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2007-11-08 14:03:31 UTC
As more and more "long forgotten ballet vhs" programs are being re-
issued in DVD,
occasionally budget DVD you have to buy on the internet from China,
two of
Ulanova's programs have been re-issued to fantastic tehcnical
improvements in the old VHS.
STARS OF THE RUSSIAN BALLET is a program of excerpts from SWAN
LAKE,
FOUNTAIN OF BACHISARAY and FLAMES OF PARIS, filmed when Ulanova was
43 years old. It includes footage of Ulanova dancing with her first
partner, Konstantin Sergeyev, (before he went on to choreograph a
version of LE CORSAIRE still used by
ABT today), as well as valuable and exciting footage of some of her
most famous contemporaries including Dudinskaya, Chabukiani and 27
year old Maya Plisetskaya (who was already in the Bolshoi when this
film was made). FOUNTAIN was created on Ulanova by Lavrovsky in 1934.
I have always thought that the three arabesques involving extensions
of increasing amplitude, which Ulanova's character dances in response
to an allegation made by Plisetskaya's character in what was Act III
of the original ballet, represent Ulanova at her greatest, but with
the
new clarity of the DVD, there is so much more of Ulanova's celebrated
technique
to marvel at. For example, Ulanova's air work in her character's
birthday
party scene seems to, if anything, "out-distance" Plisetskaya's much-
marveled-
at elevation when Plisetskaya's charcter gain's entrance to Ulanova's
room by leaping over the
crouched/sleeping figure of the chaperone. As well, the clarity of the
DVD gives
MUCH more to marvel at, as the exquisite timing and elegance of
Ulanova's wrist
finials.
The abridged GISELLE was filmed during two live performances in
London when
Ulanova was 46 years old and the enthusiastically "bravoed"name star"
of the first Bolshoi tour in the West. The original vhs had EXTREMELY
BAD COLOR QUALITY,so that Ulanova's make-up as the Polish peasant girl
seemed best not viewed too closely. This is completely cleared
up in the DVD, so the full effect of Ulanova's creation of an
inexperienced and vulnerable
young maiden can be marvelled at, as well as Ulanova's performance
during the
last fifteen minutes of the ballet, where her justly marvelled-at air
work in the
sixteen entrechats quatres en diagonale and in the fourth movement of
the grand pas (which was supposed to have been added at the Kirov in
the
nineteenth century) have long been considered among the "msot
spectacular athletic
feats" ever commercially recorded in ballet. One of the most
incredible
things about this performance is that while the variation with the
hops en pointe
and the drama-ballet in the forest with Albrecht are both omitted from
the
film, ULANOVA HAD ACTUALLY BEEN REGULARLY DANCING THE ROLE AT THE
KIROV
BEFORE THE VARIATION WITH THE HOPS EN POINTE HAD BECOME
STANDARD CHOREOGRAPHY IN ACT ONE.
The greater clarity of the DVD makes for some other improvements
as well. The
divertissement program which begins the DVD has some rare footage of
the famous Raise Struchkova, as well as Ulanova's performace in THE
DYING
SWAN. While the Hilarion of the GISELLE performance is uncredited on
the
vhs and recorded in VERY poor quality on that issue, the performer
turns out
to be the famous Levashev on the DVD. Hisxtraordinary performance as "
forester
much more handsome and much more masculine than Albrecht" as well as
better
mannered, culminates in a VERY great performance of the "Hilarion and
the
Wilis" set piece in the second act which may be one of the marvels
of footage recorded in this time period.
Arrow
issued in DVD,
occasionally budget DVD you have to buy on the internet from China,
two of
Ulanova's programs have been re-issued to fantastic tehcnical
improvements in the old VHS.
STARS OF THE RUSSIAN BALLET is a program of excerpts from SWAN
LAKE,
FOUNTAIN OF BACHISARAY and FLAMES OF PARIS, filmed when Ulanova was
43 years old. It includes footage of Ulanova dancing with her first
partner, Konstantin Sergeyev, (before he went on to choreograph a
version of LE CORSAIRE still used by
ABT today), as well as valuable and exciting footage of some of her
most famous contemporaries including Dudinskaya, Chabukiani and 27
year old Maya Plisetskaya (who was already in the Bolshoi when this
film was made). FOUNTAIN was created on Ulanova by Lavrovsky in 1934.
I have always thought that the three arabesques involving extensions
of increasing amplitude, which Ulanova's character dances in response
to an allegation made by Plisetskaya's character in what was Act III
of the original ballet, represent Ulanova at her greatest, but with
the
new clarity of the DVD, there is so much more of Ulanova's celebrated
technique
to marvel at. For example, Ulanova's air work in her character's
birthday
party scene seems to, if anything, "out-distance" Plisetskaya's much-
marveled-
at elevation when Plisetskaya's charcter gain's entrance to Ulanova's
room by leaping over the
crouched/sleeping figure of the chaperone. As well, the clarity of the
DVD gives
MUCH more to marvel at, as the exquisite timing and elegance of
Ulanova's wrist
finials.
The abridged GISELLE was filmed during two live performances in
London when
Ulanova was 46 years old and the enthusiastically "bravoed"name star"
of the first Bolshoi tour in the West. The original vhs had EXTREMELY
BAD COLOR QUALITY,so that Ulanova's make-up as the Polish peasant girl
seemed best not viewed too closely. This is completely cleared
up in the DVD, so the full effect of Ulanova's creation of an
inexperienced and vulnerable
young maiden can be marvelled at, as well as Ulanova's performance
during the
last fifteen minutes of the ballet, where her justly marvelled-at air
work in the
sixteen entrechats quatres en diagonale and in the fourth movement of
the grand pas (which was supposed to have been added at the Kirov in
the
nineteenth century) have long been considered among the "msot
spectacular athletic
feats" ever commercially recorded in ballet. One of the most
incredible
things about this performance is that while the variation with the
hops en pointe
and the drama-ballet in the forest with Albrecht are both omitted from
the
film, ULANOVA HAD ACTUALLY BEEN REGULARLY DANCING THE ROLE AT THE
KIROV
BEFORE THE VARIATION WITH THE HOPS EN POINTE HAD BECOME
STANDARD CHOREOGRAPHY IN ACT ONE.
The greater clarity of the DVD makes for some other improvements
as well. The
divertissement program which begins the DVD has some rare footage of
the famous Raise Struchkova, as well as Ulanova's performace in THE
DYING
SWAN. While the Hilarion of the GISELLE performance is uncredited on
the
vhs and recorded in VERY poor quality on that issue, the performer
turns out
to be the famous Levashev on the DVD. Hisxtraordinary performance as "
forester
much more handsome and much more masculine than Albrecht" as well as
better
mannered, culminates in a VERY great performance of the "Hilarion and
the
Wilis" set piece in the second act which may be one of the marvels
of footage recorded in this time period.
Arrow