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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Britten treasure and a MacMillian masterwork, April 12, 2006
My love affair with the beautiful score of this ballet goes back to the days of its London LP life, when I would listen to it for hours in my room and dream of what the ballet would look like. Decades - just a few - later, long after having fallen under the spell of Britten's "Death in Venice," "Billy Budd" and of course, "Peter Grimes" I was spellbound when I saw the laser-disk version of this ballet playing in a Tower Records store. I rented the VHS version innumerable times and debated shelling out the $70 for my own copy. Then it disappeared. But, just in time, the Royal Ballet made a rare appearance in New York City with its revived production of "Prince of the Pagodas.' I was in standing room at the Met for every performance and would do the same today. It is a remarkable ballet in every sense. MacMillian did right to throw out the original scenario and created a darker and much richer - if, albeit, more complicated - story.
I disagree strongly with those who say there are no melodies in Britten's amazing, breathtaking score. I can still remember sitting up, with chills, when I first heard it, years ago. That same thrill takes me every time I hear it. There are so many memorable passages, from the eerie, rather threatening horns in the Prologue (which MacMillian uses to great effect in his new scenario), to the variations of the Four Princes, to the Salamander's motif and glorious expansion, to the Fire, Water, Air and Cloud dances, to a set of stunning celebratory dances which fill the last act of the ballet and which, in MacMillian's endlessly amazing choreography, become even more sumptuous and thrilling.
The Princess Belle Rose's journey of self-discovery through the piece is heartbreaking and estactic, especially as danced by Ms. Bussell. Her dances with the King of the South, with the Salamander-Prince and especially with the ageing King are full of beauty and passion. And indeed, Anthony Dowell's performance as the doddering King, (on the DVD and certainly, powerfully, in the live performance), must remain as one of the most moving dance portraits in the repertory. It is a wild and unpredictable ride in this ballet, and the opening chaos of the Monkey Court, with an absolutely hair-raising dance of the Monkey-Courtiers, are unforgettable moments of great dance theatre.
It was said that Prokofiev's score for 'Romeo and Juliet' was undanceable and I have heard that same criticism here and elsewhere about Britten's music for this ballet. MacMillian, ironically, with both ballets, has proven all those naysayers utterly wrong.
If you can take a chance and are not afraid to listen - and watch - more than once, there is a wonderful, nearly unlimited range of delights in this overlooked score and grossly under-rated production.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Beautiful and Watchable Ballet, January 6, 2007
I have just finished watching The Prince of the Pagodas, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. MacMillan's ballets are not always well received, but this story line of a prince and princess triuphing over adversity has the fairy tale completeness that I find very satisfying. The stage settings is extremely well lighted, which displays the background scenery and cast. Speaking of the cast, this is a large production using the remarkable talents of an array of very capable dancers. Darcey Bussell as Princess Rose has the appealing primness that makes me root for her character's success. Jonathan Cope apparently dances both the part of The Prince and the chameleon. I say apparently because I wanted to see how he would transition from the chameleon to The Prince without leaving the stage. At the time of the transition there are enough cast characters surrounding him that I was not able to see just how it was done. Well, I shall leave it to the magic of the stage. Indeed, a very watchable ballet. I shall have to keep from viewing it too quickly again. A little time should pass before I take it down from the shelf for the next time.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Ballet, August 17, 2005
The Prince of the Pagodas is a lovely, enchanting ballet by Benjamin Britten that is just a little too outside the mainstream for some vociferous, though musically limited, people to appreciate. As if to challenge forever such ignorant opinions, this video clearly demonstrates how the score is FILLED with elegant, original, sensuous music that not only uses gamelan as an influence but a rich tapestry of thematic development that is more Beethoven than Tchaikovsky. And Britten's music can unashamedly stand in the company of either. Yes, sometimes the sounds are spare, lean, small. Sometimes they are anything but. But it is all worthy and memorable for anyone who can "hear" it. Perhaps all it needs is a listener with a slightly sophisticated ear. The Kenneth MacMillan choreography that accompanies this great score is simply wonderful. It does lean heavily on classic ballets of the past, but it just as often goes its own way with some very striking sequences that do not call to mind anyone else. Besides, using ideas that work from the past to enrich the present is hardly a flaw. Britten is a perfect example of the glorious results that can come from such thinking. (Try the dances for the four suitors or the pas de deux when the prince has been turned into a reptile to get a good taste of both Britten's and MacMillan's work.) The dancing is spirited, beautiful, emotional, elegant, controlled, and enrapturing. The sound, playing, and videography are all superb. All in all, a great work done worthily. The documentary that is included is informative and easily taunts with snippets from works that would be good to see.
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