The Flames of Paris (Osipova/Savin/Vasiliev/Bolshoi Ballet) Includes bonus features [DVD] [2010] [2011]

He must be the greatest, most athletic dancer who as they say in the review, ALMOST FLIES! He is incredible and so too is his female partner. You are not buying this to experience a ballet of the same quality as Swan Lake or even Romeo and Juliet but to see the exuberance of modern dance ... almost the ballet form of Les Miserables! Wait 1 hour 26 minutes into the performance and you will hardly breathe and you certainly won't believe your eyes. Just play it again and sit in awe and envy at not being able to do what you see yourself!!!

It's bizarre that the Bolshoi Ballet of today is still so slightly represented on video. In the last five or six years the Moscow company has developed again into one of the most compelling and popular troupes around the world, with a stunning roster of dancers and a vibrantly interesting repertoire. Yet, we can still count the Bolshoi Ballet video releases on one hand and as seems to have become a habit it is left to French companies to make it all happen. This new, very welcome release of the old Soviet ballet "Flames of Paris", revived in 2008 by former Bolshoi Ballet director Alexei Ratmansky, is again produced by BelAir Classiques - the same inspired team that also gave us recordings of "The Pharaoh's Daughter", "Bolt" and "Queen of Spades".

The original "Flames of Paris" dates from 1932 with a choreography by Vasily Vainonen and music by Boris Asafiev. It quickly turned into one of the most popular 'dram-ballets' of the era, remaining a hit with Russian audiences until the 1960's. Allegedly, it was also a favorite of the otherwise not particularly ballet-minded Josef Stalin. "Flames of Paris" carried an obvious ideological message with its dramatic French Revolution setting, depicting the triumph of the heroic people over a depraved monarchy and aristocracy.

With that ideological message now obsolete and rightly comprehending the significant value of the balletic legacy of the Soviet era, Ratmansky rewrote with Alexander Belinsky the libretto for his 2008 revival, focusing no longer on the brave masses, but rather on the fate of four individuals, two pairs of lovers, caught up in the uncompromising and bloody chaos of the French Revolution. Also by reducing the original four acts into two and with a smooth, almost cinematographic manner of storytelling, he made the ballet more appealing to a present-day public. Since most of the original Vainonen choreography was lost, Ratmansky choreographed anew from scratch, incorporating the surviving bits of Vainonen, among others the famous "basque dance". Interestingly, the resulting stylistic diversity - from Vainonen's classical and character dancing to Ratmansky's neo-classical with a tinge of modern expressivity - gives the ballet extra punch. "Flames of Paris" readily exemplifies Ratmansky's gifts to tell a story in dance, while there are very little choreographers nowadays who are as musical as he is. His choreographic invention reflects to a large extent the variety of moods created by Asafiev's score. While mime dominated the original Flames, in Ratmansky's ballet it are dance and movement that pull the action forward. Characters are introduced and shaped by dance, events are energized by a skillful use of the ensemble. The production is efficient and attractive with evocative decors by Ilya Utkin and Evgeny Monakhov, inspired on contemporary (monochrome) engravings. The handsome and colorful costumes designed by Elena Markovskaya further provide an agreeable historical time frame.

The story is simple. In 1789, two peasants from southern France, Jeanne and Jérome, fleeing from a brutal marquis, are forced to join a group of revolutionaries marching onto to Paris, led by the soldier Philippe from Marseilles. Jérome was saved from imprisonment by the marquis' daughter Adeline (a character introduced by Ratmansky), who eventually also follows the revolutionaries in disguise. Once in Paris, though, the Revolution is taking full swing and with the new Republic, freedom is proclaimed. But not without a certain price: in a dramatic denouement Adeline's true social status is uncovered and she is brought to the guillotine (also introduced by Ratmansky) before the terrified eyes of her friends.

With its thundering cannon, fearless red-bonneted girls waving tricolor flags, crowds chanting revolutionary hymns like "La Marseillaise" and "Ca ira!", and even the infamous guillotine "Flames of Paris" may be an unusual ballet at first sight, but there is no doubt it is quintessentially Bolshoi. The spirit and scale of the old, almost mythical Bolshoi lives on in it, but it is a reborn, exciting and talented Bolshoi guided by an inspired hand that turns it into a performance which can be relished by audiences of today. The cast seen here is very much ideal. To have Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev in the leads is a continuous blessing - their pas de deux alone would already be worth the admission price. They are the company's most acclaimed young stars of the moment and this DVD shows us exactly why. Supporting roles including an excellent Denis Savin and ravishing principals Anna Antonicheva and Ruslan Skvortsov, are all outstanding and reflect the Bolshoi's current state of grace.

The present performance was filmed live at the Bolshoi Theatre in March 2010 and generally captures the production beautifully. The editing is very agreeable, with not too many unnecessary close-up shots, yet the picture quality suffers from red saturation in the DVD version. Sound is excellent. Included is an interesting bonus feature with interviews with Ratmansky, Osipova and Vasiliev, about the genesis, revival and performance of the ballet. Finally, this release campaigns Ivan Vasiliev as the Bolshoi's principal superstar, whose first DVD this is, yet he might have been graced with a less unflattering cover photo. Otherwise, a five-star release.

I have been a ballet fan for many years and have seen all the major companies and dancers over the years. The late great Rudolph Nureyev now has someone in the same category as he was a brilliant charismatic dancer Ivan Vasiliev and his equally charismatic partner Natalia Osipova. I can't wait for further DVD's to come out featuring these two dancers from the Bolshoi. The Flames of Paris based on Les Miserable` is complusive viewing.