it may be available in dvd in England). Wayne Eagling is an interesting contrast with Corella: his restraint makes his wild outburst in the duel scene that much more tragic.

Hi..
This is an amazing ballet which includes great romantism and love, great emotion, great dance, great coreography and great music!

Ferri is a gifted ballerina...Her fragile appearance makes her the greatest juliet! With her strong techinuque, this fragile appearance seems more realistic. Her way of telling things with her body language is extremely enthusiastic and reliable.. The first dance with Paris(Act 1-15) shows her innocent happiness and excitement. Julliet is not experienced and Ferri shows that clearly. Then in the 3rd Act there is hopelessness, anxiety, again an "innocent" hate,and a desperate dance. This is the same dance but with totaly different emotions. The way Ferri acts especially in these two dances is amazing!

And Corella!! First of all he is an amazing dancer with amazing acting ability.. There is this immature, childish side of Romeo which makes us see Angel Corella's ability to act..His way of holding Rosaline is innocent but passionate..The way he holds Julliet is as if he knew her, like she will never leave him and he trusts her with his deepest honesty and love! And he loves and respects her for the familiar feeling that burns his heart. Angel with his great technique, has both sides of Romeo's personality: innocence versus passion.

There are 4 parts of the ballet that SHOULD be watched. The first is the bedroom scene. They have this passionate connection between them. The love scene(22) is the perfection itself. The first combination makes me feel like there is the sun rising and their love is blessed with God's light!

The 2nd is the bedroom scene. Ferri does an arabesque then Corella pulls her and then she turns and hugs him with hope/hopelesness,passion/innocence,trust/fear..She asks God "why" with her hands and the desperate look on her face while both of their faces are brightened up...

The 3rd one is the one at Friar Laurence's. It is all about music and love...

And the 4th scene is the death of Juliet(51/52)...Corella performs exceptionally in these episodes...After the great scenes of love, hate, selfishness, and jealousy, this is the greatest end!

The coreography is based on music,innocence and emotions.. I watched it as a ballet and as a movie.. If more details are wanted Nureyev's coreography should be watched as well.

Lastly.. The music is just great! With the libretto, it is the perfection itself. The sarcastic tone of the music gives the clues to the end..And its importance lies in the irony during the most important parts of the ballet while the music is laughing and crying at the same time...

Every ballet lover should watch it!

(Note: Nureyev's coreography is just great with its details and extremely passionate scenes.. Manuel Legris(!) and Monique Loudieres's ballet is worth watching!)

I felt that the quality of this DVD was much better than the one made from the Margot Fonteyn/Rudolph Nureyev production. The picture quality is sharper, as is the sound. The camera shots are wider, tending to focus more on the dancing than the acting, which I found a change for the better. Also, the scene changes are not cut out as they are in the Fonteyn/Nureyev DVD.

As for the individual performances, I prefered Corella's boyish and energetic Romeo to Nureyev's more graceful and restrained portrayal. Corella is a strong performer, highly believable as a young man in love. On the other hand, I feel that Ferri (although she is an excellent actress) is more reliant on mime in conveying emotion, while Fonteyn manipulates the choreography with expertise.

In short, if you are a ballet conossieur, buy both. If not, buy this one.

WOW! This DVD of La Scala's Romeo and Juliet (2000) is worth every cent. I cannot stop watching it. Though several of the lesser characters are without interest, that does not take away from me the sheer joy I receive when watching Angel Corella and Alessandra Ferri... was there ever a better casting than this? I think not! Angel Corella, one of the best dancers the world has ever seen, plays his Romeo with just the right amount of boyish naïvety and innocence... after all, Romeo is a dreamer. And Ms. Ferri never fails to impress me, her stunning line and beautiful feet are just amazing. But what makes this R & J work for me is the high level of Ferri and Corella's acting abilities, which really come through at this performance.

As a musician and serious fan of all things Prokofiev, I was familiar with the music long before the dancing. To see the MacMillan choreography, with the la Scala company, and Corella and Ferri, AND this glorious music makes for an artistic event beyond compare! The acting is wonderful. Corella and Ferri will rip your heart out, aided by the score, of course. The swordplay is thrilling and sooooo fast. The balcony and bedroom scenes are almost unbearably lovely--and will make you remember your youth. And the death scene: well, see if you don't feel a howl rising up from within your ribcage just like Juliet when she discovers Romeo's body. Every. time. you. watch. it. You can't ask more of art than that!

I have watched this ballet at least a dozen times. Corella and Ferri are spectacular of course. The music is mesmerizing. Ferri does seem to have lost a little of her edge since her pairing with Eagle years ago, but she is still wonderful and the best Juliet that I've ever seen. Who can say anything bad about Corella? He did seem to struggle a little with one part where he lifted her over his shoulders, but still, GREAT. Anyone wanting to see a truly great version of Romeo and Juliet should have this in their collection.