Peter Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
The Sleeping Beauty, Op.66
Ballet Company and Orchestra of La Scala Theatre, Milan/Felix Korobov
Choreography and Direction: Rudolf Nureyev
Choreographic Revival: Florence Clerc
Sets and Costumes: Franca Squarciapino
Lighting Designer: Marco Filibeck
rec. 2019, La Scala, Milan, Italy
Picture: 16:9. Sound: PCM Stereo/DTS HD MA 5.1. Region code: ABC.
C MAJOR Blu-ray 756104 [158 mins]
This beautifully filmed and vividly recorded production from La Scala Milan oozes tradition. Rudolf Nureyev’s choreography originally debuted at La Scala in 1966 and has been brought back to life by Florence Clerc, while Franca Squarciapino’s sets and costumes are very much redolent of late 19th century Russian ballet at its most spectacularly gorgeous. Marco Filibeck’s lighting greatly enhances the period feel of this, and the camerawork is generally effective without too many unforgiving close-up shots.
Among the principal dancers, Polina Semionova is outstanding as Princess Aurora, while it must have been daunting for Timofej Andrijashenko to take on the role which Nureyev devised for himself in the 1966 original production, but he does manage the technical challenges Nureyev set himself with considerable success (although it occasional looks as if he is right at the very limits of his endurance); his phenomenal leaps in the Act 3 pas de deux are clearly much to the approval of the very vociferous Milan audience. Among the supporting cast, Riccardo Massimi finds an almost clown-like arrogance which seems quite right for Catalabutte, the Master of Ceremonies, but for sheer physical and dramatic presence, Beatrice Carbone stands out as the evil fairy Carabosse. In many respects, she is the one who commands the most attention.
Readers of MusicWeb International will, in all likelihood, be rather more interested in the musical side of things, and perhaps I am not alone in approaching this with only modest expectations of what the Orchestra of Teatro Alla Scala might offer. Maybe the brass sounds a bit muffled – as well they might given the cramped conditions of the Milan orchestra pit – and the harp possesses a strangely metallic twang, but otherwise this is excellent orchestral playing. Felix Korobov is a precise and unobtrusive conductor, timing everything well and getting his players to respond adroitly. By the final Coda, however, signs of exhaustion are making themselves felt in the violins (as well as, it must be said, in the dancers); but they can all be forgiven as this is a recording of a live performance made, I gather, at a single performance. The sound is as vivid and detailed as one could hope, and the overall feeling of atmosphere, with occasional glimpses of the great La Scala, and a very obvious audience presence, makes this a highly rewarding release.
Marc Rochester
Previous review:
Rob Maynard
Details
Princess Aurora: Polina Semionova
Prince Désiré: Timofej Andrijashenko
King Florestan XXIV: Alessandro Grillo
The Queen: Marta Romagna
Catalabutte, the master of ceremonies: Riccardo Massimi
The Lilac Fairy: Emanuela Montanari
Carabosse, the evil fairy: Beatrice Carbone
Ballet Company of Teatro Alla Scala directed by Frédéric Olivier
