Customer Reviews

Raymonda [The Bolshoi Ballet] [VHS]

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

 

 

When I first bought the score of Raymonda a few years ago, I thought that it was a miracle! I found Glazunov's music really fantastic. I couldn't think that after the trilogy of Tchaikovsky I could have had the chance to hear such beautiful ballet music. Finally I was able to see also the video. First of all, I must say that the scenario is really beautiful and luxurious, and all the costumes too. I mostly loved 2nd scene of act 1, the magic garden where Raymonda meets her beloved De Brienne: the scene opens with the Dame Blanche and the Maidens, all in a blue tutu. All the lights are of a deep blue that adds more mystery to this scene. All performers are extraordinary! Ludmila Semenyaka gives to the character of Raymonda a real hungaric appeal (in the sense of nobless) and all the variations are danced in a wonderful way (she's one of the most speedest ballerinas I have ever seen!). Irek Mukhamedov is simply perfect, although I prefer him in different roles, such as Solor in La Bayadère (the Royal Ballet version) and The Nutcracker. Gedeminas Taranda is a marvellous Abderakhman, a real tiger in all the tremendous variations of the Grand pas Espagnol of act II. Just look his eyes!!!!! The pearl of this ballet remains the "Grand pas Hongrois Classique" in act III: this Grand Pas is danced by the two stars with 8 couples of soloists and both the adagio and all the variations are one of Petipa's jewels. The russian ballet of XIX century could not have a better conclusion! I suggest this video to all real ballet lovers.

If I were judging only the quality of the dancing, I would have to give this video five stars. But despite excellent performances by Ludmila Semenyaka as Raymonda, Irek Mukhamedov as her fiance, Jean de Brienne, and Gedeminas Taranda as the Saracen knight Abderakhman, I have a real problem with this ballet. Whether it's because of this production specifically or something inherent in the ballet I can't say, but I've tried twice to watch the whole ballet, and both times I kept falling asleep (literally) during the first and second acts. So now I just fast forward to the last act.

Part of the problem is the monochromatic set and generally dark look of the stage. Then there is the lack of action in the plot, so the ballet is mostly one long string of divertissements, with little variety of style. (In the second act, the choreography for Abderakhman's entourage introduces a different style; unfortunately, it is pretty silly.) And while Glazunov's music is lovely, and a good deal better than the music of many ballet composers, for me it lacks the punch of, say, Tchaikovsky's music, which would keep me awake through the most boring choreography.

However, everything improves in the third act (the wedding). First, the lighting is brighter. Second, even though this act is nothing but a string of divertissements, much of the choreography has a Hungarian flavor, which adds interest. Third, I love this music. This may in part be due to its being so familiar: I've seen many performances of Balanchine's "Pas de Dix," which uses the music from the third act, and more recently I enjoyed the San Francisco Ballet's excellent production of Nureyev's staging of the third act. But maybe the third act music is used so much because it's the most interesting. It was even used for a televised ice dancing production of "The Snow Queen" performed by John Curry's ensemble. (John Curry was the 1976 Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater who created a theatrical skating ensemble that performed pieces by dance choreographers, among them Twyla Tharp, Kenneth MacMillan and Peter Martins.) The highlight of this act is Semenyaka's wonderful rendition of the slow, sultry variation after the pas de dix.

I'm glad I have this video, but really only for the last act. If the production were as colorful and lively as the 1948 Kirov film version, excerpts of which are on "Classic Kirov," I would unreservedly recommend this video.

I should have read the previous review before making the decision. The lighting for Act I is so poor that you can only see a group of blue objects moving on the stage. And the Applauds in the performance is so frequent and very annoying! Recommend to wait for better production