Product Details

• Actors: Kirov Ballet, Yulia Makhalina, Igor Zelensky
• Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• 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: July 25, 2006
• Run Time: 115 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000G1ALF2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,281 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

SWAN LAKE (KIROV) - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yulia Makhalina and Igor Zelensky at their best in this Swan Lake, July 29, 2008

By 

R. Nicholson - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Tchaikovsky, Petipa - Swan Lake / Kirov Ballet, Yulia Makhalina, Igor Zelensky (DVD)

A glorious 'Swan Lake'.

This is a movie version of Tchaikovsky's 'Swan Lake' filmed in 1990. The performance is done by the Kirov Ballet and stars Yulia Makhalina and Igor Zelensky.

There are many positives regarding this DVD and only one minor negative...let me explain.

The good:

1.)This is one of the most beautiful renditions of this ballet I've ever been privileged to witness. Makhalina is a vision of loveliness and her skills, designating her as a prima ballerina are not hard to spot. Her spins and balance are flawless and her sense of timing with her partners is perfection itself.

2.)Prince Siegfried is danced by Igor Zelensky (a dancer unknown to me prior to this performance). I felt his emotional response to his role was a little flat, BUT his spins and leaps (especially in his solo in Act II) were breath taking. The height and hang-time of his leaps were reminiscent of Baryshnikov in his prime; his leaping spins were exquisitely performed and fully completed.

3.)The costumes and sets; simply sumptuous...enough said.

4.)Camera work and position of shooting angles was, with a couple of exceptions, well done and resulted in visual pleasing presentation on this DVD.

The Negative: (singular)

Whether you like a recorded performance with or without a live audience is, of course, a personal preference. However, I felt this work sorely missed the spontaneous response that is only obtained with a live audience. Within this DVD you'll be witness to some of the most incredible skills in the form of a pas de deux or solo dance(s); but then, the music would end, the dancer(s) would hold their finishing poses and...nothing...just dead, disquieting silence. The camera then faded to black and the next scene started.

It's hard to express in the written word how much the applause and the shouted 'bravos' add to a performance such as this. To me, the lack of audience response slightly diminished the overall effect of this otherwise magnificent ballet; I really felt that the performance was incomplete...something was missing. One can only wonder how it could not have affected the dancers themselves; hard to believe they'd not have 'given' more before a live audience.

Conclusion:
One of the finest productions of 'Swan Lake' I've seen, featuring two of the world's best dancers in their prime. It's unfortunate it wasn't recorded in front of a live audience; one can only speculate about an even better performance than in this movie version.
5 Stars for the music, dancers, sets and costumes. 2 1/2 stars for the movie format.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best I've seen, June 18, 2007

By 

Olga Goloschokin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tchaikovsky, Petipa - Swan Lake / Kirov Ballet, Yulia Makhalina, Igor Zelensky (DVD)

This version of Swan Lake is definitely one of the best ones I've ever seen - and I've seen a lot! Yulia Makhalina is a fantastic technical dancer (if that's what you are looking for) and her extensions are unbelievable. The Corps de Ballet does what Kirov Corp de Ballet has always done best - dance in fantastic unison. The sets are beautiful as are the costumes. If you want to see a truly moving version of this ballet, this is the one to watch.

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Swan Lake DVD, January 30, 2007

By 

J "Swan Lake" (NY, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tchaikovsky, Petipa - Swan Lake / Kirov Ballet, Yulia Makhalina, Igor Zelensky (DVD)

I do not know much about ballet and started enjoying recently. I saw Swan Lake by ABT and NYBT live but this was the best. I enjoyed it so much and watched it over and over thanks to Yulia Makhalina's excellent performance.

Although I enjoyed ABT and NYBT's performance, it was the first time that I felt like watching a real Swan in this Kirov's Swan Lake and could feel sadness and beauty of Odette. Makhalina performs Odette so beautifully and sadly and performs Odile so sexy and confidently at the same time. For odile part, I liked how she expresses in her eye before doing spins. I loved how Odette appears and dances in the lake for the first time. I also liked the part where Siegfried looks for Odette to ask for forgiveness. I don't know why nobody mentioned about this Swan Lake DVD. Please try it!!! You will really enjoy it.