Glazunov: Raymonda La Scala 2011 (Arthaus: 101630) [DVD] [2012]

This ballet was written in 1898 with choreography by Petipa. At that time the fashion was for medieval settings featuring spectacular pageant set-piece displays by the corps de ballet as the main focus of attention. It is important to realise that this production aims to be a recreation of the original and should only be considered on that basis therefore.

In order to faithfully recreate the original 1898 concept an enormous amount of care and expense has been lavished on this production and much research and time has been spent investigating and studying the original illustrations and instructions as regards costuming, staging and choreography. The final results can only be described as being a total success and as such completely recreate an earlier age in ballet history.

The set piece corps de ballet scenarios in this production are totally impressive in both delivery and panoramic effect when seen with the 1898 concept in mind. The camera work supports this by giving a greater viewing time than usual to whole-stage imaging rather than close-ups. This seems to me to faithfully match the visual intentions of the original choreographer. In general terms the courtly dances are more sedate and contrast with the more energetic dances performed by the rest of the population.

The relatively limited amount of solo time is well danced in my opinion with the main focus naturally concentrating on guest artist Olesia Novikova in the title role of Raymonda. The camera work illustrates her technical skills by picking out some details of her footwork in addition to the normal coverage. However, these examples of detailed technical focus did not bother me in contrast to some others. In my opinion they should not be exaggerated as they take up a very small part of the total viewing time.

The imaging quality is excellent throughout with not a trace of movement blur. Colours are rich and faithfully reproduce the sumptuous costumes and scenery. The sound is clear and accurately reproduces the sound world of Glazunov and is presented in DD 5.1, DTS 5.1 and stereo.

Since 1898 there have been revisions which have changed the emphasis of this ballet towards more active display and which may be more appealing for different reasons. However that is not the concern of this production which has aimed instead to recreate precisely Petipa's original concept of 1898. It would therefore be both unreasonable and wrong to criticise this production for lacking the alternative attractions of later versions.

In summary this is a fine reproduction of Petipa's original 1898 concept. This is the production's stated specific intention and to that end it succeeds as well as could be expected. On its own terms I personally believe it to be fully worthy of 5 stars and on those terms alone it should give ample satisfaction to many viewers.

I understand if other ballet enthusiasts got the impression that this production was "underdanced". This is a actually a reconstruction of the original Raymonda from 1898 as staged by Petipa. The choreography was carefully recreated from notation dating back to 1903. Scenery and costumes (wigs included!) are faithful to those created in 1898. The overall end result may not be to everyone's taste. Also the reintroduction of the original pantomime and the absence of male acrobatics (particularly for the role of Abderahman) can be dissatisfactory and boring for today's viewers. I personally thought that the story (although being still very thin) made much more sense in this version than the Russian reworkings by Boshoi or Maryinsky. I have been a ballet enthusiast for 30 years now and this was one of those ballets which I was really looking forward to seeing reconstructed. The final result was magnificent and Petipa's choreography both for the solists and the ensembles still shines.
Some of the costumes could be a little dated, but I was expecting it considering it was a reconstruction! Overall I found them truly grand and lavish and one could really appreciate, even through the screen, the high quality fabrics that were employed for the production.
I agree that the direction of the video was somewhat disappointing and this is why I gave only 4 stars. Recurrent close shots of the feet of the ballerinas, which I personally found really annoying. During the pantomime scenes, the cameras often tend to linger on the reaction of the ensemble instead of focusing on the active main characters, making it even more difficult to make sense of the story being conveyed through gestures. A lot has already been said elsewhere about the split screen during the 3rd Act highlight solo of the prima ballerina, so I won't add more comments.

This Raymonda is the genuine article. Long awaited, Sergei Vikharev's reconstruction of Marius Petipa's last known masterpiece (we can but guess at the marvel which the 1903 'Magic Mirror' must have been) answers all the questions raised by, and adresses all the inconsistencies of well-known versions of Raymonda - rendering all of them insipid. A word of caution though: This over 3 hour ballet is not for people who think ballet should be a thirty minute plotless 'pure dance' affair, or have been conditioned into thinking that it is allowed to cut and alter bits and pieces to fabricate a classic into something that suits the 'present day taste' (Compare: A true opera fan -or professional- would A D 2012 not dream of slicing words out of, or cut music from a Wagner or Mozart opera). About the filming I am somewhat less enthusiastic: Most ballet filming directors fall into the trap of wanting to show too much, and their cuts alternate too eagerly between close-ups of happy faces and the corps de ballet and their patterns - which as a result are not allowed to unfold. The zooming in on the point shoes of the lady dancers is dilletantish. On the other hand, the much debated shots of Raymonda's last act variation, where the dancer shares screen with the pianist I thought a nice touch, especially since a ballet solo being accompanied by a piano was an artistic novelty in ballet of composer Glazunov. The camera work of a crucial scene such as Raymonda's dream has been treated with care. The sound in general comes off good. The Scala dancers have been coached well, they are enthusiastic and possess rawer dancing qualities than, let's say, their Russian colleagues, but that gives the performance an edge. Olesia Novikova as Raymonda lacks projection (and at times musicality) but is an accomplished technician, while Friedemann Vogel is a dedicated partner and honest actor, if rather lightweight for the sturdy choreography for the knightly Jean. This commercial release represents the first of the performance culture of the Russian Imperial Ballet - long vanished, but now available to everyone, and on that merit alone it is worth five stars. For those among us willing to be enchanted by the genius of choreographer Petipa, like Raymonda is prepared to follow the White Lady to her destiny, you will be rewarded like the knight Jean de Brienne, receiving the Palm of Victory during the dream pas de deux, while the sounds of trumpeteers revealed in the apotheose at the back of the stage will send shivers down your spine.