Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893)
Swan Lake, Op. 20 (1877)
Original Libretto – Vladimir Begichev and Vasily Geltser
Odette/Odile – Natalia Matsak
Prince Siegfried – Denys Nedak
Rothbart – Yaroslav Tkachuk
Pas de trois – Ganna Muromtseva, Olga Skripchenko, Oleksandre Skulkin
The Brides and Big Swans – Margarita Alyanakh, Irina Borisova, Ganna Muromtseva, Svetlana Onipko
Little Swans – Elisaveta Goguidze, Katerina Didenko, Inna Chorna, Katerina Chupina
Venetian Dance – Oleksandre Skulkin
The Tutor – Sergey Litvinenko
The Knight – Vladislav Ivashchenko
The Queen – Ludmila Melnik
Ballet Company of the National Opera of Ukraine
Orchestra of the National Opera of Ukraine/Mykola Dyadura
Choreography – Valery Kovtun (after Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov and Alexandre Gorski)
Stage and Costume Designer – Maria Levitskaya
Sound format: PCM 2.0/DTS HD Master Audio 5.1; Picture format: 1 BD 50 Full HD
rec. 2019, National Opera of Ukraine, Kiev
Reviewed in stereo
BEL AIR CLASSIQUES Blu-ray BAC574 [128 mins]
The version used for this performance of Swan Lake has a bit of history to it. In 1895 Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov devised a new choreographic rendition of this ballet, which up to that point had been a failure in the theater. At the same time, Riccardo Drigo also completed his revision of the score, which had been in the works for several years. He did so with the approval of the composer's brother, Modest, and apparently with that of Tchaikovsky himself, since the composer did approve the orchestration of three numbers drawn from his Op. 72 Eighteen Piano Pieces for use in the ballet. However, because he had died in 1893, Tchaikovsky couldn't have known of all the numerous changes in Drigo's eventual realization two years later. That effort is often referred to as the Petipa-Ivanov-Drigo version. Having three acts instead of the original four, it has been used to one extent or other in most performances of the ballet. In 1913 Alexandre Gorski modified the Petipa/Ivanov choreography and that resulting version became widely used. Valery Kovtun made a new choreographic version of it in 1986 and that is the one danced here on Bel Air Classiques, derived from performances in June, 2019 at the Ukrainian National Opera & Ballet Theatre of Ukraine, in Kiev.
Over the years, ballets - full-length ballets in particular, far more so than operas - have been subject to cuts, additions, changes in orchestration, reordering of numbers and various other revisions. It's a pretty common practice, unfortunately, but Swan Lake has arguably been subject to a little more revision than most other major ballets. A complete performance of the original version on disc has at least fifty-one cues if each number is given an individual track. This Blu-ray disc contains thirty-seven tracks of dance and introductory numbers and one final one for curtain calls and credits. That might suggest that the music is substantially short-changed, but in several instances some numbers are combined onto one track. In the end, after deducting applause and curtain calls this production lacks about twenty-five to thirty minutes' worth of music compared with the duration of a complete concert performance of the original, which would have a timing of around two and a half hours, but the trade-off for balletomanes is well worth it of course, since we gain the superb choreography of this version, danced so beautifully by the performers here.
Indeed, the lead dancers are quite excellent and this company's corps de ballet is most talented as well. Minor roles are well danced too, leaving little, if anything to be desired on the dance side of things. Without doubt, if anyone steals the show here, it is Natalia Matsak. She debuted with the Ballet Company of The National Opera of Ukraine in 2001 (aged only eighteen) and was elevated to prima ballerina in 2005. She is an enormous talent and makes a splendid Odette/Odile. One must also recognize the brilliant work of her partner Denys Nedak as Prince Siegfried. Try their Act II Pas d'action (track 14) where both exhibit such lithe, supple movements in this slower, lightly scored music, bringing on an almost mesmerizing effect. To me, this was perhaps the greatest highlight of this production. By the way, the harpist and particularly the violinist here perform marvelously. A few numbers later in her solo (track 17), Matsak again casts a spell over the viewer with her facile and utterly graceful moves. Throughout the ballet in fact, whether she's doing an arabesque, fouette or whatever move, she seems flawlessly natural and graceful. Yaroslav Tkachuk is a fine Rothbart and, as previously suggested, the other roles are also convincingly danced. I've already spoken well of the corps de ballet but let me cite one highlight, their splendid Act I Waltz (track 3).
Mykola Dyadura draws a fine performance from the orchestra. This is my first exposure to either conductor or orchestra, and I must say Dyadura exhibits a fine grasp on Tchaikovsky's expressive language, and the orchestra plays with the right mixture of all-out spirit and finesse. In the distant past, particularly in the Iron-Curtain era, certain less prominent Eastern European and Russian ensembles had the reputation in the West of being somewhat raucous and unrefined, but I can say this ensemble has inherited no such flaws, as they play with accuracy, subtlety, confidence and plenty of vigor.
Costuming in this production is fine and the sets are quite adequate, though not particularly lavish. Lighting throughout the ballet is generally good, although in the last act's Final Scene it is dimmed a bit too much as a means to enhance the effects of the lightning strikes summoned by Rothbart. In that last scene, all the principals turn in splendid work, making this climactic moment all the more impactful. The sound reproduction, picture clarity and camera work on this Blu-ray disc are all first rate.
As for competition on video, there is a quite fine 2004 performance of Swan Lake on Arthaus Musik from the Teatro alla Scala, with Svetlana Zakharova as Odette and James Tuggle conducting that opera house's fine resident orchestra. That effort is apparently still only available in a box set with The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. There is also a Fonteyn and Nureyev Swan Lake on DG which I have not seen but is almost certainly quite fine, if you don't mind its 1966 sound and 4:3 picture ratio. But for those interested primarily in the music in its original form, by all means get the Vladimir Jurowski-led version on Pentatone with the State Academic Orchestra of Russia, which I reviewed in 2019. It's a double CD set with splendid playing and excellent sound reproduction from 2017 that is completely faithful to Tchaikovsky's original score. However, those of you wanting the music danced to in a fine production will certainly be well satisfied by this new Swan Lake from the Ukrainian National Opera & Ballet.
Robert Cummings
