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Swan Lake
Product Group: Video
Studio: Kultur Video
ISBN: 6301217896
EAN: 9786301217897
UPC: 032031119734
VHS Tape
Running Time: 81 minutes
Release Date: 1991-08-15
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
SKU: S0702Video6-1546
Condition: Very Good
Comments: Very Good overall condition. Orignal box. Very good tapes Ex-rental. Ships same day or next well protected. Enjoy
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Customer Reviews
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The Finest "Swan Lake" on Film
Rating  (5)
Date: 2004-04-06
13 out of 14 customers found this reveiw helpful
Magnificent. Awe-Inspiring. Dynamic. Powerful.Just a few words that sum up the utterly amazing talent of Maya Plisetskaya, who, I feel, must be the greatest ballerina of all time. I hardly know where to properly begin, in singing her virtues...so, for now, I'll just talk a bit about this recording of Swan Lake. Despite its being rather dated - well, okay, extremely dated - the work itself is timeless, and the performances of the Bolshoi are of such a high level that it really doesn't matter much. From the astounding virtuosity of the Court Jester, to the loving partnership of Odette and Siegfried, there is nothing overlooked. the sets and costumes are wonderful, and the backstage scenes are a nice touch. But enough - on to Plisetskaya. Her Odette sings of vulnerability, trust and pure love - her Odile is the most evil I have ever seen. Her acting capabilities are shown to full effect here, as are her astounding talents as a Prima Ballerina Assoluta. The breathtaking speed with which she moves through the famous 32 fouettes is enough to convert anyone to her crowd of enthusiasts. Although Plisetskaya is often argued against as not being the most technically proficient of ballerinas, her radiance and "fire within" is more than enough to compensate. I cannot possibly imagine what it must have been like to have seen her live, onstage. I would strongly recommend this film to anyone interested in ballet - it is a truly historic film, capturing a most important moment in dance. Watch and be thrilled.
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If you love ballet dancing at its best, buy this video
Rating (5)
Date: 2002-03-08
15 out of 15 customers found this reveiw helpful
Everything bad you can say about a ballet performance is almost true in this video. Awful color and sound, many murderous fast tempi taken by conductor Yuri Faier (especially the Spanish dance of the Third Act), terrible cuts and editing (they trimmed half of the music and dancing), and so on and so forth. Did I care? Not at all! Maya Plisetskaya is mesmerizing. She is unable to do anything less than perfect. Her arms and hands are a dream, her stage personality will remain unforgettable in your memory. Her dance technique is impeccable, fitting every nuance to the music. All other performers are excellent, too. The Price (played by N. Fadeyechev) and the Evil Spirit (V. Levashev) are simply magnificent. The role of the court Jester is made unfotgettable by the highly polished performance of V. Khomyakov. I will never regret having bought this video.
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Historically Significant and a Sentimental Favorite
Rating (5)
Date: 2001-09-29
21 out of 22 customers found this reveiw helpful
Question: This performance was recorded over forty years ago, so why buy it? Answer: That's a good question. There are so many different productions of "Swan Lake" available that you have to spend some time reading all of the reviews in order to make an informed purchase. This video was recorded at a live performance of the Bolshoi Ballet in 1957, so the sound and video quality are not state of the art. As is mentioned in a previous review, the sound isn't synchronized with the dancing for some of the third act divertissements, plus there's a color shift during the climax of the third act. Perhaps there's a certain class of customers who are better served by a contemporary recording with a crystal-clear picture and hi-tech sound. But that's not an all-important consideration for me, and out of all of my commercially-available performances of "Swan Lake," this is the performance that I watch and enjoy the most.Question: How about the ballerina? Answer: Maya Plisetskaya (born 1925) dances the dual role of Odette/Odile, and she brings something special to each role. Plisetskaya is a "turner and a jumper," and the part of Odile is a great showcase for these talents. During the climax of the third act, Plisetskaya does a tour de force, consisting of a lot of fast pique and chaine turns en manege. In my opinion, it's a very effective substitute for the usual thirty-two fouettes. The part of Odette is an opportunity to showcase her fluid arms, and I also admire her flexible back. Maya makes the role her own, and she's very good theatrically, perhaps because her mother was an actress. Maya is probably on more excerpt tapes dancing "Swan Lake" than any other ballerina, and there's a good reason for it. Question: What about the premier danseur? Answer: Nicolai Fadeyechev (born 1933) is the Prince. Although his technique isn't entirely perfect by today's standards, he dances with so much grace that it doesn't really matter. His third act variation is superb and has definitely stood the test of time. For example, his variation begins with a fouette cabriole with a double beat that is perfectly landed in arabesque--with no bobbles. It would be hard to find a better example on video from any era. From a theatrical standpoint, he seems to have a princely air to him, yet a genuine likability. In my video collection, I have 12 complete performances of "Swan Lake," 2 abridged versions (this being one of them), and numerous excerpts. I have yet to find another that I liked better in the role of Siegfried. Nicolai Fadeyechev is a danseur noble extraordinaire. Question: You mentioned that this is an abridged tape. Please explain? Answer: The run time of this video is only eight-two minutes, compared to a full length production of about two hours and twenty minutes. A significant amount of cuts have been made, and some of them are a little bit rough, but the editors have done a good job at maintaining a cohesive libretto. I feel that most of the best dances and the best music are included here. If your video collection doesn't already include a complete "Swan Lake," then this particular production may not be appropriate for you at this time, but this abridged tape can be a great choice for people with busy schedules. Question: What else sticks out about this production? Answer: There's a lot of interesting camera work in this performance. There are a number of camera shots from directly behind the dancers, and it gives you a feel for how it is to be one of the corps members on stage. There are other interesting camera shots from up above and from floor level. This is a very knowledgeable crowd, and they clap at all the right times, such as when the ballerina appears and when the dancers perform technically difficult feats. I'm particularly impressed by how they clap when the Prince rips off the wing of the Evil Spirit, as I've never seen any other audience do that. It shows that they are paying attention to the story, in addition to the dancing. A few of the audience members are rewarded by camera shots showing their reactions to the dancing. Question: Do you recommend this tape? Answer: This video is appropriate for anyone desiring to own a historical "Swan Lake" or for anyone looking for a abridged version that can be watched more quickly. I really enjoy Plisetskaya's dancing, and I like her fluid arms. Fadeyechev dances with exceeding ballon. The two principal dancers are good theatrically, and so are the character dancers. The corps dancing is nice, but it's a notch below current Bolshoi standards for excellence and precision. In comparison to other orchestras, the Bolshoi orchestra tends to prefer quicker tempos for the fast numbers, and this often results in bolder dancing, with more flair. Some productions of "Swan Lake" end happily, others tragically. I generally prefer the tragic ending, but this seems to be one of the best happy endings. The two principal dancers really engage my interest, and I find myself cheering for them to prevail. Both are heroic. At the end of the ballet, the crowd gives them a well-deserved standing ovation. I have watched this tape many times since purchasing it, and it has indeed become one of my favorites.
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Best approached as a documentary
Rating  (4)
Date: 2000-09-02
26 out of 27 customers found this reveiw helpful
The 1957 Bolshoi Ballet film of Swan Lake, starring Maya Plisetskaya
and Nikolai Fadeyechev, remains one of my favorites. This is the
Bolshoi as I remember it from my childhood. But if you are looking
for a complete performance of the ballet, with modern technique and
style from the dancers, this is not the version to buy. There are
many cuts in the music, and what with shots of the audience and
backstage activities, all squeezed into 81 minutes, this is a rather
incomplete performance. However, viewed as an un-narrated documentary
of a Bolshoi performance of yesteryear, with some of that era's
greatest stars, the film is quite interesting and enjoyable. (There's
no translation of the bits of spoken Russian or newspaper articles,
etc., that appear in the interludes, but that never bothered me, even
before I studied Russian.)Before the ballet begins, there are views
of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and the crowd arriving for the
performance. During the overture and in the interludes, photographs
provide a glimpse of Tchaikovsky's life and the composing of Swan
Lake. A review (in Russian) from the February 18, 1977 Teatralnaya
Gazeta declares the music of the new ballet to be boring and dry.
(This is followed by a photo of Tchaikovsky looking understandably
perturbed.) There is a series of photographs of people associated
with the creation of Swan Lake, including famous Russian ballerinas
who have danced the role of Odette/Odile, and ending with the star of
this film, Maya Plisetskaya. During the intermissions--and often
during the performance--the camera cuts to the audience (which was
fully lit for the filming) I actually find it pretty interesting to be
able to see people from Krushchev-era USSR. Some backstage activities
are also shown: changing the sets, Plisetskaya in her dressing room
with her costumer. As for the dancing...Plisetskaya and Fadeyechev
were among the Bolshoi's greatest stars at the time of the film. Swan
Lake was considered to be one of Plisetskaya's best roles, and she
stamps it with her unique style, often deliberately eschewing a
classical look. Although she was famous for her interpretation and
fluid "swan" arms, and although I enjoy much about her
dancing, she is not my favorite Odette: I prefer someone who is more
classical and looks a bit more vulnerable (sometimes Plisetskaya
dances so aggressively, she looks as if she could easily take out Von
Rothbart without the prince's help). However, as Odile, she is in her
element. Not to be missed is her entrance in Act 3. Her first look
at Prince Siegfried (her victim) is a wonderful moment--she's so
evil! Fadeyechev is the perfect prince--noble, elegant and
self-effacing in the pas de deux. In his day, male dancers were not
expected to have high extensions, a high foot position in pirouettes
or precise fifth positions, but Fadeyechev had a beautiful style,
effortless jumps and soft landings. The other star of the film is
Vladimir Levashev, who plays the evil magician Von Rothbart as a great
bird of prey, and is truly menacing. Although the Bolshoi used the
Russian "happy" ending, in which Odette and the prince do not die, I
remember that the first time I saw the Bolshoi Swan Lake live (at
about age 10), Levashev was so convincing as a bird that I almost
cried during HIS death scene. Minuses: The camera work is too
chopped up, and a lot of time is spent in close-ups of Plisetskaya's
face; however, considering Plisetskaya's face, this is forgivable.
The film is old, so it is faded at some points. The most aggravating
thing about this film is that sometimes the music and dance are not
synchronized--the dancers are on the pulse of the music, but a few
beats off. This is very apparent in the Act 3 divertissements.
Fortunately, the music is synchronized in the two grand pas de
deux. Pluses: (1) The sets and costumes are gorgeous. Act 3 is
especially beautiful, in black and white and silver, with shades of
red. I always think other productions pale in comparison to this one.
(2) This is a film, and I think that dance and dancers simply look
better on film than on videotape.
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