Product Details

• Actors: Galina Mezentseva, Konstantin Zaklinsky
• Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Kultur Video
• DVD Release Date: April 27, 2006
• Run Time: 144 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005NGAA
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #187,641 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake / Mezentseva, Zaklinsky, Kirov Ballet" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Regarded as the greatest of all the classical ballets this spectacular production was filmed live in russia at the maryinsky theater. Prima ballerina galina mezentzeva gives a memorable performance in the dual role of odette/odile and konstantin zaklinsky portrays prince siegfried. Studio: Kultur Release Date: 07/31/2001 Run time: 144 minutes Rating: Nr

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars traditional production of the Swan Lake from the Kirov, March 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Swan Lake Performed by The Kirov Ballet [VHS] (VHS Tape)

First class dancers, costumes and settings from the Kirov Company. Prima Ballerina Galina Mezentseva is very good in showing the contrast of the characters in the dual role Odile/Odette. I rather recommend "Giselle" from the same couple in which she excells in the dramatic interpretation of the role. She gives the best Giselle performance (both dramatically and technically) and one can even see the tears in her eyes in the Mad Scene. (I don't know whether this video is available from amazon.com).

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dissapointed in DVD quality, May 18, 2002

By 

Real Name - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake / Mezentseva, Zaklinsky, Kirov Ballet (DVD)

On a purely technical note, the DVD is in Dolby Stereo, not Dolby 5.1 so the sound was not all it could be. Also the video was grainy, not sharp as to be expected for a DVD. I am guessing this is just a transfer of the VHS version without any remastering to take advantage of DVD's features.

47 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible, August 16, 2002

By 

Stephen McLeod (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake / Mezentseva, Zaklinsky, Kirov Ballet (DVD)

I have since raised the score a bit on this DVD although I still can't recommend it except for the curious. So, notwithstanding the bump-ups on some of the categories below. I have not disturbed the headline to this review. I have given scores 1.0 to 10.00, the latter corresponding to perfection.

DVD Video: 3.0 - dull transfer of shabby 1986 Soviet Production is blurry, grainy, and shoddily directed.

DVD Audio: 2.0 - has a very annoying tape hiss that can be very distracting during the quieter numbers.

Production: 0.00 - Dull and way dated. Probably unchanged since the first production. Ideologically this makes sense I guess because Swan Lake was created for this company, now calling itself the Kirov. Unfortunately, the choreography is rote and too willing to cling to orthodoxy. This amounts to something entirely uninteresting to look at. The worst thing about it is that it seems there was no effort to justify this recorded performance, which is decidedly contrary to just about every other Swan Lake available on DVD. Examples include the over-prominence of mime and the relative aimlessness of the principle male dancer.

Galina Mezentseva (Odette/Odile): 8.5 - I have revised my opinion on Ms. Mezentseva's dancing. On further viewings, I found her technique to be precise and moving. Still, it's hard to believe in her performance. She just doesn't seem to be into it, a situation that I believe is consistent to the cold war image of what Russian life was like - ideological and intensely dull (an oxymoron but accurate).

Konstantin Zaklinsky (Prince Siegfried): 4.5 - KZ was probably a pretty good dancer in 1986: good looking, nice long legs;the problem is, he doesn't get to do anything with them (he has one bit in Act III where he gets to do a once-around with grand jettes (impressive). That's basically the only moment he's allowed to shine. But he's a decent partner. He seemed mostly bored.

Corps: 8.0. - Pretty solid in a late soviet-era sort of way. Lots of technique. Little joy.

Orchestra: 3.0 - The violin soloist in the Act II pas de deux is quite moving. Best I've ever heard on this music. Ditto some of the wind soloists. The rest of the orchestra is little more than passable.

DVD content - 0.00. Herein lies the single most annoying thing: This package contains ZERO information (in English), on the case, the insert, or on the DVD itself, apart from the names of the two principles. No mention is made of what the name of the orchestra is, who conducts, what year the production was made. Some of this information is available in the end-credits, but it's in Russian, so... I gathered from my very humble ability to sound out Russian characters that the Academy Orchestra of the Kirov Opera/Ballet was conducted by Yevgeny something-or-other.

There is really no excuse for this DVD with the possible exception of Mezentseva who has great technique but doesn't connect very smoothly with the music.