Cheap Sleeping Beauty (Kirov Ballet) (Video) (Asylmuratova, Zaklinsky) Price

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Customer Reviews of Sleeping Beauty (Kirov Ballet)

asylmuratova - a rare talent
Having been part of the ballet scene many years ago as dance accompnanist to Makarova and Barysnikov, Lynn Seymore and many others, I offer my humble opinion as, I hope, an antedote to Gary Shen's (in my opinion) misguided review. Whatever shortcomings this production has: yes, the lighting is bad but I suggest you turn up the brightness level on your TV as I do each time I watch this video; yes the choreography is not completely the original Petipa (but neither is the Royal Ballet's version whose modern sets I find completely distracting); and a female Carabose is to my mind definitely not a plus...HOWEVER, this video has probably the greatest Aurora you will ever find on commercial video:Altynai Asylmuratova. This great dancer now heads the famous Vanganova School in St. Petersburg and has retired from dancing (since 2001). It is a pity that so little of her glorious work remains on film for posterity. In many ways she is reminiscent of Galina Ulanova, arguably the greatest dancer of the 20th century, especially in the use of her long arms and in her uncanny ability to continue the movement of one step on into the next. The emotional depth of her dancing is in a class by itself and I urge all dancers to study her work. What a pity no one filmed her farewell Aurora in London in 2000 when the Kirov brought their newly-reconstructed original 1890 version to the west. That version (hopefully on film in the not-too-distant future???) will leave all other productions in the dust.

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The most 'classical' of the classics performed lavishly.
Thsi ballet was premiered January of 1890 by the Russian Czars Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg. It was staged by the great 19th century ballet master Marius Petipa, set to the music fo the legendary russian composer Piotr Illyich Tchaikovsky. At that time Ivan Vshevolosky, director of the Mariinsky Theatre where the ballet was premiered, was making an effort to up the level of ballet music, changing long traditions of having a 'house composer' (such as Minkus, Drigo, Pugni, Adam) for all needed ballet music. Tchaikovsky accepted the commission, becoming inspired by the severly detailed bar for bar instructions provided by Marius Petipa. Together, the two masters created the ultimate work of ballet theater and stage music. It is without question the greatest ballet score ever to be written. Petipa's choreagraphy is the most perfect in the classical repretoire, and the test of the classical ballerina. It has been performed ever since, and staged the world over from as early as ten years since its hailed premiere.

Here we have the St. Petersburg troupe 100 years later, here called the Kirov (or by now the Ballet of the Maryinsky) with Altynai Assylmorotva and her husband Konstantin Zaklinsky in the leads. The two are the finest products of Russian schooling and do their company proud in this fine staging. The choreography is quite revised, as has been the costum through time. But no matter this performance is spectacular.

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A charmer
Although it is annoying that the credits are in Russian,it's an amazing video.
Altynai Asylmuratova is charming as Princess Aurora.
Konstantin Zaklinsky is her high flying prince.
The fairies (whomever they may be),were gracefull and entertaining.
The corps de ballet was together and beautiful.
On a warning note:there are several parts during the ballet where the lighting is terrible.You don't need my review to tell you that.
Other then poor lighting and the annoyance of the russian language,it is a wonderful video.I highly recommend it.