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In the Forum: Musical Discussions
In the Thread: Stage Music: get clew.

Post Subject: Taking about Tchaikovsky Swan Lake…Posted by Romy the Cat on: 11/26/2011

Here I would like to pitch an interesting thing. It was revealed to me yesterday that VAI released the 1976 Bolshoi production of Swan Lake with Plisetskaya and Bogatirev. Well it was not Bolshoi season production but the Bolshoi troops do what they do in Kremlin Union Palace. This is Grigorovich choreography that might be considered “original”. This consent is unique. Plisetskaya was 51 and it was one of the last her appearances in Swan Lake . Each single remember of the production did their absolutely best including the orchestra but it all was done with no visible efforts and in very friendly atmosphere, sort of like you kids are dancing around home Christmas tree – VERY rare event. Do not fooled however, the performance of the dancers is not just great but in my view the best ever committed to recording media for this ballet. The Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra lead by Algis Zhuraitis and what the play they show!!! It is not Ballet Suite music and for most who are accustom to suites it might feel almost like Ludwig Minkus tempos. You will get over it very soon watching the performance.

The uniqueness of the 1976 Kremlin production is not only in the fact that you most likely will trash any other Swan Lake videos that you might have. It was simply no available before. I had it as a bootleg on VSH tape, in horrifying quality. In beginning of 90s I gave it to videographer to convert it to DVD but his studio was robbed and with all my luck the thefts took his doubling machine with my tape inside. I was looking to replace and I think I paid $120 for another bootleg dub. In 2001 or so, some kind of German company (I do not remember the name) released the performance on DVD. Sure I got it and how much was my disappointment when I realized that the idiots made video to be approximately seconds delayed from sound (that works particularly great for baled.) How not to wish to have the hands cut off of the cretins who did it? So, yesterday I learned that VAI released this own premastering. I did not receive it yet but I feel that at VAI there are no Morons and the DVD will be fine.

A few words about quality of the recording. I feel it is excellent even remarkable. Many people would disagree and find it very far from today Bleu Ray quality. Well, the recording has very defused image but it works phenomenally well for ballet, hiding the unnecessary details and highlighting general metaphors, sort of use of monocle in photography instead of high quality lenses. The most important is the camera work. You will not see what you see in today MET production when camera is panoraming across sopranos breasts. The camera work is here is very conservative and simply let you to watch and to listen the ballet… and THIS Swan Lake is VERY worth it.

The Cat

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