What's Your Favorite Ballet?

[Dame Hilda Tablet]

Originally Posted by SchubertGuy

On the Rite, the costumes made it interesting but I thought the end dance was a bit weak. She needed a bit more passion in her angst.

Also, did you hear at the very end of the last clip when they were announcing what was getting ready to come up next???

I'm glad you enjoyed them.
I know what you mean about the dancing being a bit weak. They're not the Kirov, let alone Ballet Russe. What I love about that production is that it's as close as possible to the original production which makes it very interesting. The 'shock of the new' must have been palpable when it was first done. When I see Rite Of Spring in tutus it just seems wrong. I missed the announcement right at the end and I'm now getting a 'This video is no longer available'

[dancer1912]

I LOVE the Trocs!! I can't bear it when ballet snobs sneer at a bit of gentle fun-poking!

[haydnguy]

Originally Posted by Dame Hilda Tablet

I'm glad you enjoyed them.
I know what you mean about the dancing being a bit weak. They're not the Kirov, let alone Ballet Russe. What I love about that production is that it's as close as possible to the original production which makes it very interesting. The 'shock of the new' must have been palpable when it was first done. When I see Rite Of Spring in tutus it just seems wrong. I missed the announcement right at the end and I'm now getting a 'This video is no longer available'

I'll tell you, I'm all for people making what they deserve off of recordings, pro-copyright, and all that. I buy all my CD's. (Don't have an illegal copy in my collection.) But when they take it too far, as they have on youtube, it's "every person for themselves". Anything I like, I grab". If you want it, I copied it. I can send it to you or give it to Philidor to give you if you want. No sweat.

[Dame Hilda Tablet]

Well, it's shooting themselves in the foot. A lot of people come across amazing things they'd never discover otherwise. I've bought recordings of people I had never come across before, mainly because they aren't really known in the UK. I'd never have bought those recordings otherwise.

[haydnguy]

Me too. I've bought records after seeing things on youtube. The record companies executives remind me a lot of the car company executives. Not wanting the world to change.

[haydnguy]

Originally Posted by SchubertGuy

Oh, that's great!! Looking forward to discusing it with you after you see it. It's 3 hours long and I broke it up into 3 one hour nights.

I definitely have M&A on my want list. I'm trying to break these up a bit and not put too many of these "dark" stories together at once.

I think we might be watching Midsummer Nights Dream tonight.

(Hey Dancer, what do you think???)

I watched Midsummer Nights Dream tonight. Unfortunately, I watched the whole thing in Black and White because I couldn't figure out why it wasn't playing in color. The way our t.v. is setup is insane with 3 controls. (One for the cable box, one for the t.v., and one for the DVD/CD player). One of the settings wasn't quite right. (Obviously).

I can say that the dancing was good. Music was good. And I would rate the camera work outstanding. Judging by what I saw in black and white, the set looked like it was outstanding as well.

My wife is off tomorrow night so we'll probably watch it. Next, for me, will be an opera but I don't know what.

[Dame Hilda Tablet]

Originally Posted by SchubertGuy

Me too. I've bought records after seeing things on youtube. The record companies executives remind me a lot of the car company executives. Not wanting the world to change.

To expand your analogy it's like car executives not allowing people to see the car or even sit it in for a moment and try it for comfort before they decide to buy or not.

[haydnguy]

Just finished watching 'Midsummer Nights Dream' (in color this time) and it was great. Not my favorite, but very entertaining nevertheless. I thought that my 5 year old step daughter might enjoy pieces of it because there were two sections where they had children dancing. Fun show.

Next, Ii've decided on the following. A 5 hour production. Next is the review about from the Amazon reviewer.

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There's a chance that purists will be very unhappy with director David McVicar's production of this Baroque masterpiece; there's also an equal chance that they'll be so vastly entertained that all criticisms will be beside the point. Updated to the years before World War I, Caeser's troops are British soldiers come to colonize Egypt, the latter being a place filled with exoticisms in the form of acres of billowing silk, flashy costumes, and full-blown song and dance numbers a la Bollywood (featuring sex-kitten Cleopatra and her minions). It's not only funny/campy, it also makes a certain internal sense. The razzle-dazzle is laid aside for the personal tragedy of Cornelia and Sesto (Patricia Bardon and Angelika Kirchschlager, respectively)--here portrayed as a beaten-down woman in a pathetic rage and a son on the verge of insanity--and for Caeser's and Cleopatra's more introspective moments. Caeser is mezzo Sarah Connelly, in firm voice and with the bearing of an emperor. Cleopatra is the 25-year-old American Daniele de Niese, ravishing in person and voice, with charisma, nerve, and talent in equal proportions. Countertenor Christopher Dumaux' bitchy-queen Tolomeo is remarkable, and the Achilles of bass Christopher Maltman is menacing. William Christie leads the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment with great spirit and dramatic thrust, and the production values---subtitles in major European languages and English, stereo and surround sound, and picture---are ideal. Extras include interviews with the director and singers and an up-close look at Danielle de Niese. This is a fascinating, grand entertainment that may just make new friends for Baroque opera. ---Robert Levine

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[Dame Hilda Tablet]

Originally Posted by SchubertGuy

I thought that my 5 year old step daughter might enjoy pieces of it because there were two sections where they had children dancing.

May I suggest this? It's charming.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4SmUrnga5E"]YouTube - Ashton: Tales of Beatrix Potter (The Royal Ballet)[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUHVCninhGA"]YouTube - Beatrix Potter ballet - Jeremy Fisher[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co8m4B7Xqg8"]YouTube - Beatrix Potter ballet - Squirrel Nutkin[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Royal-Ballet-Tales-Beatrix-Potter/dp/B0000574W9"]The Royal Ballet - Tales Of Beatrix Potter [VHS] [1971]: Frederick Ashton, Alexander Grant, Julie Wood, Ann Howard, Bob Mead, Garry Grant, Sally Ashby, Brenda Last, Michael Coleman, Wayne Sleep, Lesley Collier, Leslie Edwards, Austin Dempster, Reginald Mills, John Rushton, John Brabourne, Richard B. Goodwin, Beatrix Potter, Christine Edzard: Amazon.co.uk: Video[/ame]


I hope it's available in the US on DVD.

[haydnguy]

Thanks for the suggestion!!! I will certainly check it out. She was on our back porch recently, when she didn't know we could see her, playiing ballerina.