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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
This is a gorgeous traditional production of Sleeping Beauty by het Nationale Ballet in Amsterdam. The extras are short but interesting and explore the history of the ballet and the choreography. The mime gestures are explained along with the story to a group of children, and Sir Peter Wright explains his reasons for reverting to a non-dancing role for the Lilac Fairy.
Opus Arte have decided to produce only NTSC editions from April 2004, thus although mastered from a high-definition source, viewers in PAL countries may be a little disappointed with the drop in resolution, particularly during shots of the entire stage. That said, if you love this ballet, you will not be sorry to have purchased this version.
Opus Arte have decided to produce only NTSC editions from April 2004, thus although mastered from a high-definition source, viewers in PAL countries may be a little disappointed with the drop in resolution, particularly during shots of the entire stage. That said, if you love this ballet, you will not be sorry to have purchased this version.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
This Sleeping Beauty is to say the very least absolutely gorgeous,the Het theatre has put on a show as good as any I've ever seen,and I include Paris in that statement.Opus-Arte are also to be applauded for the quality of the DVD.
I've never seen anything performed by the Het Ballet before but if this is the normal standard I shall be looking out for more,of course there has got to be a few flies in any ointment and this DVD does have one or two little things I didn't like,for one its a double disc,disc one starts with a Photo Gallery,which is Ok,but this is then sadly followed by a brief synopsis of Act one.
There is not a name among the cast that I know but do not be put off by that.
Aurora is danced beautifully by SOFIANE SYLVE,Prince Florimund by GAEL LAMBIOTTE both of whom put on a step perfect show to the obvious delight of the Audience and me!And for once I really enjoyed Carobosse's (INRICHETTA CAVALLORN) part,played to perfection.
Also I must include Princess Florine (Sabine Chaland)and Blue Bird (SEFTON CLARKE),Puss in Boots (STEVEN ETIENNE) with ROSI SOTTO as the sexy little She Cat,not forgetting JEANETTE VONDERSAAR as the Queen and RAIMONDO FORNONI as King.
The music was played very well by the Holland Symfonia conducted by Emanno Florio.Scenery was Grandiose,in fact as good as most first rate Ballet Companies,and better than many.
Costumes were very nice,though why the Lilac Fairy wasn't or didn't appear to be dressed in Lilac I do not know (better check the colour settings on my TV),except for in act three when all the Lady Courtier's came out in costumes that made it look as though they were all pregnant.Lighting was fine,nobody getting lost in the gloom shall we say! Choreography by Sir Peter Wright,after Marius Petipa says all that needs to be said in that department.
So onto the few little faults,there are quite a lot of the Cast on stage together,this leading to quite a few longish shots,not really a big problem though,Act one is on disc one,Acts two and three are on disc two,which is a shame as having to get up and change DVDs sort of causes a break in the performance,but No! I'm not that lazy, the problem is that when you've changed the disc and it gets to the Title page you have to set the sound settings again,then watch another (only short to be fair)synopsis,before you actually get back to the Play.
So the all important question of whether to buy or not,I would have to say Yes,it may not be the best Sleeping Beauty you can buy,but its right up there with them,all in all a very good two hours of entertainment.
I've never seen anything performed by the Het Ballet before but if this is the normal standard I shall be looking out for more,of course there has got to be a few flies in any ointment and this DVD does have one or two little things I didn't like,for one its a double disc,disc one starts with a Photo Gallery,which is Ok,but this is then sadly followed by a brief synopsis of Act one.
There is not a name among the cast that I know but do not be put off by that.
Aurora is danced beautifully by SOFIANE SYLVE,Prince Florimund by GAEL LAMBIOTTE both of whom put on a step perfect show to the obvious delight of the Audience and me!And for once I really enjoyed Carobosse's (INRICHETTA CAVALLORN) part,played to perfection.
Also I must include Princess Florine (Sabine Chaland)and Blue Bird (SEFTON CLARKE),Puss in Boots (STEVEN ETIENNE) with ROSI SOTTO as the sexy little She Cat,not forgetting JEANETTE VONDERSAAR as the Queen and RAIMONDO FORNONI as King.
The music was played very well by the Holland Symfonia conducted by Emanno Florio.Scenery was Grandiose,in fact as good as most first rate Ballet Companies,and better than many.
Costumes were very nice,though why the Lilac Fairy wasn't or didn't appear to be dressed in Lilac I do not know (better check the colour settings on my TV),except for in act three when all the Lady Courtier's came out in costumes that made it look as though they were all pregnant.Lighting was fine,nobody getting lost in the gloom shall we say! Choreography by Sir Peter Wright,after Marius Petipa says all that needs to be said in that department.
So onto the few little faults,there are quite a lot of the Cast on stage together,this leading to quite a few longish shots,not really a big problem though,Act one is on disc one,Acts two and three are on disc two,which is a shame as having to get up and change DVDs sort of causes a break in the performance,but No! I'm not that lazy, the problem is that when you've changed the disc and it gets to the Title page you have to set the sound settings again,then watch another (only short to be fair)synopsis,before you actually get back to the Play.
So the all important question of whether to buy or not,I would have to say Yes,it may not be the best Sleeping Beauty you can buy,but its right up there with them,all in all a very good two hours of entertainment.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
29 of 30 people found the following review helpful
A beautiful production!
15 Feb 2005
Amazon Verified Purchase
This is just an all-around beautiful production by the Dutch National Ballet. Peter Wright recreated the Petipa ballet, and in the interviews included in the bonus he talks about wanting to preserve the original mime, that Soviet productions largely eschew. Wayne Eagling has recruited dancers from all over the world so the Dutch National Ballet is really more the Dutch International Ballet, but he has created a wonderful, cohesive ensemble. If the DNB dancers don't have the obvious similarity of schooling that one can see with the Kirov or Paris Opera Ballet (which cull dancers from their affiliated schools) they still dance cohesively and with panache.
Sofiane Sylve, French-born, is the Aurora. She's a stronger, less porcelain china-doll Aurora, but I found this refreshing. Aurora here is the picture of health, a young, strong, athletic girl. Her entrance is spectacular. In the Rose Adagio she wobbles a bit on the final balances but overall, she's wonderful. Her Aurora is so bubbly and wholesome that one can forget that this is the most "pure" of roles, without much chance for character-building. In the Vision Scene she tones down her natural exuberance and becomes more aloof, remote, otherworldly. A great ballerina. Gael Lambiotte is a handsome, dashing Prince, who also dances with style and elegance. His leaps are not quite as spectacular as Sylve's, but the two of them project youthful romance.
Peter Wright's production is opulent, very much like Diaghilev's (failed) 1921 Western revival. Rich fabrics, lavish sets that depict a royal court. By making the whole ballet so formal (or Imperial) Wright naturally tones down the fairy-tale aspect, but it's a trade-off I can live with.
The ballet is split onto two dvd's, so there's the extra cost, but the good news is that the extras are really illuminating. There are interviews with Wright in which he talks about the use of mime, and then a nice mini documentary of Sofiane Sylve, who as she rehearses Sleeping Beauty is preparing to depart for the New York City Ballet. (She is now a principal dancer of the NYCB.) She seems a bit sad and wistful to be leaving Amsterdam, and from the brief but jaw-dropping footage of her dancing (as Dewdrop in the NYCB Nutcracker, as Odette/Odile), one wonders if her place is at a more traditional classical ballet company. But whatever Ms. Sylve decides, I am grateful to have this souvenir of her unique gifts.
Sofiane Sylve, French-born, is the Aurora. She's a stronger, less porcelain china-doll Aurora, but I found this refreshing. Aurora here is the picture of health, a young, strong, athletic girl. Her entrance is spectacular. In the Rose Adagio she wobbles a bit on the final balances but overall, she's wonderful. Her Aurora is so bubbly and wholesome that one can forget that this is the most "pure" of roles, without much chance for character-building. In the Vision Scene she tones down her natural exuberance and becomes more aloof, remote, otherworldly. A great ballerina. Gael Lambiotte is a handsome, dashing Prince, who also dances with style and elegance. His leaps are not quite as spectacular as Sylve's, but the two of them project youthful romance.
Peter Wright's production is opulent, very much like Diaghilev's (failed) 1921 Western revival. Rich fabrics, lavish sets that depict a royal court. By making the whole ballet so formal (or Imperial) Wright naturally tones down the fairy-tale aspect, but it's a trade-off I can live with.
The ballet is split onto two dvd's, so there's the extra cost, but the good news is that the extras are really illuminating. There are interviews with Wright in which he talks about the use of mime, and then a nice mini documentary of Sofiane Sylve, who as she rehearses Sleeping Beauty is preparing to depart for the New York City Ballet. (She is now a principal dancer of the NYCB.) She seems a bit sad and wistful to be leaving Amsterdam, and from the brief but jaw-dropping footage of her dancing (as Dewdrop in the NYCB Nutcracker, as Odette/Odile), one wonders if her place is at a more traditional classical ballet company. But whatever Ms. Sylve decides, I am grateful to have this souvenir of her unique gifts.
28 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Sleeping Beauty Awakes!
19 Nov 2004
Amazon Verified Purchase
As soon as I held this dvd in my hands, I knew this was no ordinary edition; it's heavy! Actually, this edition is TWO dvds. It also contains a sumptuous booklet in English, French, and German(why no Dutch?). That's why it is so heavy. There is also no regional coding, so it should be viewable in ALL regions. This is a very complete,long Sleeping Beauty. It is brand new(performed in 2003) and state of the art. It is a very ambitious and successful production. The dancing is nearly flawless, especially by Sofiane Sylve. What an amazing stage presence! What an amazing dancer, as the New York City Ballet has discovered, since she now dances for them. Sadly, this was her farewell performance with the National Ballet of Holland, but she says her heart will always be in Amsterdam. This should be enough of Sleeping Beauty for anyone. The playing time, including the interviews, is three hours! Gael Lambiotte does a great job also as Prince Florimund. This dvd is one of the Ballet greats!
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
A common man's point of view.
14 Aug 2008
Don't panic!! This wonderful ballet is still available from KULTUR and at a reasonable price.....The Sleeping Beauty.....It is the same ballet performance. So don't pay an inflated price.
No better version of The Sleeping Beauty exists IMO. That is, in the six copies I own. I've only been collecting Ballets on DVD since February of 2008, so I will not claim to be an expert on ballet, and The Sleeping Beauty in particular. However, I already know WHAT I LIKE, and this one I like. Next on my favorite "Beauty" list, is the Australian Ballet version, with Christine Walsh and David Ashmole.Sleeping Beauty / Christine Walsh, Australian Ballet They are the couple who got me started on my love affair with this so beautiful art form. Though I have seen a few live performances, of ballet, it didn't dawn on me just how beautiful it can be.
The Het National Ballet version (here-in-after to be called the Dutch version) has the most sumptuous sets and costumes of any version I've seen, although the Australian version comes close. Peter Wright explains in the bonus material, that the roles of the Lilac Fairy and Carabosse should be mime rolls, which they are in this version, even though Carabosse does a bit of dancing, she is in a full length gown befitting an evil queen. This Carabosse is played by a woman which is better than a man imitating a woman. Again, this is my opinion. The Russians seem to like a man in this role, but it seems clownish, as the ones I have seen overact the role.Tchaikovsky - The Sleeping Beauty / Semizorova, Fadeyechev, Speranskaya, Kopilov, Bolshoi Ballet A woman playing the part of a woman simply works better.
"Beauty" is played by the brilliant Sofiane Sylve and The Prince is Gael Lambiotte. They look good together and their dancing is spectacular. One added piece in this Dutch version which I have not seen in any other, is a PDD just after the Prince wakes her with the kiss, to the same Tchaikovsky music used in the NYCB production of Balanchine's "The Nutcracker" for Marie's dream sequence. George Balanchine's The Nutcracker It is a very beautiful melody and it is good to see it used here in the PDD at the end of the second act. Sylve is a very convincing young Aurora, and enters the first act with youthful vigor and vitality, with bounding leaps and fast turns. Yes, she did wobble a bit during her Rose Adagio, but her balance was acceptable to me since I sometimes lose my balance just putting on my pants if I'm not leaning against something. Her acting was also very good in the finger pricking scene when she shows her mother the blood and then to her ladies in waiting, who all assure her that she will be alright. Then as she is losing her strength in her final dance she shows everyone again her injury before losing consciousness. Then her mother gives the best performance of a bereaved mother that I have seen in any "Beauty" to date. She actually acts like she is afraid her daughter is dying. In all the other versions everyone just stands around looking at her lying there and in some cases, walk away from her, as they chase Carabosse. One of the best things Peter Wright does in this version is to keep Aurora on stage as she enters her hundred years sleep. She SHOULD stay on stage and not carried unceremoniously off stage or worse yet up some winding staircase, not to be seen again for the next hundred years. And, of course, all of her folks should be put to sleep beside her, exactly the way Peter Wright did it. When she is awakened she should be in the same place where she entered her sleep, and in the same clothes. I think it is alright to have her in a more ethereal dress in the vision scene because, she is, after all, a spirit. The interaction between Carabosse her minions and the Prince was good, but all of the power seemed to be in the Lilac Fairy, and not much bravado coming from the Prince.
The last act shows what can happen in a hundred year time period, from candelabras to glittering electric chandeliers, for instance, but the opulence is still there, and the ambiance is still very regal. Of course, there are the typical divertissements of a "Beauty" third act with a wonderful Pas de quatre and four beautiful variations, Puss and Boots, Red Riding-hood, an exceptional Blue Bird and Princess Florine and their variations, followed by the bridal couple and their very beautiful Adagio and variations.
The very best "Sleeping Beauty" to be had. It is beyond belief that anyone would give this a two star rating. Frankly, I think they need a better display device (TV set) as there are NO dark scenes in this particular DVD.
I will admit, however, that it is a little out of focus especially in the wide shots, but close-ups are beautiful.
No better version of The Sleeping Beauty exists IMO. That is, in the six copies I own. I've only been collecting Ballets on DVD since February of 2008, so I will not claim to be an expert on ballet, and The Sleeping Beauty in particular. However, I already know WHAT I LIKE, and this one I like. Next on my favorite "Beauty" list, is the Australian Ballet version, with Christine Walsh and David Ashmole.Sleeping Beauty / Christine Walsh, Australian Ballet They are the couple who got me started on my love affair with this so beautiful art form. Though I have seen a few live performances, of ballet, it didn't dawn on me just how beautiful it can be.
The Het National Ballet version (here-in-after to be called the Dutch version) has the most sumptuous sets and costumes of any version I've seen, although the Australian version comes close. Peter Wright explains in the bonus material, that the roles of the Lilac Fairy and Carabosse should be mime rolls, which they are in this version, even though Carabosse does a bit of dancing, she is in a full length gown befitting an evil queen. This Carabosse is played by a woman which is better than a man imitating a woman. Again, this is my opinion. The Russians seem to like a man in this role, but it seems clownish, as the ones I have seen overact the role.Tchaikovsky - The Sleeping Beauty / Semizorova, Fadeyechev, Speranskaya, Kopilov, Bolshoi Ballet A woman playing the part of a woman simply works better.
"Beauty" is played by the brilliant Sofiane Sylve and The Prince is Gael Lambiotte. They look good together and their dancing is spectacular. One added piece in this Dutch version which I have not seen in any other, is a PDD just after the Prince wakes her with the kiss, to the same Tchaikovsky music used in the NYCB production of Balanchine's "The Nutcracker" for Marie's dream sequence. George Balanchine's The Nutcracker It is a very beautiful melody and it is good to see it used here in the PDD at the end of the second act. Sylve is a very convincing young Aurora, and enters the first act with youthful vigor and vitality, with bounding leaps and fast turns. Yes, she did wobble a bit during her Rose Adagio, but her balance was acceptable to me since I sometimes lose my balance just putting on my pants if I'm not leaning against something. Her acting was also very good in the finger pricking scene when she shows her mother the blood and then to her ladies in waiting, who all assure her that she will be alright. Then as she is losing her strength in her final dance she shows everyone again her injury before losing consciousness. Then her mother gives the best performance of a bereaved mother that I have seen in any "Beauty" to date. She actually acts like she is afraid her daughter is dying. In all the other versions everyone just stands around looking at her lying there and in some cases, walk away from her, as they chase Carabosse. One of the best things Peter Wright does in this version is to keep Aurora on stage as she enters her hundred years sleep. She SHOULD stay on stage and not carried unceremoniously off stage or worse yet up some winding staircase, not to be seen again for the next hundred years. And, of course, all of her folks should be put to sleep beside her, exactly the way Peter Wright did it. When she is awakened she should be in the same place where she entered her sleep, and in the same clothes. I think it is alright to have her in a more ethereal dress in the vision scene because, she is, after all, a spirit. The interaction between Carabosse her minions and the Prince was good, but all of the power seemed to be in the Lilac Fairy, and not much bravado coming from the Prince.
The last act shows what can happen in a hundred year time period, from candelabras to glittering electric chandeliers, for instance, but the opulence is still there, and the ambiance is still very regal. Of course, there are the typical divertissements of a "Beauty" third act with a wonderful Pas de quatre and four beautiful variations, Puss and Boots, Red Riding-hood, an exceptional Blue Bird and Princess Florine and their variations, followed by the bridal couple and their very beautiful Adagio and variations.
The very best "Sleeping Beauty" to be had. It is beyond belief that anyone would give this a two star rating. Frankly, I think they need a better display device (TV set) as there are NO dark scenes in this particular DVD.
I will admit, however, that it is a little out of focus especially in the wide shots, but close-ups are beautiful.
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