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Special Features
Illustrated synopsis
Cast gallery
Interviews with Helgi Tomasson, Michael Yeargan, and Martin Pakledinaz
Documentary on the 1915 World's Fair, a source of inspiration to the creative team
Cast gallery
Interviews with Helgi Tomasson, Michael Yeargan, and Martin Pakledinaz
Documentary on the 1915 World's Fair, a source of inspiration to the creative team
Editorial Reviews
Review
The opulent new version of the seasonal classic, launched spectacularly
by the San Francisco Ballet, is every parent s dream of a holiday treat.
It looks scrumptious, tastes delicious, offers substantial nourishment
and won t cause cavities --San Francisco Examiner
by the San Francisco Ballet, is every parent s dream of a holiday treat.
It looks scrumptious, tastes delicious, offers substantial nourishment
and won t cause cavities --San Francisco Examiner
Product Description
Damian Smith, Elizabeth Powell, and Davit Karapetyan perform in this San Francisco Ballet production of the Tchaikovsky ballet choreographed by Helgi Tomasson and conducted by Martin West.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
This staging by the San Francisco Ballet has a lot going for it. The turn-of-the-century setting is perfectly executed. Dancing and mime are top-notch throughout. The costumes are exquisite; check out the range of antique pastels used during the party scene.
The Christmas tree transition is really magical. Unlike many productions, this staging makes it clear that it's not the tree that is growing, but Clara who is shrinking down to a few inches high. The Mouse King is deliciously nasty-looking and melodramatic.
The "Dance of the Snowflakes" is particularly lovely, especially near the end, when the stage crew creates a near-blizzard of paper snow, dazzling to watch in high definition.
Unfortunately, the camera work is quite obtrusive. The credits list nine camera operators, and the video director was apparently determined to employ every one of them as often as possible. The result is a frantic sequence of closeups, pans, zooms and cross-cuts, with a new angle appearing every few seconds. In some numbers, the cuts actually occur on each bar of music, a cheesy effect that quickly becomes wearisome. The entire stage is rarely shown, and then only for a few moments. During the Act 1 party scene, the editing is so fast and furious, I never got a complete sense of what the set looked like. Things calm down a bit for Act 2, perhaps because the poor camerapeople were exhausted.
The set in Act 2 is disappointingly bland. I think it's supposed to represent the dome of the Palace of Fine Arts, but it seems rather dreary and industrial.
The score is well-played and recorded, although the percussion section sounds a bit distant compared to the rest of the orchestra.
A good disc overall, despite the caffeinated cameras. I would love to see this production performed live!
The Christmas tree transition is really magical. Unlike many productions, this staging makes it clear that it's not the tree that is growing, but Clara who is shrinking down to a few inches high. The Mouse King is deliciously nasty-looking and melodramatic.
The "Dance of the Snowflakes" is particularly lovely, especially near the end, when the stage crew creates a near-blizzard of paper snow, dazzling to watch in high definition.
Unfortunately, the camera work is quite obtrusive. The credits list nine camera operators, and the video director was apparently determined to employ every one of them as often as possible. The result is a frantic sequence of closeups, pans, zooms and cross-cuts, with a new angle appearing every few seconds. In some numbers, the cuts actually occur on each bar of music, a cheesy effect that quickly becomes wearisome. The entire stage is rarely shown, and then only for a few moments. During the Act 1 party scene, the editing is so fast and furious, I never got a complete sense of what the set looked like. Things calm down a bit for Act 2, perhaps because the poor camerapeople were exhausted.
The set in Act 2 is disappointingly bland. I think it's supposed to represent the dome of the Palace of Fine Arts, but it seems rather dreary and industrial.
The score is well-played and recorded, although the percussion section sounds a bit distant compared to the rest of the orchestra.
A good disc overall, despite the caffeinated cameras. I would love to see this production performed live!
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Length:
1:02
Mins
For the first time in its two year history the OperaDou Jury* was virtually unanimous in its praise for this production. Staging, Performance and HD video and sound were all awarded "A" ratings, with several members saying it "reminded them of their childhood". In particular, two members who had seen over half a dozen productions either live or recorded in France, the UK and the US) said that this one outshone them all for its originality and grace! The enthusiasm is quite obvious in this "Video Crit" which can also be seen on the "Operadou Archives" page devoted to this production. Heartily recommended for ballet connoisseurs and newcomers to the genre.
(*The OperaDou Jury is made up of 12 professional classical musicians, dancers and seasoned opera & ballet afficionados who meet at the L'OperaDou "Home Opera Theatre" in the south of France to review classical HD productions and share their opinions with a global audience.)
(*The OperaDou Jury is made up of 12 professional classical musicians, dancers and seasoned opera & ballet afficionados who meet at the L'OperaDou "Home Opera Theatre" in the south of France to review classical HD productions and share their opinions with a global audience.)
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